Fri Mar 07 11:30:00 UTC 2025: **Kansas City Man Charged in Frozen Friends’ Deaths; Overdoses Ruled Cause**
KANSAS CITY, MO — The mysterious deaths of three friends found frozen in a Kansas City backyard last January have been officially ruled accidental overdoses, bringing a degree of closure to a case that sparked widespread speculation. Ricky Johnson Jr. (38), David Harrington (37), and Clayton McGeeney (36) died from fentanyl and cocaine toxicity, authorities announced Wednesday.
The three men had been at the home of their friend, Jordan Willis (39), on January 7, 2024, to watch a Chiefs game when they overdosed. Their bodies were discovered two days later, frozen in Willis’s backyard. Willis claimed ignorance, stating he was asleep with headphones and a fan running, and didn’t notice the parked cars or the commotion when friends and family tried to gain entry to the house.
Initial reports and Willis’s occupation as an HIV researcher fueled wild theories, including claims he had poisoned his friends. However, police have concluded their investigation, rejecting these theories. Instead, involuntary manslaughter charges were filed against Willis and alleged drug supplier, Ivory Carson (42), who was also arrested Wednesday.
Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd stated, “This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of street drugs…the people who supply those drugs can and will be held accountable when people overdose.” Forensic evidence linked Willis to the cocaine and Carson to the fentanyl found at the scene. Text messages further corroborated Carson’s role as a drug supplier to Harrington.
Willis’s attorney, John Picerno, maintains his client’s innocence, stating that Willis did not buy or supply the drugs. The case is expected to proceed to trial, where the full evidence will be presented.
First Piper 