Midwest
Investigation into Kansas City Chiefs fans' deaths nearing a dramatic end, homeowner's attorney says
Nine months after three Kansas City Chiefs fans were found dead in their friend’s snowy backyard, the homeowner’s attorney believes that criminal charges will finally be levied in their deaths — but not against his client.
On Jan. 9, 37-year-old Clayton McGeeney, 38-year-old Ricky Johnson and 36-year-old David Harrington were found dead on Jordan Willis’ Kansas City property by McGeeney’s fiancée. Two days earlier, they had come to Willis’ home to watch the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers. Willis could not be reached by phone and did not answer his door in the days that the families searched for their relatives who never returned home.
Although preliminary autopsy results shared with the media by family members indicate that fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana were in their systems, the deceased men’s families have maintained that Willis was involved in their deaths, with some threatening to file civil suits against the homeowner.
On Tuesday, Willis’ attorney John Picerno told Fox News Digital that “charges [will be] forthcoming in the next few weeks,” based on “internal conversations” with prosecutors.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: VICTIMS’ FAMILIES AT ODDS OVER ‘ANGRY’ SPECULATION, LAWYER SAYS
David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside their friend’s Kansas City home on Jan. 9, 2024. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
“I can say with confidence that my client will not be charged in that regard,” Picerno said. “My client will not be charged in any manner with having to do with the untimely death of his friends.”
When asked who would face criminal charges in the men’s deaths, Picerno replied, “The criminal liability could be for a felony murder charge if somebody provided those young men with drugs.”
Fox News Digital previously reported that a fifth man, who Fox News Digital has chosen not to name unless criminal charges are filed, was in Willis’ home at Northwest 83rd Terrace on Jan. 7 — but that man told Fox 4 that he left while the men were still watching the game, and he stressed that he was not the last person to see them alive.
That fifth man’s attorney could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: FAMILIES AT ODDS THREATEN LAWSUITS AGAINST EACH OTHER
An exterior view of the home of Jordan Willis in Kansas City, Missouri on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
Picerno said that the length of the probe, which the Kansas City Police Department has repeatedly characterized as a death investigation rather than a homicide investigation, is “definitely out of the ordinary.”
He also said his client voluntarily handed over all his electronic devices to police early in the investigation, along with DNA samples.
“I don’t know what caused this investigation to go on for nine months,” Picerno said. “That would be a better question answered by the prosecutors.”
“There is nothing to report or comment on at this time,” a representative from the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office told Fox News Digital. “It’s still an ongoing investigation. I assume when something is done, [Platte County Prosecutor] Eric [Zahnd] will be doing a press release. We don’t have a timeline to report, unfortunately.”
The Kansas City Police Department could not be reached for comment at press time.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: ‘WALTER WHITE NARRATIVE’ ABOUT PARTY HOST IS ‘OUT OF CONTROL,’ SOURCE 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 below-freezing temperatures outside their friend’s Kansas City home. (Facebook)
Although he is “confident” that his client will avoid criminal prosecution, Picerno said that civil charges are likely on his horizon. He said he has been contacted by attorneys representing the men’s families and noted that the statute of limitations on these types of cases is five years in Missouri.
Jennifer Marquez, David Harrington’s mother, told Fox News Digital that this is “the first [she’s] heard” of movement in the case. Until she hears further news from the prosecutor’s office, she said she will “keep [herself] calm and not get any hopes up.”
“Of course I am extremely happy to hear that there may be something going on,” she said on Tuesday.
“I have not been told anything,” she continued. “They just have not relayed any information to us, the families, though, so I have nothing as far as information. We’ve not been getting the autopsies or any information like that. They do not want us to be able to release anything that would hurt the case, I guess.”
“Of course, I would love to see people held responsible for this and I believe Jordan should be held responsible,” Marquez said. “It was his home, he had the party, and, you know.”
Jordan Willis, who moved out of his Kansas City home and enrolled into a rehabilitation program after his friends’ deaths, has had his “life changed forever,” Picerno said.
