A top NYPD cop says the mysterious case of three men found dead in a Kansas City backyard should be investigated as a homicide.
Kansas City police say three friends, David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were found dead in the backyard of house rented by Jordan Willis of Platte County.
The three friends joined Willis and a 5th man to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game on January 7.
Police found their bodies in the backyard on January 9 after the fiancée of one of the men broke a window to gain entry into the house when Willis didn’t respond to banging on the front door.
The woman found a body on the porch and called 911.
Police said Willis met them at the front door wearing boxer’s shorts and holding an empty wine glass.
Police obtained a search warrant and found 2 more bodies in the backyard.
Willis reportedly told officers his three friends “froze” to death.
However, attorney John Picerno denied his client told police the men froze to death.
Picerno said Willis moved out of the rental house five days later.
A fifth man who attended the watch party but left early, disputed Willis’ version of events.
The man said he left the house around midnight and all three men were alive when he left.
The man also said he sent a text to Willis after the mom of one of the men reached out to him with her concerns. The man said Willis did not respond to his text.
Other family members and friends said they sent messages to Willis who ignored all of their messages.
Willis’ attorney has changed his story several times. He said that his client only received messages on Facebook Messenger, not text messages or calls.
“He has nothing to hide. He went to the police station and spoke with officers without a lawyer present, he allowed them to search his home… these were his friends,” Picerno said.
“He’d bought tickets for them all to go to the next Chiefs game – he didn’t want any harm to come to any of them. There was no ill will,” attorney John Picerno told DailyMail.com.
Former NYPD officer and attorney Paul Mauro told Fox and Friends on Wednesday, “there are a number of things in this story that don’t quite add up.”
The Kansas City police chief has said the case is 100% not under investigation as a homicide.
But Mauro said the police chief could “change his mind” and declare the case a homicide.
“People have said let’s wait for the toxicology report, the autopsy and see if any substance was involved. But they do have some other avenues, they have Mr Willis who is alive and they have this fifth person who was alive.”
He added: “And then you have their electronics, and they’re already asking for the passwords. The story has been morphing,” Mauro concluded.
The Kansas City Police Department has said that there was no evidence of foul play at the scene.
Willis is an award-winning scientist, who was praised for his work on COVID and HIV vaccines.
According to an interview that Willis gave to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative’s website in 2022, he is the senior principal scientist at the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center in Kansas City.
Willis has since taken leave from his job while the investigation continues.
