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Kansas City Chiefs fans' deaths: Victims' families at odds over 'angry' speculation, lawyer says
“Angry, speculative” theories espoused by family members of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead in their friend’s snowy backyard have compromised the “dignity” of the investigation into their deaths, according to an attorney representing Clayton McGeeney’s mother and fiancée.
McGeeney, Ricky Johnson and David Harrington were found dead on their friend Jordan Willis’ property Jan. 9, two days after they watched the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers at the home.
Although Tony Kagay said drugs were detected in the men’s systems, according to preliminary toxicology results shared with their loved ones by police, he could not confirm which drugs were detected.
Although the Kansas City Police Department was quick to announce that their deaths were “100 percent not being investigated as homicides,” relatives of Johnson and Harrington have suggested that party host Willis played an active role in their deaths.
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)
Meanwhile, McGeeney’s cousin, Caleb McGeeney, told NewsNation that Willis, an HIV scientist who went to Park Hill South High School, “is the chemist.”
“They all knew him as that,” he said, according to NewsNation. “It was easy for them to go have fun, but he f—ed up. He made a mistake.”
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Kagay represents Clayton McGeeney’s mother, Nancy Bossert, and his fiancee, April Mahoney, who discovered one of the men’s bodies after breaking into Willis’ house out of worry and desperation. Kagay said Wednesday “whipping people up into a frenzy isn’t in [his client’s] interests.”
In an earlier interview, Kagay said it would be “very hard to explain” how Willis could “not realize what happened to his friends” when they were “frozen in his backyard for two days.” However, he said, it is important to “let professionals do their work” and this time should be about “finding out what happened.”
The family of Clayton McGeeney, pictured, is anxiously awaiting the results of the Kansas City Police Department’s investigation into his death, says his family’s attorney, Tony Kagay. (Facebook)
“I think it would be fair to say some of the more vocal members of Clayton’s family may not have Clayton’s best interests at heart,” Kagay said about interviews other McGeeney relatives have given the press.
“Some of the families who have come out as aggressive or hostile with law enforcement, I think that was premature,” Kagay said.
“Nancy would prefer the kinds of angry, speculating statements that are coming from some of the family members, if those wouldn’t happen, so the investigation could proceed in a dignified manner,” he continued. “Let’s wait to find out what the police say happened and what the prosecutor chooses to do with that.”
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However, Kagay could sympathize with those striving for answers amid a minefield of unanswered questions surrounding the case.
“A lot of these TikTok sleuths and people on the internet, people are getting all worked up thinking, ‘This is b——-, there’s no way [Willis] didn’t know these guys were around,” he said. “There are still a lot of unanswered questions and understandable skepticism as far as an explanation for how this happened.”
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)
Kagay said there has also been “disappointment” over the way the Kansas City Police Department immediately ruled out foul play in statements to the press about the men’s deaths.
“I don’t think they were in a position to say that. Clearly there is an ongoing investigation,” Kagay said. “I just don’t know how they made that determination, and I don’t know that was helpful to say … when you say there was no sign of foul play, there was no gunshot, no stab wound. But it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t something that occurred was illegal. … I don’t know that was handled in the ideal manner.
“I’m not saying that anybody did anything intentional,” Kagay said. “[But] I don’t think that it would be required for there to be criminal liability.”
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He also said that some of the department’s communications have been “a bit inartful.”
“I don’t think they did anything wrong, but the situation would be clearer if they had communicated better,” Kagay said.
However, his clients are “supportive” of the KCPD.
“When we get to the end of that, maybe they have some criticisms for how things are handled, at the end of the process,” Kagay said.
Family and friends of Clayton McGeeney, left; David Harrington, center; and Ricky Johnson are clamoring for answers after the three men inexplicably died in freezing temperatures outside their friend’s Kansas City home. (Facebook)
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 the house alive Jan. 7.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: ‘HARD TO SEE SCENARIO WHERE SOMETHING UNUSUAL DIDN’T HAPPEN,’ LAWYER SAYS
This view shows the backyard and porch of Jordan Willis’ home in Kansas City Jan. 26, 2024. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
Last week, representatives from the families of Harrington, Johnson and McGeeney met with the prosecutor’s office. Kagay said “prosecutors wanted the family to know this situation was being investigated thoroughly” and that they would “cooperate with the families in the future.”
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions and understandable skepticism as far as an explanation for how this happened,” Kagay said. “There are attempts being made to resolve those questions.
“A lot of these questions may never be answered in a way that makes people satisfied.”
But McGeeney’s family is patiently awaiting police findings until more information is released, and “their position is that we don’t know if [an investigation was] done appropriately or inappropriately because we don’t know how it was done.”
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions and understandable skepticism as far as an explanation for how this happened.”
KCPD Capt. Jake Becchina, though, told Fox News Digital that he never said the case “wasn’t a homicide.”
