Kansas

Private detective to probe mystery deaths of Kansas City fans

Published

2 years ago

January 30, 2024

Private detective to probe mystery deaths of Kansas City fans

The family of one of the three football fans found dead at the back of their friend’s house has hired a private detective to try and uncover the truth.

On January 9, the bodies of David Harrington, Ricky Johnson and Clayton McGeeney were found in the backyard of their friend, Jordan Willis, an HIV scientist who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. They had been there since January 7, when the three men visited Willis to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers.

Ricky Johnson’s family has now hired a private detective amid a stalled police investigation and an intense public debate about what happened to the men.

Willis said that he hadn’t been at the back of his house for two days and didn’t know the men were there until he was alerted by McGeeney’s fiancee.

Ricky Johnson and family in an undated photo. His family hired a private detective to uncover the mystery of his death.

GoFundMe

Stephanie Walling, a niece of Johnson, announced on Facebook on Monday that his family had hired the detective. She wrote that his father, Ricky Johnson Snr., had set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to pay for the investigator, a lawyer and other expenses while the family searches for the truth.

“That [GoFundMe] was created by Ricky’s father. Linda was Ricky’s step mother. They have hired a PI and a lawyer and need help paying for that,” she said in response to a query from a supporter.

Walling added that there is now a separate GoFundMe page for each of the three deceased friends.

Police have said they are not treating the deaths as homicides.

Willis’ attorney, John Picerno, said his client “had absolutely nothing to do with the deaths of his three friends,” two of whom he’s known since high school.

“He’s grieving, he’s had to move out of his home, he’s had to shut down his social media, he’s taking leave of absence from his job, so it’s really affected him,” Picerno told KCTV in Kansas City.

Clayton McGeeney [R], who was found dead with his two friends at the back of a house in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 9. His fiancee discovered the bodies.

GoFundMe

Picerno said that after the friends went to his house following the Chiefs game, Willis decided to sleep on his couch and said goodnight to his friends at around 2 a.m.

“He thought that they left out the front door,” Picerno told KCTV.

Asked why Willis didn’t check for them in the backyard, Picerno said he had no reason to go out into the backyard, and he didn’t know anyone was there.

The medical examiner’s office has yet to determine a cause of death.

April Mahoney, McGeeney’s fiancée went to the house on January 9 and found the first body. She then called police. A neighbor’s video showed the police arriving and questioning Willis at his front door.

On January 9, Captain Jake Becchina of the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement: “First and foremost, this case is 100% NOT being investigated as a homicide. There have not been any arrests [or] charges, and no one is in custody.

“There are no specific threats or concerns for the surrounding community at this time.

“The resident at the house was cooperative with detectives the day the deceased were discovered.”

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Kansas

Storm causes power outages in Kansas City metro

Published

5 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Storm causes power outages in Kansas City metro

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Residents are without power after a storm swept through the Kansas City metro late Friday night into Saturday morning.

According to Evergy’s power outage map, as of 12:22 a.m., 76 active outages are causing 1,628 customers to be without power.

Over 1,000 customers are without power in the Kansas City area.(KCTV5)

WEATHER UPDATES: First Warn Weather Day: The final round of storms on the way. Here’s what to expect

This is an active situation. KCTV5 will make updates to this story as they’re made available.

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Kansas

Chiefs President: New team facilities in Olathe will connect with schools, city

Published

18 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Chiefs President: New team facilities in Olathe will connect with schools, city

KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers Johnson County. She’s reported on the Chiefs’ decision to move its team facility to Olathe since the team made the announcement in December. That coverage has included amplifying the voices of residents who have different perspectives on the project, which has ranged from excitement to scrutiny. Share your story idea with Elyse.

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Kansas City Chiefs President Mark Donovan said Friday the team is drawing inspiration from recent team headquarters projects with the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys as they develop plans for their own new headquarters in Olathe.

In December, the club reached an agreement with Kansas officials to move across the state line. The agreement called for a $3 billion, domed stadium in western Kansas City, Kansas, and a new team headquarters and practice facility near Kansas Highway 10 and Ridgeview Road in Olathe.

Donovan’s remarks on Friday came during the Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.

Elyse Schoenig/KSHB

The Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting on Friday, March 6, 2026, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.

The chamber’s theme for 2026, “Olathe Rising,” appears well-timed as the Chiefs work to build out their team headquarters vision.

Donovan said the team and its partners have been busy behind the scenes and hope to have updates on the project in the near future.

He said the club will look to work with the Olathe School District and the Olathe City Council in their plans.

The club is exploring a unique component to the facility by incorporating flag football into the project.

Flag football has been a priority of the club and the National Football League. The sport will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

In April, the Kansas State High School Athletics Association is set to vote on whether to sanction girls’ flag football as a high school varsity sport.

Funding for the club’s Olathe project will come in part from the sale of bonds paid for by certain sales tax revenues.

In February, the Olathe City Council approved participation in a STAR bonds district to build the team’s new headquarters and training facility at College Boulevard and Ridgeview Road.

Elsewhere on Friday, Kansas legislators introduced the Kansas Sports Authority Act. The act would create a nine-member board to oversee all aspects of sports facility construction.

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Kansas

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

Published

2 days ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged with creating child sexual abuse materials by secretly recording minors showering during an athletic competition.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ryan Brungardt of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.

Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School.

Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament was held at Newton High in January 2024.

Brungardt made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday

Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina during the 2023-2024 wrestling season.

Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

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