Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs fans deaths: 'Walter White narrative' about party host is 'out of control,' source says
Despite claims to the contrary, Kansas City Chiefs fan Jordan Willis was not nicknamed “the chemist” for manufacturing drugs in high school, a source close to him told Fox News Digital, shooting back at theories implicating the career scientist in his three friends’ deaths.
Clayton McGeeney, 36, Ricky Johnson, 38, and David Harrington, 37, were discovered frozen and dead in his Kansas City backyard on Jan. 9, two days after they were all last seen alive inside Willis’ house for an NFL watch party.
The men’s loved ones have come forward with theories that Willis played an active role in their demise, with McGeeney’s cousin Caleb McGeeney telling NewsNation that “all [Willis’] friends knew him” as “the chemist.”
“Jordan’s ‘the chemist,’ bro. Jordan’s ‘the chemist,’” Caleb McGeeney said. “It was easy for them to go have fun, but he f—ed up, he made a mistake.”
But the source close to Willis insisted that he had never been referred to by that name, and that the career scientist is “not a chemist by trade.”
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS FOUND DEAD IN FRIEND’S BACKYARD: WHAT TO KNOW
David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside their friend’s Kansas City home Jan. 9, 2024. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
“He’s a computational data scientist for HIV vaccine research. His work is solely on computers and he works from home,” the source told Fox News Digital on Monday.
“It is incredibly disappointing that his job is being used against him to further the real-life Walter White-type narrative that people are trying to create,” the source said, referring to Bryan Cranston’s TV character in AMC drama Breaking Bad, a dispirited high school science teacher who uses his chemistry knowledge to become a drug lord after a stage-three cancer diagnosis.
The source also remarked that Willis came from a military family with loving parents who “most definitely” would have noticed and intervened if he was “making drugs in the house in high school.”
“Ruining Jordan’s reputation and his life in a smear campaign as some sort of revenge will not bring these families peace, especially without any evidence from the police department to support what they are saying,” the source said.
Moreover, the source accused the family members of shifting their story, remarking that “grief is not an open-ended excuse to say whatever you want in a public forum without consequences.”
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: DRUGS IN MEN’S SYSTEMS SHOW ‘THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY,’ FAMILY SAYS
HIV scientist Jordan Willis, 38, checked himself into a rehab center after his three friends were found dead in his backyard Jan. 9, 2024. (GitHub)
“At first they said they don’t know Jordan, that the men didn’t do drugs, so they must have been murdered, or poisoned or dragged out of the house, or they must have seen something they shouldn’t have seen,” the source close to Willis said Monday. “Then when initial toxicology came out, it was that they would have been peer pressured.”
“Now, out of nowhere, the story is that the men have known him since high school as ‘the chemist’ and Jordan has supplied or made drugs for them since then. Which is it? It’s completely absurd,” they continued.
The Kansas City Police Department has asserted that there is no foul play suspected in their deaths, telling Fox News Digital that they are “100 percent not being investigated as homicide[s].”
But family members of the three deceased men have questioned how Willis managed not to notice the men’s three bodies feet from his back porch – Willis’ attorney has claimed that his client was sleeping for much of the period between when he allegedly saw the three men out his front door and when McGeeney’s fiancée found one of the men’s bodies outside and alerted police.
Ricky Johnson’s brother Jonathan Price questioned how a man who is “responsible enough to gain a Ph.D.” in “what seems like a very complicated science” could “sleep all day on a Monday” in an interview with Fox & Friends last month.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: VICTIMS’ FAMILIES AT ODDS OVER ‘ANGRY’ SPECULATION, LAWYER SAYS
Family and friends of Clayton McGeeney, left, David Harrington, center, and Ricky Johnson, right, are clamoring for answers after the three men inexplicably died in freezing temperatures outside their friend’s Kansas City home. (Facebook)
Willis graduated with a Ph.D. in chemical and physical biology from Vanderbilt University in 2014, his attorney John Picerno has confirmed to Fox News Digital. He previously studied chemistry and molecular biology at Northwest Missouri State University.
According to an interview that Willis gave to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative’s website in 2022, he is the senior principal scientist at the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center in Kansas City.
But on Monday, the source close to Willis told Fox News Digital that “anyone who can’t imagine how he could have been totally out of it and sleeping and not aware of his surroundings for two days is, fortunately, not familiar with what a drug and alcohol bender looks like.”
“He’s lucky to be alive,” the source said of Willis.
PRELIMINARY TOXICOLOGY RESULTS BACK FOR KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS FOUND FROZEN TO DEATH
An exterior view of the backyard and porch of Jordan Willis’s home in Kansas City, Missouri on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. The bodies of Willis’ three friends – Ricky Johnson, Clayton McGeeney, and David Harrington – were found in Willis’ backyard, with one body found on the porch, on Jan. 9, 2024, two days after attending a Kansas City Chiefs watch party at the home. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
While many Chiefs fans spent Sunday evening celebrating their team’s Super Bowl win with a beer in hand, Willis was at an inpatient rehab facility, a source close to his family previously told Fox News Digital. He allegedly checked into the program soon after his friends’ deaths, but continues to cooperate with police, the source said.