HIV scientist Jordan Willis, 38, checked himself into a rehab facility after his three friends were found dead in his backyard on Jan. 9. (GitHub)
“It’s an awful thing when people have already presumed you’re guilty without real evidence,” Picerno said. “It’s a tough road to home, and he’s managing it as best he can.”
A source close to the Willis family told Fox News Digital that the 39-year-old Ph.D. holder and research scientist “still struggles with the aftermath of all of this.”
“[He] not only lost good friends of his, but [had] many people turn on him,” the source said.
“It affected every part of his life, and he’s doing the best he can,” the source continued. “He has been helping with his dad’s care this year, and trying to stay positive.”
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A.J. Hinch on Tigers win vs Yankees: ‘Gutsy’ game by Keider Montero
Manager A.J. Hinch on Detroit Tigers win vs Yankees in New York on Wednesday, July 1: ‘Gutsy’ game by Keider Montero
ARLINGTON, TX – The Texas Rangers pounded Detroit Tigers starter Framber Valdez and then kept the onslaught going against the Tigers bullpen in a 10-4 victory at Globe Life Field on Thursday, July 2.
The Rangers scored five runs off Valdez in five innings – and it would have been far worse but the Tigers played some great defense behind him.
Meanwhile, Texas starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi looked like he was going to have a no-hitter, retiring the first nine Tigers and not giving up a hit until the fifth.
Then, everything switched. Colt Keith, who broke up the no-no, and Hao-Yu Lee homered off Eovaldi, as the Tigers tried to come back. The Tigers (37-50) had several chances late against the bullpen of the Rangers (45-43), but they couldn’t get the big hit at the big moment, stranding five runners in the sixth and seventh innings.
At the plate: Cold start in Texas heat for Tigers
Eovaldi came into the game with wins in his last three starts.
Make it four.
Eovaldi baffled the Tigers early, striking seven of the first nine Tigers. It was a masterful start of the game for someone who came into the game with a season-high of nine strikeouts. Eovaldi’s no-hitter lasted into the fifth inning until Keith hammered an 0-2 cutter for his sixth homer of the year.
That seemed to loosen things up for the Tigers. Zach McKinstry slapped a single. Then, Lee blasted a ball to left field. Alejandro Osuna, the Rangers left fielder, jumped up at the wall and appeared to rob it. But he couldn’t hold onto it, as Lee had a two-run homer.
Suddenly, the Tigers cut the Rangers lead to 5-3.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth, but right-handed reliever Peyton Gray struck out Lee.
The Tigers threatened again in the seventh, putting two on but couldn’t score.
On the mound: Defense helps out Framber Valdez
The Rangers came out swinging against Valdez. And they didn’t miss many. Only three in fact.
Valdez gave up five hits in the first two innings, not to mention a walk with the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly and a homer by Elias Díaz.
It would have been far worse, but Kerry Carpenter came to the rescue with his defense. In the first inning, the Rangers had runners on first and second when catcher Kyle Higashioka drilled a ball into the right-center gap – 102.2 mph off the bat. It looked like two runs. Easy.
But Carpenter played it perfectly. He broke on the ball, sprinting full speed toward the wall, covered a country mile (OK, maybe it just looked that way), reached out at the last second with his backhand and snagged the ball, just as he reached the warning track.
It was a fantastic play, stranding two runners and saving two runs.
Then, the Rangers stranded two more in the second inning.
So, even though Texas had a 3-0 second-inning lead, it could have been far worse.
Then, Carpenter made another fine play in the third inning. He ran up on a blooper, fielded the ball and threw out a runner at second, preventing another big inning.
In fact, the Tigers’ defense was great all around. There was McKinstry, diving for a line shot followed by Lee making a great play at second. And Kevin McGonigle had a fantastic play at third.
Right-hander Beau Brieske, who was called up on Wednesday when Will Vest was placed on the injured list, pitched the sixth. He gave up a monster homer to Josh Smith, who pounced on a first-pitch fastball.