“We said it was not being investigated as a homicide,” he said Thursday. “Some media outlets were calling it at the time a ‘homicide investigation,’ so that statement was made to ensure that media outlets categorized it as what it was correctly.
“It was and remains a death investigation. That does not mean that if new or different evidence comes forward that the course of the investigation cannot change.
Investigations change course all the time.”
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“I’m sorry for Mr. Kagay’s disappointment,” he added. “We aim to provide the most factual and transparent information to the public in any investigation. This case is no different.”
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The 2026 SDHSAA State Softball Championships concluded Saturday from Sioux Falls and Aberdeen. Congrats to Dakota Valley (A), Castlewood (B) and Sioux Falls Jefferson (AA) on taking home state championships.
Saturday Scores
Class AA
7/8th Place
Sioux Falls Lincoln 10, Bishop O’Gorman 8
5/6th Place
Brandon Valley 4, Rapid City Stevens 2
3/4th Place
Harrisburg 10, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 4
Championship
Sioux Falls Jefferson 11, Sioux Falls Washington 0
Class A
7/8th Place
Lennox 11, Madison 7
5/6th Place
Sioux Valley 9, Beresford 5
3/4th Place
West Central 11, Tri-Valley 1
Championship
Dakota Valley 9, Elk Point-Jefferson 6
Class B
7/8th Place
Avon 13, Florence/Henry 3
5/6th Place
Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 9, Redfield 3
3/4th Place
Gayville-Volin 7, Hanson 0
Championship
Castlewood 9, McCook Central/Montrose 2
LA CROSSE — Several athletes from Central Wisconsin left La Crosse as state champions, and several more snatched podium finishes after a dominant two days at the WIAA state track and field championships at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6.
From state champions to repeat champions, here is a look at every local track athlete who either won a state medal or notched a top-6 podium finish, separated each day and each of the three divisions.
Day 2, Saturday, June 6
Division 1:
Stevens Point’s Zachariah Zillman took home the silver medal in the long jump event and Salyssa Kellerman took sixth-place in the triple jump event. SPASH’s team of Tessa Bruckhart, Lorena Hill, Emersyn Wavrunek and Taylor Cejka notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the 4×800 meter relay race.
SPASH’s relay team of Seubert, Hill, Mueller and Wavrunek captured a gold medal in the 4×400 relay.
Wausau West’s Maci Heise took the silver medal in the 300-meter hurdles. Warriors teammate Cullin Quance took home the bronze medal in the long jump.
Marshfield’s team of Adeline Lonsdale, Hailey Klumb, Leann Ledtke and Natalie Scharenbroch took fifth place in the 4×800 relay.
Wausau East’s Mckaea Taylor took fourth place in the pole vault and teammate Elsa Oestreich was right behind, placing fifth.
Marshfield’s Derek Ongna took the silver medal in the boys high jump event.
Division 2:
Colby’s Daelyn Rieck won a gold medal in the discus throw.
Division 3:
Marathon’s Garrett Bracewell brought home a gold medal in the boys 300-meter hurdles and a silver medal in the 110 meter hurdles. Teammates Fred Tylinski, Luke Hoenish, Brady Annis and Bracewell also snagged a gold medal in the 4×200 race. Marathon’s Emma Schult took third place in the discus throw.
Marathon’s Chris Marcell broke the shot put meet record, snagging his second consecutive gold medal. While Berta Bota Palma added to Marathon’s dominance, snagging a sixth-place finish in the triple jump.
Pacelli’s Luke Eiden notched two podium finishes, taking home a bronze medal in the 1600-meter and a sixth place in the 3200-meter.
Assumption’s Michael Dolan brought home a gold medal in the boys 3200-meter and a silver medal in the 1,600-meter. Teammate Bella Thomas took home a gold medal in the 400-meter and a silver in the girls 100-meter and a fourth place finish in the 200-meter. Teammate Reed Hartjes notched a sixth-place finish in the boys 1600-meter.
The Royals relay team of Cullen Thomas, Aiden Daliege, Calen Ott and Trey France finished in fifth place in the 4×400 relay race.
Rosholt’s Alex Wierzba took home the gold medal in the boys 100-meter and a silver medal in the 200-meter while the Hornets team of Isabelle Trzebiatowski, Evelyn Bablitch, Kaitlyn Dombrowski and Liliana Losinski notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the 4×800. Teammate Evelyn Bablitch notched a sixth-place finish in the 3,200.
Stratford’s Zander Zawislan snagged the gold medal in the boys 200-meter and 400-meter aces while teammate Brianna Sherden notched a sixth-place finish in both the 100 and 200-meter races. Teammate Connor Kreft took home a bronze medal in the triple jump.
Nekoosa’s team of Austin Czappa, Darion Boswell, Finlei Krcmar and Jarrett Wilcox took the silver medal in the 4×100.
Athens Ava Ford finished fifth in the pole vault.
Spencer’s Breckin Miller finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles.
