A year after three men were found frozen in a friend's snowy backyard in Kansas City after an NFL game party, their families are still speaking out about their sons' mysterious deaths. No explanation was given.
Clayton McGeeney, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and David Harrington, 36, were found dead behind the home of their friend Jordan Willis on January 9, 2023. discovered. Two days earlier, the four of them had met at a house to watch a Kansas City game. The Chiefs will face the Los Angeles Chargers.
Days before McGeeney's fiance discovered the men's bodies. Willis could not be reached. Family members searched for the three friends who did not return home and said they did not respond to phone calls.
A representative from the Platte County Prosecutor's Office told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that an investigation into the man's death is ongoing. The families of each of the three men said they had no updates on the incident a year later, and Johnson's mother said she was “heartbroken.”
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David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney, and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside a friend's home in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 9, 2024. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
A source close to Willis said Wednesday there was “no news or developments.” “It's very frustrating and I don't know what the problem is.”
“He's been working hard on his anniversary,” the source said. “I thought it would close by now.”
nevertheless Preliminary autopsy results Family members of the deceased man have questioned Willis' involvement in the incident, although information shared with the media by his family indicates he had fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in his system. Some are threatening to sue.
In September, Willis' attorney John Picerno told Fox News Digital, “The charges are… [will be] An announcement is expected in the coming weeks, based on “internal conversations” with prosecutors.
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Exterior of Jordan Willis' home in Kansas City, Missouri on January 26, 2024. (DWS on Fox News Digital)
“They claim this incident is still under investigation,” Picerno said Wednesday. “But you know, [the] The prosecutor told me months ago that my man was cleared of any wrongdoing in harming three other people. ”
Former prosecutor Julie Rendleman told Fox News Digital that if Willis had been responsible for his friend's death, “he probably would have been arrested already.”
That said, she said, “It would be shocking if the prosecutor's office promised not to pursue any individuals, especially if the case is being investigated.”
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Family and friends of Clayton McGeeney (left), David Harrington (center), and Ricky Johnson speak after the three mysteriously died in freezing temperatures outside their friend's home in Kansas City, Missouri. and are crying out for answers. (Facebook)
“I didn't say that. [Picerno] is lying, but none of us knew about that conversation,” she said Wednesday.
“Even if I don't have an answer, I think there is room to come up with some kind of answer without revealing it,” Rendelman said of the Platte County Prosecutor's Office. “That's what happens – the case goes unsolved.”
Criminal defense attorney Ted Williams told FOX News Digital that the medical examiner should have a complete autopsy in a year.
“Once the autopsy results come in, which I think is complete, I think that's enough to charge the people involved in these three deaths,” Williams said Wednesday. .
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Jordan Willis, 38, an HIV scientist, entered a rehabilitation facility after three of his friends were found dead in his backyard on January 9, 2024. (GitHub)
“What's strange and strange and baffling is that this is still an open case for the Kansas City Police Department. You would think that if they believed this was not a death at the hands of another person, they would close this investigation.” I went out and they didn’t come out,” Williams said. “It's still unsolved… so it could still be considered a homicide… The big question is what direction is the investigation going in?”
But Rendelman noted that although toxicology results and an autopsy were likely completed, the medical examiner may not have been able to determine the cause of death.
Rendleman also said it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Kansas City police detectives are still gathering information about the case. They may be withholding information from the public to avoid jeopardizing the investigation.
“As a prosecutor, I had cases where no one prosecuted for years,” she said. “We kept them very quiet and close to the vest because we didn't want outsiders to influence our ability to fully investigate and pursue those responsible.” They may be concerned that what they say publicly could affect their ability to investigate this.
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“Are there some law enforcement agencies that just take the time to investigate? Yes. Are there some prosecutors' offices that aren't as adept at determining what the public should and shouldn't know? ? Yes,” Rendleman said.
The man's family previously told FOX News Digital that they plan to sue Willis in civil court. David Harrington's father told Fox News Digital He and his son's mother are “convinced that Jordan Willis is involved in this case in some way,” and “simply.” [hadn’t] I don't know how yet. ”
Rendelman said that in addition to holding someone responsible for her son's death, if prosecutors continue to keep the family in the dark, the family could get the information they seek during discovery in the civil case. He said that there is a sex.
“Some people file lawsuits just to get information. They can get subpoenas, they can get depositions,” Rendelman said.
“I have to believe there will be a civil case that will bring out more than the public will ever learn from a criminal investigation,” Williams said similarly.
