CNN —Boeing whistleblower John Barnett died by suicide, according to a police report released on Friday, bringing to end an investigation of the shocking death of a longtime employee who raised concerns about the airplane manufacturer’s safety and production standards – and who sued the company, claiming Boeing illegally retaliated against him. Barnett, 62, was found dead in a vehicle on March 9 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Charleston, South Carolina. The investigation found that Barnett was shot in the head at close range and the weapon was found in his right hand. “As a quality manager at Boeing, you’re the last line of defense before a defect makes it out to the flying public,” Barnett told the Times. That led the US Justice Department to announce this week that Boeing could face criminal prosecution for its history of safety problems.

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Persons: John Barnett, Barnett, Robert Turkewitz, Brian Knowles, Barnett’s, ”, ” Barnett, I’d, Brad Zaback, ” Zaback, Max Organizations: CNN — Boeing, Boeing, Charleston Police Department, Coroner’s Office, Police, CNN, New York Times, Times, US Justice Department Locations: Charleston , South Carolina, Charleston