Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who raised alarm over plane quality, is found dead

Boeing 787 Dreamliners are built at the aviation company's North Charleston, S.C., assembly plant in 2023. John Barnett had alleged that Boeing's manufacturing practices had declined and that managers pressured workers not to document potential defects and problems. (Juliette Michel/AFP via Getty Images)

Police in Charleston, S.C., are investigating the death of John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who became a whistleblower when he went public with his concerns about serious safety issues in the company's commercial airplanes.

Barnett's body was found in a vehicle in a Holiday Inn parking lot in Charleston on Saturday, police said. One day earlier, he testified in a deposition related to the string of problems he says he identified at Boeing's plant where he once helped inspect the 787 Dreamliner aircraft before delivery to customers.