The lawyer of a football fan who hosted a gathering at his Kansas City rental property that ended in tragedy has spoken out.
On January 7, David Harrington (37), Ricky Johnson (38), and Clayton McGeeney (36) met at a house rented by Jordan Willis to watch their beloved football team's final game of the regular season.
However, just two days later, the bodies of the three men were found outside the NW 83rd Terrace home, with police believing that the men had "frozen to death" - despite their vehicles being just yards away.
After friends and family frantically tried to contact their missing loved ones, their bodies were finally discovered after the fiancée of one of the men broke into the house and alerted the local authorities.
The incident has left loved ones of the deceased - as well as the local community - in disbelief, as authorities are now investigating the mysterious deaths.
Willis' lawyer, John Picerno, revealed that his client had no recollection of the events following his friends' departure from his home. Picerno stated, per the New York Post: "Jordan 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 back yard, or that they needed medical attention."
Picerno added that Willis was unaware that loved ones had been trying to locate his three missing friends.
And despite the fact that two of the cars parked on his street belonged to his deceased friends, Willis failed to notice them because they were not parked in his driveway.
"Two people came to his house; however, he did not hear them as he sleeps with earbuds and loud fan," Picerno added. "One of those people, the wife of one of the deceased, tried to reach him via Facebook messenger, unfortunately, he did not see the message until after the police contacted him."
Kansas City investigators have emphasized that there is no suspicion of foul play, and they are not treating the case as a homicide. Captain Jake Becchina of the Kansas City Police Department reiterated this stance, emphasizing that the case was "100% NOT being investigated as a homicide", per Fox News.
While the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths remain puzzling, a pending toxicology report is expected to provide additional insights into the incident. The bodies of the three men were discovered outside, mere yards away from Willis' warm house and their parked cars.
Picerno offered possible scenarios for the tragic turn of events, considering the cold weather that prevailed during the timeframe. "It was really cold. They could have gone out to get fresh air, they could have gone out to smoke a cigarette... Maybe the bathroom was occupied, they could have gone out to go to the bathroom, after a whole day of watching football, it was late at night," he said.
The Daily Mail has since reported that Willis has vacated the property and cleared his social media accounts following the tragedy.
Temperatures on January 7 and 8 remained in the low 30s, with a significant drop to the teens on the afternoon of January 9, according to Weather Underground.
Picerno affirmed that Willis, who works as an HIV vaccine development scientist, valued his friendship with Harrington, Johnson, and McGeeney immensely. He stated that the three were close friends who often spent time together, with two of them being Willis' high school companions. Willis had even purchased tickets for all of them to attend the Chiefs' playoff game against Miami the following weekend.
The possibility of drug involvement leading to an overdose has not been ruled out, as Picerno acknowledged: "There's a chance of everything."
READ MORE: Loved Ones Of Chiefs Fans Found Frozen To Death Outside Friend's House Say 'Things Don't Add Up'In the midst of this heart-wrenching incident, loved ones and friends are grappling with grief and seeking answers. Stephanie Walling, the niece of Ricky Johnson, paid tribute to her uncle on a GoFundMe page established to assist with funeral expenses. She described him as "not only an adored father to his three beautiful daughters, but also a cherished son, brother, uncle, and friend."
A celebration of life was held for David Harrington during the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Series on Sunday. Funerals for Ricky Johnson and Clayton McGeeney are scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday in suburban Missouri.
Our thoughts go out to everybody impacted by this tragedy.
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