The boyfriend of three Kansas City Chiefs fans who allegedly froze to death in his backyard says he was sleeping and had no idea they were dead until police officers showed up at his door.
David Harrington, Ricky Johnson and Clayton McGeeney visited their friend Jordan Willis' house on January 7 to watch the Chiefs' playoff win against the Chargers – but the trio never made it home.
The name of the homeowner has not been publicly released. But Jordan Willis' lawyer has broken his silence and maintained his innocence in the deaths of his friends.
Attorney John Picerno said his client knew nothing about the men's deaths and said Willis went to bed while the trio were still in his home. Two of them had parked their cars on the street – but Willis didn't notice them.
David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson (LR) were found frozen to death on January 9, two days after watching a Chiefs playoff game at a friend's home. The homeowner's name is now Jordan Willis
Ricky Johnson, father of three, was described as a “cherished son, brother, uncle and friend” who was loved by his “three beautiful daughters.” His brother said, “My brother was a smart man, and there was no way he was just going to freeze to death.”
David Harrington was found dead on his friend's property
Clayton McGeeney visited his friend Jordan Willis' house on January 7 to watch the Chiefs' playoff win against the Chargers
Willis said he didn't think it was unusual for his friends to leave their cars at his house overnight.
The man claims he didn't know his friends were staying in his backyard. Picerno told Inside Edition that the three men were still at Willis' home the night his client “went to bed.”
None of the three men's family members had contacted him before police showed up at his home.
The attorney said two people came to Willis' home, but he didn't hear them because he sleeps with headphones and a loud fan.
He said a person contacted him via Facebook Messenger, but Willis didn't see the message until police made contact.
Picerno said in a press release, “Jordan had absolutely nothing to do with their deaths.” He does not know the time or manner of their deaths, nor does he know how or when they left his home.
“He didn't know they were staying in his backyard or that they needed medical attention.” Had he known, he certainly would have called for help. The last time he saw them was when they left his house and he went to bed.
“Jordan doesn’t know how his friends died.” Like the rest of us, Jordan is anxiously awaiting the results of the autopsy and toxicology report.
“On behalf of Jordan and his family, we extend our deepest condolences to the friends and family members of these young men, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
The bodies were discovered when the fiancé of one of the men was unable to reach him for two days and she broke into the house.
She found one of their bodies on the back porch. After the police were called, they quickly found the bodies of the other two men also in the backyard.
Willis claimed the three men froze to death, and investigators ruled out foul play because they refused to make arrests.
Now the men's relatives are speaking out and demanding answers, insisting that the reported circumstances of the deaths simply don't add up.
“Nobody believes this story,” said Harrington’s mother, Jennifer Marquez. “None of his friends, none of the families, none of us believe it… Everyone is angry.”
Lawyer John Picerno (pictured) said his client knew nothing about the men's deaths and said Willis went to bed after the trio left his house. Two of them had parked their cars on the street – but Willis didn't notice them
The owner of the home (pictured) told police the men froze to death in his backyard. Their relatives have raised questions because their bodies were not reported and because they said the snow was not deep enough to flood them
The family of Johnson, a father of three, spoke to NewsNation and said they were saddened and confused by the “loving” man's sudden death.
“It’s very hard to keep going,” said Johnson’s mother, Norma. 'Something's not right.'
She said police were doing “nothing” to solve the mystery surrounding her son’s death and called for “at least an investigation to be launched against the owner of the house”.
Although the men's relatives believe investigators did not pay enough attention to the case, the Kansas City Police Department previously said it would wait for coroner's findings on the cause of death before moving forward.
The department did not immediately respond to a request for an update on the case.
Cops have also reportedly reiterated their resolve that no crime was involved in the deaths, saying they are treating the case as a death investigation and not a murder investigation.
But police responses did little to satisfy the men's relatives, and Norma suspected the trio had been “poisoned.” Police have provided no evidence to support this theory.
Some who claim to know the men claimed the homeowner's circumstances were even more bizarre. A Facebook post from girlfriend Kaylee La Tier, reported by Inside Edition, claimed he had a strange reaction when confronted.
“(He) was alive in his house while my friends were lying dead in his yard for God knows how long.” They had all been hanging out since Sunday after the game. “He KNEW people were looking for them,” she wrote.
Johnson's grieving family says they are not happy with the investigation, and his brother Jonathan Price (center) says that “freezing is not a cause of death I would accept.”
Johnson's mother (center, with his family) believes police are “doing nothing” to solve the mystery surrounding her son's death and called for the home's owner, who has not been publicly identified, “at least Investigations” are initiated.
“He read messages on Tuesday from people looking for him.” My husband knocked on his door for 20 minutes. My boyfriend knocked on his door and then broke a window, yelled and announced her presence while she was inside and still no word from him??
“Then the police come 10 minutes later and he walks out casually in his boxers with an empty wine glass in his hand??!”
Johnson's sister added that they “didn't hear much at all” from investigators and were left in the dark about how they concluded there was no foul play.
The two-day delay in finding the men and the lack of any report of their disappearance also raised eyebrows.
Johnson's brother, Jonathan Price, said he heard the owner of the house had animals that needed to go outside and claimed there wasn't enough snow in the city to keep the men underwater and hide them for days.
“There are a lot of different things that don't add up, we just don't understand how anyone can be under investigation in at least some way,” he said.
“We heard he’s moving out too, so we don’t know if he’ll even stay any longer.”
He said Johnson and his two friends were inseparable, but he didn't know the owner of the house and hadn't heard how his brother met him.
Price said he didn't want to speculate about his brother's death, but said the circumstances didn't make any sense to him.
“My brother was a smart man, and there was no way he was just going to freeze to death.” “Freezing is not a cause of death I would accept,” he said.
In a GoFundMe for Johnson's funeral, he was described as a “cherished son, brother, uncle and friend” who was loved by his “three beautiful daughters.”
Johnson's father raised the possibility of legal action, telling KSHB that he has hired an attorney and is waiting for a search warrant to be issued for the home.
“I will not stand idly by,” he said. “I’ll work until the day I die to figure this out.”