“Jordan went to rehab because he wanted to save his own life. This was not a legal strategy – it was a wake-up call,” the source said on Monday. “Having three close friends pass away outside his house without his knowledge was a true rock-bottom moment and something he’ll be working through for the rest of his life.”
The source said Willis has struggled with alcoholism and depression throughout his adult life. His bad habits lessened when he lived around “like-minded scientists” in San Diego while completing his post-doctorate, the source said. But the 38-year-old allegedly backslid when he moved back to Kansas City to care for his father, who has a mid-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“Moving back to Kansas City hasn’t been good for his mental and physical health, and he’d slipped back into old habits after feeling more isolated working from home,” the source said. “He started spending more time with his high school friends when he moved back, after being gone for over 10 years.”
“Grief is not an open-ended excuse to say whatever you want in a public forum without consequences.”
Findings of a preliminary toxicology report shared with the men’s family members indicate that THC, cocaine and lethal levels of fentanyl were found in their systems. But Harrington’s stepmother told NewsNation that these findings didn’t bring their family closure:
“What matters is that he didn’t take that to die,” his stepmother Theresa Harrington told NewsNation. “He didn’t take that to die – if he took the drugs on his own, he took them to get high.”
But on Monday, the source close to Willis insisted that “these men all made poor decisions that evening.”
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“I’m angry that this happened and I’m really sorry that these men lost their lives,” the source said. “But as a friend wanting to protect him and help him back to the right path, no one deserves this kind of viciousness in a case that is still under investigation for all the world to see.”
“There’s a plausible, extremely likely explanation for why he never knew they were out there that people don’t seem to get,” the source continued.
When full autopsy and toxicology reports are available and police complete their forensic investigation of electronic devices — at least two of the men’s families have been asked for their son’s phone passwords — the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office will decide whether criminal charges should be filed against Willis or Alex Weamer-Lee, a fifth party guest who left Willis’ house alive on the night of Jan. 7.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Colorado-based chicken restaurant Birdcall is expanding into Kansas.
The company announced Friday its plans to expand into Kansas and five other Midwestern states over the next five years. Birdcall plans to add six to eight fast-casual restaurants in Wichita and Topeka.
“The Midwest represents a tremendous opportunity for Birdcall,” CEO Mark Lohmann said. “From our award-winning chicken sandwiches and other handcrafted menu offerings to our commitment to innovation and community, we believe Birdcall offers an experience that resonates with today’s guests and is a natural fit for the region.”
Other locations announced are:
- Indiana – 10 to 15 restaurants across Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville and Fort Wayne
- Missouri – Up to 18 restaurants across St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City
- Nebraska – Seven to 10 restaurants across Omaha and Lincoln
- Ohio – Up to 20 restaurants across Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo
- Wisconsin – 10 to 15 restaurants across Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton
Birdcall’s menu features a variety of chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers and nuggets, salads, tater tots, fries, and more. The restaurant also makes its own in-house sauces and serves up draft beer and house-made margaritas, with happy hour specials.
The company said each restaurant will use self-service kiosks and occupy about 2,300 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating that can serve up to 150 people.
Birdcall currently operates 17 restaurants across Colorado, Arizona and Texas.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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A video shared by a viewer, shows a resident speaking at the Osawatomie, Kansas City Council meeting being escorted out by police on Thursday evening.
The video shows a man holding a “Hell No Alcove” sign, while commenting about a blighted property, which according to public records is owned by Pacific Apartments, LLC, operating out of the same address as Alcove Development in Lawrence, Kansas.
KSHB 41
Alcove Development is behind the effort to build a $1 billion, 283-acre data center development in Osawatomie’s northland property.
The video, shared by a viewer, goes on the show two law enforcement officers approaching the individual, who is Lee Brewer, at the podium, after he begins to yell, while the crowd joins in behind him. Lee Brewer reached out to KSHB 41 late Thursday night, identifying himself as the person who was escorted out.
Osawatomie, Kansas Police Chief Dave Stutteville is seen in the video also approaching the man.
Fabian Rosales/KSHB
KSHB 41 Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa reached out to the Police Chief, City Manager, and Mayor Nick Hampson for comment late on Thursday night and is waiting on a response.
Residents in contact with Gamboa attending the meeting shared the meeting was still in session after 9:30 p.m.
Thursday night’s meeting was the city and Alcove Development’s attempt at sharing potential benefits of a data center for the community.
Gamboa has long covered the data center project in Osawatomie, Kansas — and neighbors to the project have voiced their opposition to the proposed development.
