Valdosta, GA- Nearly 1,000 people turned out Thursday evening in front of the Lowndes County judicial complex to attend a vigil for 17-year old Kendrick Johnson.

There has been a large public outcry as to why the GBI’s investigation and autopsy has taken the better part of 3 months since Johnson’s death. J. David Miller, the DA representing Lowndes County, penned an op-ed in Friday’s Valdosta Daily Times detailing the circumstances surrounding the investigation.

“Every death of a child which is suspicious or unexpected…is reviewed by a local Child Fatality Review Committee. The local committee makes a determination of the cause and manner of death, notes any prior involvement with the family with any participating agency, considers whether the death was preventable and makes recommendations regarding how other children may be spared from a similar fate.”

Miller says he does not assign blame for the delay to the GBI, in part due to the wait for completed toxicology and DNA testing.

“From my perspective,” Miller writes, “for anyone to draw definitive conclusions regarding a suspicious or unusual death without having the completed…reports, would be irresponsible. At the appropriate time, all details of the investigation will be made public.”