NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Two men appeared in court Thursday to face murder charges for the first time after three Kansas City Chiefs fans were found dead in the backyard of their friend’s home in January 2024, as the defense cast doubt on the prosecution’s case.
“There is no timeframe for the DNA on that bag,” Jordan Willis’ attorney John Picerno said during his closing argument. “There is no evidence to prove the defendants offered the drugs to the men or died directly from what was in those bags.”
Picerno was referring to evidence found at the scene where three Kansas City Chiefs fans were found dead with drugs in their system in January 2024: Ricky Johnson, 38, David Harrington, 37, and Clayton McGeeney, 36.
During a preliminary hearing in Platte County Circuit Court, Judge Abe Quint Shafer found enough probable cause in the triple murder allegations against Willis, 39, and Ivory “Blade” Carson, 42, to send the case to trial. Willis and Carson are facing amended second-degree felony-murder charges.
SUSPECTS IN KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS FACE MURDER CHARGES FOR FIRST TIME IN CRUCIAL TEST FOR CASE
David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside their friend’s Kansas City home on Jan. 9, 2024. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
Willis, who is out on bond, was spotted wearing a blue and white button-down shirt and black dress pants. Carson, who has remained behind bars on a $100,000 bond, wore an orange jumpsuit and was shackled at the ankles.
Despite sitting at the same table, WDAF-TV reported that the pair did not look at each other throughout the hearing.
When leaving the courtroom, Willis replied “Yes,” when asked if he was confident in his case, the outlet reported.
‘No timeframe for the DNA on that bag’
During closing arguments, both defendants’ attorneys said the state could not prove Willis or Carson were responsible for the three deaths. Officials alleged, according to the probable cause affidavit, that Willis and Carson’s DNA was found on evidence found at the house in January 2024.
Picerno also argued that another one of the victims could have provided the drugs.
During cross-examination by Carson’s public defender, Katherine Berger, Kansas City police detective Phillip Sipple said that there was no evidence either of the defendants planned to kill the three men.
Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson appeared in court on Thursday, July 24. The pair face amended second-degree murder charges for the deaths of three men in January 2024. (WDAF-TV)
In the hearing Thursday, Shafer asked responding detective Naomi Vaughns if she discovered that there was “not just one male deceased, but three males deceased in the backyard?”
“Yes,” she replied.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS: PROSECUTORS SEEK TOUGHER CHARGES
Kansas City police detective Mark Divak testified that two of the bodies were found in the home’s fenced-in backyard, and one was found seated on the patio.
The three Kansas City Chiefs fans “all died of fentanyl and cocaine combined toxicity,” according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
“We presumed the victims had overdosed,” Divak said. “There was no trauma to the deceased. No indication of any foul play involved.”
Willis and Carson are scheduled to appear back in court on Aug. 6.
Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson appear in Platte County Circuit Court on July 24, 2025. (WDAF-TV)
Deadly Kansas City discovery
McGeeney’s fiancée, April Mahoney, called authorities after discovering the frozen bodies of the trio on Jan. 9, 2024. The friends had gathered at Willis’ rental property to watch the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers around 7 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2024.
Mahoney, according to court documents, grew alarmed that her fiancé had seemingly disappeared – eventually going to the home and spotting McGeeney’s red Ford F-150 pickup truck parked outside the residence.
Repeated door knocking yielded no response, leading Mahoney to climb through a basement window, documents revealed.
Ricky Johnson, right, was a “responsible” man who “wasn’t going to go outside and freeze to death,” his parents told Fox News Digital. (Norma Chester)
“They located an isolated deceased person on the back patio and called police,” documents say, without specifying which body was first found.
Court documents note that all three of the victims were found deceased in the backyard of the home.
TWO CHARGED IN KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS’ DEATHS 14 MONTHS AFTER BODIES FOUND FROZEN IN BACKYARD
When police arrived at the single-family home, Mahoney told authorities that her fiancé would drink and use cocaine. She said that McGeeney “would get low on money,” and Willis would “usually supply cocaine to his friends.”
Police wrote in court documents that they discovered a bag of a “white powdery substance” in the top drawer of an end table and a second bag of “white powdery substance” on top of the entertainment center in the living room.
Jordan Willis and Ivory J. Carson were charged with murder in the deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans. (Platte County Missouri Sheriff’s Office)
READ THE PROBABLE CAUSE: MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
Willis told police on Jan. 9 that he believed McGeeney, Harrington and Johnson had left his home on Jan. 8 around 4 a.m., according to court documents. Picerno previously told Fox News Digital that his client went to sleep while the other men were still awake and hanging out at the house.
Picerno also previously revealed to FOX 4 that Willis was asleep with ear buds and a loud fan on.
FAMILY OF KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FAN FOUND DEAD OUTSIDE PAL’S HOUSE THINKS HE WAS DRUGGED
Two other unidentified witnesses, who were present at the football watch party, told police that they “drank, smoked marijuana and used cocaine.” One of the witnesses said he left “shortly before midnight” on Jan. 8, documents said.
Another witness said that before heading to Willis’ rental home, he saw a “large plate of cocaine allegedly supplied by Mr. Willis that everyone was using” at Harrington’s home, the documents said.
Court records also indicated that Carson allegedly supplied and sold cocaine to Willis and the victims, and that his DNA was found on a bag of fentanyl.
WATCH: Families of Chiefs fans demand answers
The Kansas City Police Department said it investigated the three deaths for 14 months before charges were filed.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“KCPD detectives never stopped working on the case, waiting for all the facts to come in. Reaching this point is a testament to their dedication to delivering justice for the victims and their loved ones,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Wednesday.
Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.