Weeks after the tragic deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans, the mystery surrounding the tragedy continues to grow.
Loved ones of the deceased men are now speaking out, expressing doubts about the events leading up to the heartbreaking incident and asking for answers.
On January 9, the Kansas City Police found the bodies of 38-year-old Ricky Johnson, 36-year-old Clayton McGeeney, and 37-year-old David Harrington in the backyard of a friend's rental home.
This heartbreaking discovery came two days after they had gathered to watch he Kansas City Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The New York Post reports that the three men had traveled to their friend Jordan Willis' Northland rental home, along with a fifth unnamed man.
However, as the days passed, the families of the men grew concerned when they failed to return home. The situation took a tragic turn when the police discovered their remains on January 9.
Willis' attorney, John Picerno, has stated that his client "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," Picerno told The Independent in a statement.
Picerno also stated that Willis had not noticed the presence of the victims' vehicles parked on his street. According to Picerno, two people had come to Willis' house, but he did not hear them due to his habit of sleeping with earbuds and a loud fan. One of these visitors was the wife of one of the deceased, who attempted to reach Willis through Facebook Messenger, but he did not see the message until after the police contacted him.
Captain Jake Becchina of the Kansas City Police Department asserted that the case was "100% NOT being investigated as a homicide", emphasizing: "There have not been any arrests [or] charges, and no one is in custody." Furthermore, he assured that there were no immediate threats or concerns for the surrounding community.
However, the families of the three men have voiced their skepticism regarding the tragic events. Calev McGeeney, the cousin of Clayton, described the situation as "devastating", telling WDAF-TV: Just the thought of him dying and them him sitting outside in the cold for two days."
"It’s extremely devastating. The whole family is messed up. He was such a good person," McGeeney added, before accusing Willis’ story of having a "lot of holes".
"It’s got a lot of holes in it, like last time he saw them they were leaving the house, but he didn’t know they had left, that doesn’t make much sense," McGeeney claimed.
Other family members of the deceased share these concerns. Jennifer Marquez, Harrington's mother, told NewsNation she is "furious" over the tragedy, adding: "Nobody believes this story. None of his friends, none of the families, none of us believe it."
Marquez also revealed to WDAF that learning about the death of her beloved son was the most devastating moment of her life.
"It’s a huge loss. He’s everything. He’s a brother, he has a sister, Carmen, and a brother, Sebastian. They’re missing him, and they are broken-hearted they will never see their brother again," she said.
Norma Chester, Johnson's mother, expressed her belief that Willis should be arrested in connection with their deaths, even suggesting the possibility of poisoning. However, the police have not yet revealed any evidence supporting such claims and are awaiting the toxicology reports at the time of this writing.
Speaking to KSHB, the grieving mom said: "I need them to find out what happened [...] I need them to find out what these boys were doing in the backyard."
Jonathan Price, Johnson's brother, has retained an attorney and is awaiting a search warrant for Willis' home.
"There's many different things that don't add up... We've heard that he's moving out as well, so we don't know if he'll even be sticking around much longer," he told KSHB. Stressing his determination to seek the truth, Price added: "I'm not going to stand back and let it go. I will go until the day I die to get this figured out."
Kaylee La Tier, a friend of the victims, took to Facebook following the men's deaths and wrote: "[Willis] was inside his home alive while my friends were dead in his yard for lord knows how long. They were all hanging out since after the game Sunday.
"He KNEW people were looking for them. He read messages of people searching for him on Tuesday. My husband banged on his door for 20 min. My friend banged on his door and then busted a window and yelled and announced her presence while she’s inside and still nothing from him??"
Amid the confusion, the community has come together to raise funeral funds for the three men via a series of GoFundMe pages.
Clayton has been described as someone who enjoyed motorcycling and traveling the country, according to his grieving cousin Alan McGeeney in an interview for The Kansas City Star.
McGeeney also revealed that his late cousin was turning his life around following problems with traffic violations and child support, saying: "He was on a good path. He cared about that."
A GoFundMe has been established on behalf of Clayton's fiancée April by Stasia McGeeney, and the description reads: "April now has expenses related to the funeral as well as the stress from going from a dual income household to a single income.
"Clayton was a subcontractor for a small construction company and work was slow at the time of his death. Please help us show her love and support during this difficult and sad time in her life," they added.
Marquez also told The Kansas City Star that her late son, David, brought light into everyone's lives, and also organized a memorial fund to pay for his funeral expenses.
"I miss my son very much. I have no words on how much he meant to everybody, to myself, to his sister. To his brother and to all of his many many friends. And I'm praying that people out there can understand that anything they can do would be of great help right now and appreciated," she wrote in the description.
Lastly, Johnson was described by his niece, Stephanie Walling, as being an "adored father to his three beautiful daughters" and "a cherished son, brother, uncle, and friend".
In a GoFundMe for her uncle, Walling heartfully wrote: "During this incredibly difficult time, we appeal to anyone who is able and willing to assist with the expenses for the funeral services, for which we would be endlessly appreciative. Any funds received beyond the funeral costs will be provided as support for his daughters."
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