Boeing whistleblower found dead days after testifying against company
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John Barnett, 62, had worked for Boeing for 32 years before retiring. He raised a number of concerns about the company's production standards.
A Boeing whistleblower who raised concerns about the company's production standards was found dead days after testifying against the company.
Sixty-two-year-old John Barnett of Louisiana had worked for Boeing for 32 years before retiring in 2017 because of his health, according to the BBC. In the lead-up to his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the aircraft giant.
The Charleston County Coroner's Office in South Carolina confirmed to several news outlets that Barnett died on March 9 of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot.
In a statement to Scripps News, Boeing said, "We are saddened by Mr. Barnett's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends."
In 2019, Barnett had spoken out about a number of issues with the aircraft production company to the BBC. He claimed workers under pressure were deliberately putting substandard parts on planes, saying in some cases parts had even been brought back from scrap bins and fitted to planes to prevent delays.
