Families Seek Answers in Chiefs Fans’ Deaths

The families of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen to death outside their friend’s home in January are still seeking answers nearly six months after the tragedy.

Why it matters: The lack of information and communication from authorities has left the grieving families frustrated and desperate for closure.

The details:

• David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were discovered dead in the backyard of Jordan Willis’ Kansas City, Missouri, home after watching a Chiefs game together.
• Toxicology reports revealed substances in their systems, but an official cause of death has not been disclosed.
• The medical examiner’s office confirmed that the cause and manner of death for all three men were finalized on January 31, but the cases are under suppression status and not available for release.
• Willis, an HIV scientist, checked into an inpatient rehabilitation center for substance abuse shortly after his friends were found dead and has since moved out of the home.

What they’re saying: The families express their frustration with the lack of answers and communication from officials.

• “Our office finalized cause and manners of death for all three of the referenced decedents,” said Kelsie Gwartney of the medical examiner’s office. “All three cases are under suppression status and not open records available for release at this time.”
• “Three dead men, they don’t do anything, it appears they don’t do anything and if they are, let us know,” said Jim McGeeney, the uncle of Clayton McGeeney.
• “Through this whole thing I’ve had a hard time getting anybody to answer me,” said Jennifer Marquez, Harrington’s mother.

The other side: Police have stated that the investigation into the deaths remains open but added that they are not treating the case as a homicide.

What’s next: The families continue to seek closure and transparency regarding the deaths of their loved ones as the investigation continues.

Full story

The grieving families of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen to death outside their friend’s home in January are still seeking answers nearly six months after the tragedy. David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were discovered dead in the backyard of Jordan Willis’ Kansas City, Missouri, home after watching a Chiefs game together. Although a toxicology report revealed substances in their systems, an official cause of death has not been disclosed.

The medical examiner’s office confirmed that they finalized the cause and manner of death for all three men, but the cases are under suppression status and not available for release at this time. Family members feel stonewalled by the lack of information and communication from officials. Jim McGeeney, the uncle of Clayton McGeeney, expressed his frustration, saying, “Three dead men, they don’t do anything, it appears they don’t do anything and if they are, let us know.”

Jennifer Marquez, Harrington’s mother, also voiced her difficulty in getting responses from officials, stating, “Through this whole thing I’ve had a hard time getting anybody to answer me.”

The friends, along with another unidentified friend, had gathered at Willis’ rental home to watch the Chiefs’ final regular season game against the Chargers on January 7.

For two days, the families tried to contact Willis with phone calls, Facebook messages, and even by knocking on his door, but received no response. McGeeney’s fiancée, April Mahoney, finally broke into Willis’ house on the night of January 9 and discovered one of the bodies on the back porch.

Families seek closure in frozen deaths

She called the police, who then found two more frozen bodies in the yard. Willis, an HIV scientist, allegedly met responding officers in his shorts, holding an empty wine glass, and claimed he had not left his home for two days as he slept with noise-canceling headphones. He checked into an inpatient rehabilitation center for substance abuse shortly after his friends were found dead and has since moved out of the home.

The investigation continues as families seek closure and transparency regarding the deaths of their loved ones. They are frustrated by the lack of communication from authorities and fear that charges may never be pressed. The Platte County Prosecutor’s Office has maintained that the investigation is ongoing and has declined to comment further until it’s complete.

This continued withholding of information has prevented even the parents from accessing the medical examiner’s report, leaving the families without closure. The tragic incident has left the families with unanswered questions and a deep sense of loss as they await further developments in the investigation. They are now demanding to know what is causing the delay in the release of records, hoping to finally find closure after the tragedy they experienced in January.