One year after three Kansas City Chiefs fans were last seen alive, it’s still unclear why they died in a friend’s snowy backyard, and authorities have yet to file any criminal charges in their deaths.
Clayton McGeeney, 37; Rickey Johnson, 38; David Harrington, 36, visited their old friend Jordan Willis on January 7, 2024 (Jordan Willis) At home in Kansas City, watching the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers.
Two days later, McGeeney’s fiancée found the three men dead on Willis’ property. According to family members searching for the three friends, who never returned home, Willis’ phone was unreachable and the door was not opened in the days that followed.
Although preliminary autopsy results shared by the family with the media showed the presence of fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in the deceased’s system, family members have questioned Willis’s involvement in the incident, with some threatening to sue.
In September, John Picerno, Willis’ attorney, told Fox News Digital that “the allegations [will be] To be released in the coming weeks,” based on “internal conversations” with prosecutors.
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On January 9, 2024, David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside a friend’s home in Kansas City. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
“I can confidently say that my client will not be charged in connection with this,” Picerno said at the time. “My client will not be charged in any way in connection with his friend’s untimely death.”
When asked who would face criminal charges in connection with the men’s deaths, Picerno responded: “If someone supplied drugs to these young men, the criminal liability would likely be a felony murder charge.”
But lawyers for Picerno and the man’s family said there has been no progress since then.
Fox News Digital previously reported that a fifth man showed up at Willis’ Northwest 83rd Terrace home on January 7, but the man told Fox 4 he left while others were still watching the game. And stressed that he was not the last one.
Fox News Digital was unable to reach an attorney for the fifth man for comment.
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An exterior view of Jordan Willis’ home on Friday, January 26, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (DWS via Fox News Digital)
Picerno said in September that the Kansas City Police Department had repeatedly characterized it as a death investigation rather than a homicide investigation and that the length of the investigation was “definitely unusual.”
He also said his client voluntarily handed over all electronic devices and DNA samples to police early in the investigation.
“I don’t know what caused this investigation to continue. [more than] Nine months,” Picerno said. “It would be better for prosecutors to answer that question.
“There is nothing to report or comment on at this time,” a representative from the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office told Fox News Digital. “This is still an ongoing investigation. I think when it’s completed, [Platte County Prosecutor] Eric [Zahnd] A press release will be issued. Unfortunately, we don’t have a timeline for reporting.
The Kansas City Police Department could not be reached for comment by press time.
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Family and friends of Clayton McGeeney (left), David Harrington (center) and Ricky Johnson (right) after the three men mysteriously died in subfreezing temperatures outside a friend’s Kansas City home. Shouting for answers. (Facebook)
Although Picerno is “confident” that his client will avoid criminal prosecution, he said in September that he would likely file a civil lawsuit. He said he has been contacted by attorneys representing the men’s families, noting that the statute of limitations for such cases in Missouri is five years.
David Harrington’s mother, Jennifer Marks, told Fox News Digital that this is “the first [she’s] She said she had “heard” there was progress in the case. [herself] Stay calm and don’t get your hopes up.
“Of course, I’m very happy to hear that something might happen,” she said Tuesday.
“I wasn’t told anything,” she continued. “They just haven’t relayed any information to us, the family, though, so I don’t have any information. We haven’t gotten an autopsy or anything like that. They don’t want us to be able to release any information and I think it would be detrimental to the case. “
“Of course, I want to see people take responsibility for this, and I believe Jordan should be held accountable,” Marks said. “It was his home and he had parties and, you know.”
Willis moved out of his Kansas City home and entered a rehabilitation program after his friend’s death, and his “life was changed forever,” Picerno said.
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On January 9, 2024, Jordan Willis, a 38-year-old HIV scientist, checked into a rehab facility after three of his friends were found dead in their backyard. (GitHub)
“It’s a terrible thing when people convict you without real evidence,” Picerno said. “It’s a tough game, but he’s doing the best he can with it.”
A source close to the Willis family told Fox News Digital that the 39-year-old Ph.D. Holders and research scientists “are still grappling with the ramifications of it all.”
“[He] Not only did I lose a good friend, [had] A lot of people attacked him,” the source said.
“It’s affecting every aspect of his life and he’s doing the best he can,” the source continued. “He’s been helping take care of his dad this year and trying to stay positive.”
