Smartschoolboy9 doc creator exposes horrifying Johnny Cashman case that broke true crime rule

If you’re looking for your next online rabbit hole, Nick Crowley – the YouTuber behind the viral smartschoolboy9 mini-doc – has released his latest video, which explores the mishandled case of Johnny Cashman.

While Crowley has a dedicated following of 2.87 million followers, it was his smartschoolboy9 deep dive that catapulted him to online fame last August, earning more than 11 million views at the time of writing.

The video centers on a grown adult from the UK, who had been posing as children online and sharing disturbing images involving minors. It sparked an internet frenzy, troubling copycats, and warnings from police, tech experts, and… the creator of Salad Fingers. 

The smartschoolboy9 furor has since died down (the subreddit has been banned), but Crowley continues to explore sinister cases on his YouTube channel. Warning: some may find this content distressing.

Smartschoolboy9 doc creator covers Johnny Cashman case

One of the four cases examined in his latest chapter of ‘The Internet’s Darkest Corners’ is that of Johnny Cashman, who was controversially cremated before an autopsy was conducted in 2022, leading to accusations of police negligence. 

As is explored in the documentary, the nightmare unfolded in April 2022, when Johnny’s family called the police requesting a welfare check. Normally, Johnny – who lived in Lynchburg, Virginia – would call his family in Maine regularly. 

When he failed to reach out, they called the Lynchburg Police Department to check up on him. A couple of hours later, they rang Johnny’s parents with the devastating news: they had found their 38-year-old son dead in his apartment. 

At the time, his loved ones were told that he had died due to natural causes, ruling it as a medical event that led to gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. What the parents found strange is that Johnny had been given a clean bill of health just four months prior. 

The authorities also stated that there were no signs of trauma, drug use, or anything suspicious at the crime scene. Due to this, no autopsy was performed. Even though his parents questioned whether to pay for a private autopsy, the cops insisted it wouldn’t be necessary. 

And so, Johnny’s body was cremated and sent back to Maine. As stated by Crowley, this seemed like the end of the story. However, ten days later, Johnny’s girlfriend and mother went to the apartment to retrieve some of her belongings. 

They were horrified by what they found. There was blood everywhere; handprints and splatters covered the walls, the doors, the living space, and the bathroom. They took photos of the scene and, when they left, they ran into Johnny’s neighbor, who believed something far worse happened. 

The neighbor had a security camera fitted outside their door, which also faced Johnny’s unit. The footage from the day of his death shows Johnny walking into his flat, before screams can be heard from inside. 

Someone repeatedly says to “stop” and asks “what are you doing?” alongside loud crashes and thuds, despite the fact Johnny seemingly lived alone. Seven minutes later, an unknown man is seen leaving his apartment. 

YouTube: Nick Crowley

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, the man walks back up and appears to wipe the door handle with his sleeve, before stopping at the lobby again and showing signs of panic and distress. 

Since the police had already cremated Johnny’s body, it was near impossible to find out what had really happened to him. 

“What makes it even more frustrating is that law enforcement already had this footage,” Crowley says. “It was collected that very day and they either didn’t fully look through it or didn’t think that this was overly suspicious.”

But the online community sure did and in May, police made a callout asking for information on the man in the video. He was soon identified as Steven Church, a man from Tennessee who Johnny had offered a place to crash after he was left with no job or money. 

Steven claimed he left before Johnny suffered the alleged “medical event,” although this doesn’t line up with what was heard on the recording. 

Despite evidence implicating him in the crime, the case was closed for good in October 2022, with Johnny’s death officially ruled as it had initially been by the police. Steven received no charges.

Viewers slam police for breaking true crime rule

Viewers have reacted strongly to the true crime case, with one saying it proves cremation should never occur before an autopsy is performed. 

YouTube: Nick Crowley

“If Johnny’s case taught me anything, it’s that no loved one’s body should ever be cremated before an autopsy is performed, regardless of the cause of death,” said one. “Every officer in his case should be charged with Obstruction of Justice.”

Another wrote, “That Johnny Cashman case was a total fumble. Blood everywhere, no autopsy was done, just ruled out as a medical issue. Heck they even knew someone else was involved, yet did nothing and just continued insisting on medical issue being the cause of death.”

“For that second case, if the police say there is no need for an autopsy for a friend or loved one, always get an autopsy,” added a third. 

A fourth praised Crowley for covering the case, writing, “So glad you covered Johnny Cashman. You’re only the second person I’ve seen cover it. His case is a huge injustice in my opinion.”

You can also find more YouTube mini-docs to watch right now, as well as the new documentaries heading to streaming this month.