Brian Luton/KSHB
This is the first time Alcove Development has approached the public, but not the first time it has worked with the city of Osawatomie.
In late 2025, Alcove Development approached the city with the project and weeks later, a pre-development agreement was signed giving Alcove exclusive rights to the development for three years.
But city council meeting records from 2023 show, the city of Osawatomie entered into a pre-development agreement with Alcove Development to redevelop a property known as Old Swenson School.
Alcove Development had six months to asses the condition of the property and determine a course of action for redevelopment, and the overall agreement would last 18 months, according to public records.
Will Shaw/KSHB
The pre-development agreements states, Alcove would consider asking for tax breaks on the project, including utilizing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
At the time, the property had sat in disrepair since 2016, according to the records, and was frequently found in violation of city code.
If the re-development were to fall through, the city would be on the hook to purchase the property from the developer for $25,000, with unclear total costs for infrastructure improvements.
KSHB 41
KSHB 41 will follow up on the status on this project at a later date.
Earlier this week, Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa, sat down with Donna Ingram who doesn’t live far from the data center site.
Ingram expressed her concerns about the amount of infrastructure that would be built to operate a data center, and how it might overtake the land around her home.
Ryan Gamboa/KSHB
She expressed concerns because the City of Osawtomie changed the public comment guidelines of a promise town hall with the developer.
“Watching this process play out is disheartening,” Ingram said in an interview on Monday. “A town hall was promised that didn’t come to fruition… I don’t believe it’s the definition. This is a city council meeting. We’re the ones that are gonna live next to it. We’re the ones that live in the path of the infrastructure.”
The city told KSHB 41 on Monday in a statement, they changed the format to prioritize the voices of city taxpayers, as county taxpayers have dominated the public comment periods over the past couple of months.
Brian Luton/KSHB
Mayor Nick Hampson also told Gamboa in an earlier interview he was hoping to have a productive “town hall” — instead, the first meeting with the public and the developer of the project was during a formal and regularly scheduled city council meeting.
The city also required residents to submit questions ahead of time, and the city would filter questions to the developer, while limiting public comment to three minutes.
“We have been and will continue to hear from the residents that are in the county and closest to this project,” Hampson told KSHB 41 in an email on Monday.
Miami County, Kansas
Residents shared a record to KSHB 41, submitted to the city for a formal investigation into 1009 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie, which is owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.
The dilapidated property is the a former school house, that sits with broken windows, and other parts of the building breaking down.
The Miami County Republic reporting on Thursday, the city launched an investigation into the building.
Ryan Gamboa/KSHB
Residents cite the buildings deteriorating condition and potential danger to the public, and lack of property maintenance.
Lee Brewer issued a comment regarding the incident at Thursday night’s meeting, stating he was escorted out after the Mayor closed public comment, and he was not on the list.
Brewer told KSHB 41, he has a time -stamped email of pre-submitted questions ahead of the meeting. KSHB 41 asked Brewer to review the email, and is waiting for an answer.
I am severely disappointed in our Mayor and the city council. They told us we were required to send in an email with our questions and our address to prove we were citizens of the town by Wednesday the 24th at noon. I have my email which is timestamped at 10:26 a.m. Wednesday the 24th. They shut me down and first told me I didn’t put the email in and then once I was kicked out of there I was told by people coming out that they were told I turned in my email too late. I’m not a math teacher but last time I looked at my clock 10:26 a.m. falls just over an hour and a half before noon. I mean correct me if I’m wrong. I thought because the mayor and I were having decent conversations on Facebook Messenger, whereas I would ask him questions and he would answer to the best of his ability. And I would thank him I thought we were pretty cordial. So to basically call me a liar in front of the entire town on video recording, take away my freedom of speech My first amendment right, and have me removed from a public building was completely wrong I am very disappointed in our city council and mayor. When I approached the podium all I was trying to do was point out that resolution number 1169 in Osawatomie Kansas refers to Alcove development LLC being the owner of the old Swenson School at 1009 Pacific. As I pointed out in these earlier messages to you Alcove has left this building dilapidated in ruins and a danger to our community. Our great city council and mayor seem to have other plans for me being able to speak though.
Lee Brew, via Facebook to KSHB 41 News
KSHB 41 reached out to Alcove Development late on Thursday night, and is waiting on a response.
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Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify information about cleanup information.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A tanker transporting 8,000 gallons of ethanol crashed in El Dorado on Thursday.
It happened at the intersection of Kansas Avenue and South Main Street.
According to dispatch, the vehicle overturned, causing the fluid to leak out and spill into the storm sewer system.
City Manager David Dillner said traffic is being diverted in the area while crews work to clean up the ethanol.
Nearby residents have been evacuated to the El Dorado Civic Center due to the pungent smell of the fuel, Dillner said.
No injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story.
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