the corpse of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who raised alarm over plane quality, was found shot through the head, on Saturday, in his car in a hotel parking lot, the day after giving his testimony

Barnett, who spent decades working for Boeing at its plants in Everett, Wash., and North Charleston, S.C., had repeatedly alleged that Boeing's manufacturing practices had declined — and that rather than improve them, he added, managers had pressured workers not to document potential defects and problems.

Barnett filed a whistleblower complaint against Boeing in early 2017; his case against the company was heading toward a trial this June, his family said.

Barnett, 62, made international headlines in April of 2019 when he and other former Boeing employees spoke to The New York Times about what he called shoddy manufacturing problems at Boeing. Barnett accused the company of adopting a culture that prioritized raw numbers and profits over quality — and by extension, passenger safety.

"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 newspaper. "And I haven't seen a plane out of Charleston yet that I'd put my name on saying it's safe and airworthy."

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/12/1238033573/boeing-whistleblower-john-barnett-dead