Midwest

Mom of Kansas City Chiefs fan found frozen: 'There should be some charges'

Published

3 weeks ago

April 30, 2024

One of the mothers of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen in their friend’s snowy Missouri backyard after a January NFL watch party said “some charges” are warranted in her son’s death, though police have stated they do not suspect foul play.

“There’s no information being released, even though the police are still working from my understanding on the case,” Jennifer Marquez, mother of 37-year-old David Harrington, told Fox News Digital. “Of course, any family is going to be frustrated. We were warned that it would take a while, but it’s so hard not having any information.”

Harrington; Clayton McGeeney, 36; and Ricky Johnson, 38, were discovered frozen and dead behind their longtime friend Jordan Willis’ home in Kansas City on Jan. 9, two days after they were all last seen alive inside the house watching the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers.

A representative from Frontier Forensics Midwest LLC told Fox News Digital that their autopsies and toxicology reports had been completed in “late January.” Preliminary results were shared orally with the men’s family members by Kansas City Police Department detectives in early February. THC, cocaine and lethal levels of fentanyl were reportedly found in their systems, Fox News Digital previously reported.

“My wishes are that the person or persons responsible for providing the substance that caused the deaths of Ricky, Clayton and my son David are brought to justice,” Marquez said Thursday.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: ‘WALTER WHITE NARRATIVE’ ABOUT PARTY HOST IS ‘OUT OF CONTROL,’ SOURCE SAYS

David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside their friend’s Kansas City, Missouri, home on Jan. 9. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)

“I believe Jordan still has a lot to answer for — I believe there should be some charges,” the bereaved mother continued. “If you have a party and serve too much alcohol and someone drives away from your house and has a wreck and kills themselves or others, you can be charged with overserving. He had a party and three people died — he should have charges brought against him.”

“Jordan [is] just going on with his life, while the rest of us are having to deal with the loss of family members,” she said. “Was his computer checked to see if he had been on it at any time in the two days that he didn’t answer… and never received any text or anything from family or friends of the men or even his work? You would think he checked on his work so he wouldn’t be in trouble or behind and that would prove he lied about not knowing [the men were dead or dying in his backyard].”

“Make it all make sense where he wouldn’t get in trouble,” she added.

Previously, Willis’ attorney said that his client was asleep with closed blinds and noise-canceling headphones for much of the two days between allegedly seeing the three men outside his front door and the discovery of their bodies on his property two days later.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: FAMILIES AT ODDS THREATEN LAWSUITS AGAINST EACH OTHER

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)

Willis moved out of his home on Northwest 83rd Terrace, moved his belongings into storage and checked into a rehab facility shortly after his friends’ deaths, a source close to him previously told Fox News Digital.

On Friday, that source said that Marquez’s comments were “just more speculation from upset parents looking to point fingers” and “not based on any proven facts.”

“The families do deserve answers and we all share the frustration on how long it’s taking for everyone to have those answers,” the source said. “I understand that they have suffered a huge loss — however, there has been absolutely no evidence presented at this point showing that Jordan was in any way responsible for the deaths of his friends, or that he knew they were deceased… before police showed up.”

“Even if he did log into his computer or even if he got up briefly… that doesn’t automatically mean he knew they were outside, especially not on a day when it snowed heavily,” they continued.

The source said that “the families continuing to speculate publicly without facts from the police department is unacceptable,” and that they need to “accept the possibility that their sons participated in behavior that cost them their lives.”

The source also said Willis has not returned to work as a data scientist at HIV research group IAVI.

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

An exterior view of the backyard and porch of Jordan Willis’ home in Kansas City, Missouri, on Jan. 26. 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, two days after attending a Kansas City Chiefs watch party at the home. (DWS for Fox News Digital)

Earlier this week, Kansas City Police Department Sergeant Phil DiMartino told Fox News Digital there were “no updates at this time” on their death investigation. The department still does not suspect foul play in the men’s deaths, and previously said that they are “100 percent not being investigated as homicide[s].”