Trevor Trowbridge of Auburndale notched a podium finish, taking sixth place in the 110-meter hurdles. Teammates Logan Nagel finished in fourth in the shot put while Gracie Hasenohrl took sixth in the pole vault. The Eagles team of Marti Anderson, Alivia Wolf, Rose Hasenohrl and Iris Galetto placed fifth in the 4×400.
Tomahawk’s Elise Gibeault claimed the bronze medal in the 400.
Adams-Friendship’s Molly Johnson took fourth place in the 400.
Edgar’s team of Mav Butt, Graham Streit, Landon Lukasko and Dawson Bornheimer took fourth place in the 4×100 relay race. Then Edgar’s team of Lukasko, Tucker Streit, Streit and Isaiah Kraft notched a silver medal in the 4×400.
Day 1, Friday, June 5
Division 1:
Xavier Edwards of D.C. Everest returned to state but this time walked away with a silver medal, taking second place in Division 1’s triple jump. His teammate, Ethan Whitmore finished tied with Wisconsin Lutheran’s John Gehl for sixth place in the boys pole vault.
Stevens Point relay team of Dash Kvatek, John Jazdzewski, Ben Hopp and Cooper Erickson snatched fourth place in the boys 4×800. On the girls side for SPASH, Lorena Hill, Alivia Koback, Riley Mueller and Jada Seubert placed fifth in the first round of the 4×200. While the team of Hill, Seubert, Mueller and Wavrunek placed first in the first round of the 4×400.
Wausau East’s Parker Schmitt finished in third place in the first round of the boys 400-meter.
Crosstown-rival Wausau West’s Heise walked away with second place in the first round of the Division 1 girls 300 hurdles.
Division 2:
Colby’s Rieck finished first in the first round of the Division 3 shot put.
Division 3
Marathons’ Marcell went back-to-back taking gold in the shot put event. Teammates Bracewell took first place in the first round of Division 3’s boys 110 meter hurdles. Teammates, Tylinski, Hoenish, Annis and Bracewell finished second place in the second round of the boys 4 xv200 Division 3 race.
Spencer’s Breckin Miller took a gold medal in the pole vault and sixth place in the 110 meter hurdles
Athens’ Sy’Rih Hartwig brought home a gold medal in the shot put.
Edgars 4×800 relay team of Dillon Sondeleski, Emitt VanOrnum, Dom Contreras and Kraft took home a silver medal in Division 3’s race with Marathon’s team of Etan Huesbsch, Logan Peters, John Kahon and Annis finishing in fourth place. Kraft earned a bronze medal in the 800-meter race.
Assumption’s Lucy Dolan took home a silver medal in Division 3’s 1600 meter.
Thomas of Assumption finished first in the first round of the 400-meter race and third place in the first round of the girls Division 3 100-meter race. Teammate Lucy Dolan snagged a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter race.
Auburndale’s Trowbridge finished fourth in the first round of the boys 110-meter hurdles.
Abbotsford’s Carter Cihlar notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the pole vault.
Wierzba of Rosholt finished in second place in the boys 100-meter race.
Stratford’s team of Wynn Schoenherr, Brye Shaw, Samantha Frick and Sherden finished in fifth place in the first round of the girls 4×200. Then the Tiger group of Carter Foster, Austin Niehaus, Mason Miller, Austin Foster took sixth place in the first round of the boys 4×100. Teammate Zawislan took second place in the first round of the boys 400-meter. Sherden also finished sixth in the first round of the girls 100-meter dash.
Nekoosa’s Czappa, Boswell, Krcmar, and Wilcox took fourth place in the first round of the 4×100.
Adams-Friendship’s Molly Johnson took third place in the Division 3 girls 400-meter race, followed by Gibeault of Tomahawk in fourth.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@usatoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
The Detroit Tigers notched only two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday afternoon.
Seattle pitcher Bryce Miller allowed one hit in six scoreless innings in the game.
Dominic Canzone drove in two runs with a pair of long extra-base hits for the Mariners, who had lost two straight after an eight-game winning streak.
Detroit was 4-0 in June after going 6-22 in May.
Miller (2-0) allowed a lead-off triple to Colt Keith in the third and walked two batters while striking out nine. He has allowed 16 hits in 27 innings this season, striking out 29.
Tigers starter Keider Montero (2-4) gave up four runs on six hits in five innings.
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the second when Canzone doubled off the 412-foot sign in center, scoring Randy Arozarena from first.
Arozarena then hit a two-run double in the third to put Seattle up 3-0.
The Tigers missed their best opportunity in the third when Keith led off the inning with his triple to center. Miller, though, retired the next three hitters on a pop-up and two strikeouts.
Canzone then led off the fourth with a 451-foot homer over the second level of shrubbery above the centerfield fence.
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The teams finish their weekend series on Sunday afternoon with Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (1-7, 5.31) facing RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.53).
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