Second Whistleblower Linked to Boeing Dies of “Sudden Illness”

Another whistleblower connected to Boeing has tragically passed away.

Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died early Tuesday morning after battling a sudden, rapid infection, the Seattle Times reported.

His death comes less than two months after the death of John Barnett, another whistleblower, under mysterious circumstances.

Joshua Dean, known affectionately as Josh, was a prominent figure in raising alarms over alleged safety issues within Boeing’s 737 MAX production line.

According to reports by the Seattle Times, Dean succumbed to a fast-spreading infection that led to multiple complications, ending his life at the age of 45. Dean, a resident of Wichita, Kansas—where Spirit AeroSystems is based—was previously in good health and known for his healthy lifestyle.

The news outlet reported:

[His aunt Carol] Parsons said Dean became ill and went to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing just over two weeks ago. He was intubated and developed pneumonia and then a serious bacterial infection, MRSA.

His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was airlifted from Wichita to a hospital in Oklahoma City, Parsons said. There he was put on an ECMO machine, which circulates and oxygenates a patient’s blood outside the body, taking over heart and lung function when a patient’s organs don’t work on their own.

His mother posted a message Friday on Facebook relating all those details and saying that Dean was “fighting for his life.”

He was heavily sedated and put on dialysis. A CT scan indicated he had suffered a stroke, his mom’s post said.

By the end, doctors were considering amputating both hands and both feet. “It was brutal what he went through,” Parsons said. “Heartbreaking.”

Spirit AeroSystems spokesperson Joe Buccino expressed condolences, saying, “Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family. This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”

Dean’s allegations of serious misconduct within Spirit’s leadership regarding the manufacturing of the 737 MAX were a cornerstone of his whistleblowing activities. After being terminated by Spirit in April 2023, Dean filed a Department of Labor complaint, suggesting his dismissal was retaliation for voicing aviation safety concerns.

Dean said to NPR in February that his dismissal was a tactic to intimidate others considering whistleblowing.

“If you are too loud, we will silence you,” he said.

The situation is even more troubling because Dean died soon after John Barnett, another Boeing whistleblower, died under mysterious circumstances.

Barnett’s death, which the Charleston County Coroner’s Office suggests was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, is still under active police investigation.

John Barnett had told a close friend days before his untimely death that if anything happened to him, it would not be suicide.

The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Barnett was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound inside his car in a hotel parking lot shortly after testifying against the aerospace company.

Barnett had accused Boeing of neglecting safety concerns and retaliating against him for his disclosures.

The 62-year-old, who had a 32-year tenure with the company until his retirement in 2017, died on March 9 during a break from depositions in a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.

Charleston police are investigating after Barnett was found in his truck “suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.”

A suicide note was reportedly found next to Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, however, his lawyers are questioning whether he took his own life.

According to the Daily Mail, Barnett was reportedly found with a ‘silver handgun’ in his hand and his finger on the trigger. A suicide note was also found on the passenger side of the vehicle. The contents of the note were not released.

Barnett’s lawyers are asking for a thorough probe because they don’t believe he committed suicide.

“John was in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower case, which finally was nearing the end,” Barnett’s lawyers said, according to The New York Post. “He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on.”

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