“Investigators continue to follow all leads,” DiMartino said. “Our agency remains in contact and continues to work with the Platte County Prosecutor’s office for review of any applicable charges.”

The officer also asserted that “the results of an autopsy report are not publicly available in an ongoing investigation. “

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: VICTIMS’ FAMILIES AT ODDS OVER ‘ANGRY’ SPECULATION, LAWYER SAYS

Clayton McGeeney, left, David Harrngton, center and Ricky Johnson

Family and friends of, from left, Clayton McGeeney, David Harrington and Ricky Johnson are clamoring for answers after the three men inexplicably died in freezing temperatures outside their friend’s Kansas City, Missouri, home. (Facebook)

Ricky Johnson Sr., Johnson’s father, told Fox News Digital that the Kansas City Police Department had turned his son’s case over to their drug task force.

“I think they need to arrest the guy [Willis] and get him to talk,” the elder Johnson said on Thursday. “My attorney told me to give more time [for police] to finish the investigation — [I’m] not pleased but I’ll wait a little longer.”

Fox 4 also reported that the attorney of Alex Lee, a fifth man who spent time at Willis’ house with the men in their final hours, had been contacted by the prosecutor’s office in the case.

In the months following the discovery of the men’s bodies, their loved ones have come forward with theories that Willis played an active role in their demise.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: DRUGS IN MEN’S SYSTEMS SHOW ‘THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY,’ FAMILY SAYS

Jon Harrington, left, is pictured along with his son David. In response to preliminary toxicology findings showing cocaine and fentanyl in Johnson, McGeeney and Harrington’s systems, the elder Harrington told News Nation that “somebody gave them something that would kill them.” (Jon Harrington)

All three families are considering wrongful death lawsuits, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Previously, Harrington’s father told Fox News Digital that he and his son’s mother were “convinced that Jordan Willis played a part in this somehow” and they “just [hadn’t] figured out how yet.”

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Johnson’s mother previously told Fox News Digital that she feared Willis had “concocted something and gave it to all three men,” while the 38-year-old’s father said he “[believed Willis] drugged them, dragged them outside and waited two days to call police.”

The source close to Willis told Fox News Digital that he “looks forward to having the opportunity to be able to clear his name.”

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Kansas

Cleanup to continue for days after powerful winds slam Kansas towns

Published

13 seconds ago

May 21, 2024

Press Room

Cleanup to continue for days after powerful winds slam Kansas towns

HALSTEAD, Kan. (KWCH) – Powerful winds hit Kansas hard Sunday evening with widespread reports of damage from trashcans tossed in Hutchinson to a shed crumbling like a tin can and being thrown into a utility pole in the Russell area and a fallen tree smashing a teen’s pickup in Halstead.

The storms produced a pair of EF1 tornadoes near Russell and Wilson in Russell and Ellsworth counties. As the storms moved east, a tornado warning was issued for Harvey County, including Halstead. As the approximate 90-mph winds reached the small city, trees were uprooted, and power lines and street signs toppled.

Dustin Thurston was inside with his children when a tree fell onto the Halstead family’s home.

“As soon as I got to the front room, back door blew off the hinges, front blew open, then the tree fell on the house. Just a big ol’ boom,” Thurston said.

Susan Ross was outside and made it into the basement in time.

“It almost felt like our roof was lifting off our house,” she said.

As the tornado sirens sounded in Halstead, people said the roar of the wind drowned them out.

“It was really bad, I almost could not hear the sirens,” said Halstead resident Delia Stewart.

The cleanup started early and will continue for days. But the Halstead community is rallying together for each other.

Sunday night, some wondered if extensive damage in Harvey County was the result of a tornado. The NWS clarified that what hit Burrton, Halstead and Newton was “a severe straight-line wind event called a Derecho” which produced winds up to 90 mph.

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Michigan

Ralph Lauren’s Michigan Avenue Store in Chicago Gets a Gilded Age–inspired Renovation

Published

15 mins ago

May 21, 2024

Press Room

Ralph Lauren’s Michigan Avenue Store in Chicago Gets a Gilded Age–inspired Renovation

It’s a little-known fact that the Ralph Lauren store in Chicago is actually the largest in the fleet and was also the first to add an adjacent restaurant.

