Dad of Jordan Willis, Kansas City Chiefs fan who hosted party where 3 pals froze to death, defends son as speculation mounts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City man who hosted an NFL watch party at his rental home before three of his friends were found frozen to death in his backyard “didn’t do anything wrong,” his family insisted to The Post Thursday.
“He would never in a million years do anything,” Jordan Willis’ father said of his son as some relatives of the three men have speculated wildly over how they ended up dead.
Willis’ dad said his son is grieving just the same as his friends’ families, some of whom have publicly pointed fingers at Willis and theorized that drugs may be to blame for the deaths of David Harrington, Ricky Johnson and Clayton McGeeney.
Police have said foul play is not suspected and have stressed that it is not yet clear whether drugs were involved as detectives await autopsy and toxicology reports.
Harrington, Johnson and McGeeney were at Willis’ home on Jan. 7 to watch the Kansas City Chiefs’ final regular-season game.
The trio was discovered dead in the party host’s yard two days later when McGeeney’s fiancée requested a welfare check.
Everything to know about the 3 Kansas City Chiefs fans who froze to death outside their friend's home
Three Kansas City Chiefs fans were found frozen to death in the backyard of their friend’s home on Jan. 9, where they had gathered to watch a football game.
The bodies of David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, had possibly been there for two days.
Jordan Willis, the man renting the home, insisted he had “no knowledge” of the fate of his friends.
Willis’ lawyer said the man was “asleep on the couch” for two days while his friends’ loved ones frantically tried to contact him.
“This case is 100% NOT being investigated as a homicide,” Kansas City police Capt. Jake Becchina told Fox News Digital.
Here’s more of The Post’s coverage of the tragedy in Kansas City:
- Kansas City Chiefs fan found dead did not use drugs, was ‘murdered,’ longtime girlfriend says
- House where Kansas City Chiefs fans partied has large windows facing yard where 3 froze to death
- 5th Kansas City Chiefs fan at party where 3 friends were later found frozen to death ID’d: report
- Parents of Chiefs fan found frozen to death alongside 2 friends in yard think trio was drugged, ‘dragged’ outside by scientist pal: ‘He concocted something’
- Drugs a possibility in grisly Kansas City Chiefs fans’ freezing deaths outside home, doctor says
“These were all good friends of his, these were all people he went to school with and he took them to a football game the day before for the Chiefs,” Willis’ dad said Thursday outside his Kansas City home.
Willis’ attorney, John Picerno, has said Willis had been “asleep on the couch” next to a loud fan for two days.
He was also wearing noise-canceling headphones when concerned family members came calling, the lawyer said.
He allowed police to search his rental home, leading to the gruesome discovery, which Willis said was the first he learned of his friends’ deaths.
Willis’ dad’s defense of his son comes just hours after Harrington’s own father said he’s “not buying” Willis’ version of what happened.
“[Harrington’s mother] and I are both convinced that Jordan Willis played a part in this somehow,” Jon Harrington said Thursday.
“There were four of you in the house and now three of them are dead and you’re not. That doesn’t add up,” he added, theorizing that the men witnessed “something that they shouldn’t have seen” before they died.