Then, the Rangers put up three more runs against lefty Drew Sommers, who didn’t record an out.
Next up: Taking a break for soccer
The Tigers are off on Friday because of a World Cup game across the way at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with Australia –.which had a vocal contingent of fans in the Globe Life stands Thursday – facing Egypt in the Round of 32 in the afternoon.
The Tigers’ series vs. the Rangers resumes Saturday (4:05 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) with right-hander Jack Flaherty (1-8, 4.97) on the mound for the Tigers, while right-hander Kumar Rocker (2-6, 3.83) will start for the Rangers.
The game will be played indoors, much to the chagrin of Hinch.
“I think our players should have to play outside in Texas one time in their career, so they know what it was like,” Hinch said before the game. “There’s nothing like coming here in the middle of the summer. Now we have a nice little push roof to keep everybody cool.”
The Rangers played outdoors in Arlington from 1972 (when they moved to Texas from Washington) to 2019, when Globe Life Field opened.
Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.
Video circulating this week shows masked federal agents in Milwaukee arresting people. City leaders say the face coverings violate a city ordinance — but whether federal agents are required to follow local ordinances is a legal question that may ultimately be decided by a federal judge.
RELATED | Father with no criminal record detained by ICE on Milwaukee’s south side, family says
Local attorney Russell Jones said the answer depends on the specific ordinance and what federal authorities are doing.
“The issue becomes whether or not the local ordinances interfere with the operations of the federal officers acting under federal law. If it does, federal law will supersede it. Right, it’s the supremacy clause of the Constitution. If it doesn’t interfere with their operations, then typically they will follow those ordinances. So that’s really the question: do the ordinances interfere with the legitimate operations of the federal agency?” Jones explained.
For the past week, masked federal agents have been seen in Wisconsin arresting people they say are in the country illegally.
Watch: Do federal agents have to follow Milwaukee’s face covering and park ordinances?
Do federal agents have to follow Milwaukee’s face covering and park ordinances?
Galo Suarez described one encounter.
“They broke our side window, and they told us that if we didn’t comply, we would face several heavy consequences,” Suarez said.
Images have also surfaced of what appear to be federal agents in Milwaukee County parks.
Federal agents wearing masks and being in county parks, according to city and county leaders, are against local ordinances.
Milwaukee’s city ordinance prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings. A Milwaukee County ordinance prohibits any law enforcement agency from using a park as a staging area without a permit.
When asked whether a resolution to the legal question was possible now, Jones said it likely falls to the courts.
“That’s a question that eventually probably some federal judge will answer,” Jones said.
Before the city’s face covering ordinance was passed, City Attorney Evan Goyke wrote in a memo that “it is legal and enforceable.”
Enforcement of the ordinance would fall to Milwaukee Police, who earlier this week said they have “requested a formal written legal opinion from the city attorney’s office regarding the ordinance’s applicability and enforceability.” TMJ4 News reached out to Goyke on this and is waiting to hear back.
ICE has already stated it “will not abide by unconstitutional bans,” noting that “ICE officers wear face coverings for one reason: to protect themselves and their families from real-world threats including agitators.”
Jones said the practical challenge of enforcing a local ordinance against federal officers adds another layer of complexity.
“Enforcing a local ordinance right is typically done with an arrest or issuing a ticket, and certainly arresting ICE officers would interfere with their operations,” Jones added. “Ultimately, a federal judge will decide if these ordinances interfere with federal operations, and if they do, they will be superseded by federal law, and if they don’t, then ICE would likely have to follow them.”
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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As we approach America’s 250th birthday, patriotism is running high. Minnesota has a long history with a deep sense of patriotism. In the 1860s as the county was divided over slavery, young Minnesota men stepped up and volunteered to defend and fight for the principles the United States was established on. Local author and historian Hampton Smith tells the stories of patriotism through letters written by soldiers. FOX 9’s Randy Meier has more.
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