3 men found dead in friend’s backyard after watching Chiefs game: ‘None of the stories are adding up’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – Multiple families are searching for answers after three men were mysteriously found dead in the backyard of another friend’s home in Kansas City after watching a Chiefs game together.

The three men who died have been identified as Ricky Johnson, 38; Clayton McGeeney, 36; and David Harrington, 37.

The three men were at the rental home of a fourth friend, Jordan Willis. A fifth unidentified friend was also there, officials said.

KCTV reports that the friends gathered at Willis’ rental home on Jan. 7 to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game together.

Two days later, the bodies of Johnson, McGeeney and Harrington were found in the backyard.

Officers responded to the home that night after receiving a call from McGeeney’s fiancée.

She told police she went to the house looking for McGeeney. When no one answered the door, she broke into the basement of the home to look for him.

During her search, she told police she found the three bodies in the backyard and called 911.

The Kansas City Police Department said detectives are still waiting on results from the medical examiner’s office to determine causes of death.

However, they said there were no obvious signs of foul play.

But the men’s families said things just aren’t adding up.

Jordan Willis’ attorney John Picerno told KCTV that his client had “absolutely nothing to do with the deaths of his three friends.”

Picerno said the men have all been friends since high school, and that Willis is grieving their deaths.

Willis has since moved out of the home where the deaths occurred.

“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 said.

Picerno said the unidentified fifth friend left the home after the Chiefs game around 1 a.m. Then, he said, Willis decided to go to bed around 2 a.m. on the couch.

“Then in the early morning hours, around 2 a.m., [Willis] believes, he got sleepy and said, ‘I’m going to crash on the couch,’” Picerno said. “He said goodbye to his buddies, and he thought that they left out the front door.”

Picerno said that was the last time Willis saw his friends, and he was unaware their bodies were in his backyard for nearly two days until police responded to the home after McGeeney’s fiancée found them.

“… He didn’t know anything about them being in his backyard until police knocked on the door Tuesday evening at approximately 10 p.m.,” Picerno said.

When Picerno was asked why Willis didn’t go outside for two days, he said, “[Willis] had no reason to go out into the backyard, and he didn’t know anyone was in the backyard.”

Adriana Juarez, who shares a child with Johnson, told KCTV that things aren’t adding up.

“None of the stories are adding up about what [Willis] is saying. How do you not know there are three dead bodies on the back porch?” Juarez said.

The case has gained national attention on social media, leaving many people wondering what happened. But Picerno remains adamant that his client is just as confused about the deaths as everyone else.

“He doesn’t have any suspicions about how they died any more than you or I do, or, unfortunately, the families who are grieving over the loss of their loved ones,” Picerno said.

He continued, “Jordan [Willis] had absolutely nothing to do with their deaths. He does not know the timing or manner of their deaths, nor does he know how or when they exited his house. He had no knowledge that they remained in his backyard or that they needed medical attention. Had he known, he certainly would have called for help. The last time he saw them was when they left his house, and he went to bed.”

Family members are pushing for answers, and they say they hope the attention the case is getting will get them closer to knowing what happened.

“I never thought it would get as much attention as it has, but I’m hoping with the attention that it will get us closer to getting answers,” said Johnson’s niece, Stephanie Walling.

Alan McGeeney, Clayton McGeeney’s cousin, told KCTV his family is shocked, confused, and beyond devastated because of his death.

“100% I think the situation is strange,” Alan McGeeney said. “It just hasn’t really set in; I don’t think it will.”

He added, “I’m not looking for anyone’s head or anything, but my cousin was frozen to the dirt for two days.”

Picerno said Willis allowed officers to search his home when they arrived Tuesday night.

He also said that family members of the men did try to contact Willis when the men never came home after the Chiefs game.

Picerno explained, in part, “Two people came to his house; however, he did not hear them as he sleeps with air buds and a loud fan. One of those people, the wife of one of the deceased, tried to reach him via Facebook messenger. Unfortunately, he did not see this message until after the police contacted him. Two of his friends parked their cars on the street, and there were no cars parked in his driveway. Jordan did not notice the cars in the street.”

GoFundMe pages have been set up for all three of the men.

McGeeney’s fundraiser says his fiancée, who found the bodies, is left with the cost of a funeral and now must transition to a single-income household.

Johnson’s fundraiser says he was “an adored father to his three beautiful daughters, but also a cherished son, brother, uncle, and friend.”

Harrington’s fundraiser, set up by his mother, says “I now have to put my son to rest. This was something we did not expect as no parent ever does.”

Police said the investigation is ongoing, and the medical examiner has not yet announced the causes of death.

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