Attorney: Kansas City homeowner didn’t know 3 men were dead in backyard
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The investigation continues after three bodies were found behind a home in Kansas City’s Northland, and for the first time, FOX4 is hearing from the attorney of the man who lives at the home.
Kansas City police said the three men were found after a woman went searching for her fiancé on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The woman called police, reporting a body at a home on N.W. 83 Terrace near N. Overland Drive.
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Police identified the three victims as 38-year-old Ricky Johnson, 36-year-old Clayton McGeeney and 37-year-old David Harrington.
KCPD tells FOX4 this remains a death investigation with no indication of foul play suspected.
FOX4 spoke with the mother of Harrington, who says he was just over at the house to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game, and wants answers and the people responsible to be held accountable.
According to attorney John Picerno, Jordan Willis, the man living at the home, was close friends with the three men found dead and had nothing to do with their deaths.
“He had no knowledge that they remained in his backyard or that they needed medical attention,” Picerno stated in a news release sent to FOX4.
Picerno said Willis does not know the timing, manner of their deaths, or when they left his house. Willis’ family previously told FOX4 he’s been told, “his friends froze to death.”
According to Picerno, the last time Willis saw the three men was when they left the house and he went to bed.
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Picerno says that prior to being contacted by Kansas City police, Willis did not receive any phone calls or text messages from family or friends of the victims.
Two people came to the house, however, Willis didn’t hear them due to sleeping with air buds and a loud fan, according to Picerno.
Picerno said the wife of one of the victims tried to reach Willis on Facebook Messenger, but he didn’t see the message until after being contacted by KCPD.
According to Picerno, two of the victims’ cars were parked on the street and none were parked in the driveway, and Willis didn’t notice them, adding: “It would not be unusual for his friends to have left their cars there overnight.”
When police arrived at the house, Picerno said Willis allowed them inside, told them all he knew and voluntarily consented to a search of the home.
In addition to sending FOX4 the release, Picerno also sat down with NewsNation’s Dan Abrams to talk about the investigation:
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As of Sunday, Jan. 21, KCPD tells FOX4 it is still waiting on the results from medical examiners to determine a cause of death. It could be weeks before they get results from an autopsy and other tests. Willis is not facing charges in this case.
