Following two men being charged over the deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans, the parents of the victims have spoken out.
More than a year after the shocking deaths of Ricky Johnson Jr., 38, David Harrington, 37, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, two men have now been charged in connection with the case.
Jordan Willis, a scientist previously described as “the chemist,” and Ivory Carson have both been charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter and drug distribution, prosecutors announced.
The trio was found frozen to death in Willis’ backyard on January 9, 2024, two days after they had gathered at his Kansas City home to watch a Chiefs playoff game, per the New York Post.
The case initially baffled investigators, but newly surfaced evidence has led authorities to press charges formally.
The group of friends had gathered at Willis’ rental home on January 7, 2024, expecting to enjoy a night of football and drinks. But when McGeeney’s fiancée initiated a welfare check two days later, authorities discovered a horrifying scene.
One body was found on the back porch, while the other two were in the backyard, left exposed to the brutal cold.
At the time, Willis’ lawyer, John Picerno, claimed his client had no idea his friends were outside, insisting: “He does not know the timing or manner of their deaths, nor does he know how or when they exited his house.”
Willis himself later claimed that he had gone to bed in the early hours of January 8 and did not hear relatives knocking at his door when they were desperately looking for the men.
He also said he was wearing headphones, which prevented him from hearing anything outside.
As the victims’ families demanded answers, toxicology reports revealed that all three men had died from a lethal mix of fentanyl and cocaine.
Prosecutors later linked the drugs to Willis and Carson, uncovering key pieces of evidence:
- Investigators found drugs inside Willis’ home, including a bag of cocaine with Willis’ DNA and a bag of fentanyl with Carson’s DNA.
- Witnesses claimed to have seen Willis supplying a large plate of cocaine at Harrington’s home before the group moved to his house, where they allegedly continued using drugs, drinking, and smoking marijuana.
- Text messages on Willis’ phone reportedly showed that Carson had supplied Harrington with cocaine, and Carson later admitted to selling the drugs to the group.
The arrests have sparked a range of emotions among the victims’ families – some feeling relieved, others frustrated by the lack of answers.
David Harrington’s mother, Theresa Harrington, admitted she had given up hope that authorities would ever make an arrest.
“They wouldn’t tell me anything,” she told The Daily Mail, adding that police had consistently insisted they weren’t investigating the deaths as homicides.
She believes this approach delayed justice, saying: “[The statements] made it easy to think they had already made up their mind and there wouldn’t be any further investigation.”
Meanwhile, per Fox 4 Kansas City, Ricky Johnson’s father, Rick, has vowed to attend every court hearing involving Willis and Carson.
He stated: “I am happy with the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department for filing charges. It’s been a long time. And I’ll be at every court date.”
Theresa Harrington acknowledged that her son used drugs, but she refuses to believe he would have knowingly put himself in a life-threatening situation.
“He didn’t take that to die,” she told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “If he took the drugs on his own, he took them to get high. It just means that there’s more to the story, there’s more to it than just that.”
She also denied that her son was a drug addict, instead blaming “peer pressure” for what happened.
Despite the growing case against him, Willis continues to maintain his innocence, per the Kansas City Star.
His attorney, John Picerno, stated: “Jordan maintains that he is not responsible for purchasing or supplying the drugs that led to the deaths of his three friends. We are very much looking forward to the day a jury gets to hear all of the evidence in this case.”
