John Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years as a quality manager until his retirement in 2017. He came forward to share his concerns about Boeing’s production standards at its North Charleston 787 Dreamliner factory.
Barnett was found dead on March 9 from a self-inflicted wound. His death was confirmed by the Charleston County Coroner.
The BBC reported the death of Barnett. In an email to the news outlet, Boeing said it was “saddened” to hear of Barnett’s death. It said the company’s thoughts “are with his family and friends.”
In the days leading up to Barnett’s suicide, he gave evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing. He was due to undergo further questioning on Saturday. Barnett didn’t show up for that meeting so inquiries were made at this hotel. He was found dead in his truck in the hotel parking lot.
In 2019, Barnett was one of several whistleblowers to raise