Hailey Johnson's family receives graphic evidence, sparking calls for murder charge

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The family of a Cobb County woman who died under suspicious circumstances says they were accidentally given a box containing graphic forensic evidence related to her death—items they believe could have supported a murder charge.

SEE ALSO: Mother hopes podcast, online petition will spark reexamination of her daughter’s death

The backstory:

Hailey Johnson, 21, died the day after Christmas in 2022 at the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Brooks Cleary. While Cleary was convicted in 2023 for concealing Johnson’s death and making false statements, her family says he should have faced a murder charge.

Cleary is currently serving an 11-year sentence. But Johnson’s family says the case took another disturbing turn when they went to retrieve personal items from authorities.

Hailey Johnson

SEE ALSO: Cobb County judge considers overturning guilty verdict using 'rare' 13th juror statute

What they're saying:

"There were a lot of mistakes," said Barbara Johnson, Hailey’s mother. "A lot of things that were done and a lot of things can't be fixed. But even still, there's still plenty of evidence it's a murder."

"When we went to get the evidence, we were really supposed to be getting my laptop and the phones," Barbara Johnson said. "But they gave us the whole box of evidence."

Inside, the family found what they described as harrowing forensic material.

"That was crushing," Johnson said. "They gave us the pellets from her head."

Tyler Gardner, a friend of the victim, said the contents also included blood-soaked clothing.

"The sweatshirt covered with pieces of her brain still on and soaking in blood—like the actual evidence—they gave us all that back," Gardner said.

The other side:

The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment when contacted Friday but has previously stated: "If additional evidence surfaces later to warrant additional charges, it will certainly be considered."

Dig deeper:

Hailey Johnson’s case has drawn attention through the podcast Real Life – Real Crime. Her family hopes renewed scrutiny might lead to further legal action.

"For us, it’s Hayley. But it’s not just Hayley," Barbara Johnson said. "When you let murderers back out on the street without paying for their crimes, then you're also endangering everybody else's daughter and everybody else's sister."

Brooks Cleary

What's next:

According to state records, Cleary remains incarcerated in a prison in Bulloch County, near Savannah.