And now, the company has completed a renovation of the 37,000-square-foot boutique on Michigan Avenue that houses the complete world of Ralph Lauren: all brands, an RL restaurant and a Ralph’s Coffee shop.

The store, which opened more than 25 years ago, has been redesigned in the manner of a Gilded Age beaux-arts mansion — reminiscent of the New York City flagship in the former Rhinelander Mansion on 72nd Street. The four-floor Chicago store carries a comprehensive assortment of the men’s and women’s high-end Collections, as well as Polo Ralph Lauren, childrenswear, Ralph Lauren Home and Double RL.

The men’s department.

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On the men’s floor, there is a refurbished Purple Label suite, a new dedicated space for made-to-measure, a large Double RL shop with white bead-board details and vintage fixtures, and a Polo department with stained oak walls, antique brass hardware and vintage artwork.

The women’s floor features wood and crystal accents bathed in natural light. A new Salon offers select pieces from the home collection, custom plaster crown molding and hard-carved wall paneling and a bay window overlooking Michigan Avenue. In addition to new areas for tailoring, a women’s VIP suite is designed with custom Ralph Lauren wall coverings and fabrics.

The women's department in the Ralph Lauren Chicago flagship. — The women’s department is bright and airy.
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Shoppable digital displays have been installed throughout the store as well. The company said the renovation reflects its mission to elevate its stores and deliver a consistent experience around the world.

To celebrate the renovation, the company will host a cocktail party in the store followed by a dinner on Tuesday.

The RL restaurant in Chicago — Inside the RL restaurant in Chicago.
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The Ralph's Coffee shop in Chicago. — The Ralph’s Coffee shop.
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Minnesota

Streaky Twins hold players-only meeting after 7th straight loss

Published

21 mins ago

May 21, 2024

Press Room

Streaky Twins hold players-only meeting after 7th straight loss

Eight days ago, the Minnesota Twins were baseball’s hottest team and winners of 17 of 20 games.

After Monday night’s 12-3 loss at the Washington Nationals, the same club was mired in a seven-game slide so miserable that it sparked a players-only meeting.

“It’s easy to be a fun guy to be around when things are going good and when everything you’re hitting is falling and you’re just winning games,” Twins shortstop and two-time All-Star Carlos Correa said. “But when the tough times come, that’s when you know who people are. And it’s helpful to talk.”

Correa hit a two-run homer, the bright spot in another sluggish outing for an offense that has been the primary culprit, scoring only 12 runs during Minnesota’s free fall to within a game of the .500 mark.

Against soft-tossing Nats starter Mitchell Parker, manager Rocco Baldelli said the Twins (24-23) simply weren’t reacting.

“The guy just stood out there and threw off-speed pitches for four innings, and we didn’t do anything about it,” Baldelli said. “We continued to kind of wave at them and look for fastballs. Which today, they weren’t coming. Especially for the first five, six innings. And in this stretch of games where we’ve been struggling, that’s been a common theme.”

Baldelli said he’s held two or three postgame talks already during a year that also included an earlier five-game slide, and is hesitant to conduct more because “it starts to get drowned out.” He approved of the players’ decision.

“I don’t know what was said. I have no idea,” Baldelli said. “I think it was the right thing to do at the right time. And hopefully we get something out of it.”

In his sixth season in charge, he’s a little in awe of how quickly things have turned. Again.

“You start to forget some of the things that you’ve experienced when you flip it. I mean we’ve flipped the season completely around multiple times already,” Baldelli said. “I’ve seen a lot of streaky baseball, we all have. This is next-level stuff.”

Pablo López, Monday’s losing starter, expressed disappointment he couldn’t be the stopper but hoped the meeting would make a difference.

“Externalizing gives you the sense of relief,” López said. “When you say things out loud, when you hear things being said out loud, it puts things in perspective. So I think we said things that maybe we were thinking but weren’t saying out loud.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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