PLATTE CITY, Mo. — In a courtroom appearance via video link on Thursday, two individuals entered not guilty pleas concerning the drug-related deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans. The grim discovery was made in a backyard two days post the trio’s gathering to watch the Chiefs’ final regular season game of 2024.
Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson, appearing separately and dressed in jail-issued orange jumpsuits, face serious allegations. Both men were charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts related to the delivery of a controlled substance, an incident that has captured significant social media attention.
Willis was represented by his attorney, John Picerno, who entered the not guilty plea on his behalf. Meanwhile, Carson, who has yet to secure legal representation, had the judge submit his plea. Carson intends to apply for a public defender, with a brief and procedural hearing setting the scene.
A subsequent hearing has been scheduled for the following Tuesday, where the judge will review the conditions of their current bond, which is set at $100,000 in cash.
A three-month-long investigation followed the grim finding of Ricky Johnson, 38, Clayton McGeeney, 36, and David Harrington, 37, in the backyard of Willis in Kansas City, Missouri. These tragic events came to light on January 9, 2024, after McGeeney’s fiancée reported him missing.
As inquiries intensified, scant information fed public curiosity, with TikTok and other social media platforms buzzing with speculation. Families of the deceased expressed their misery and called for answers via local Kansas City media outlets.
Legal documents have now confirmed what many online speculators suspected: an overdose was to blame for the fans’ deaths. A forensic analysis concluded that the deadly mix of fentanyl and cocaine was responsible.
Accounts from witnesses revealed the friends engaged in cocaine use on January 7, 2024, as they watched the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Los Angeles Chargers. Initially at Harrington’s home and then shifting to Willis’s property, the group’s activities were further complicated by Willis’s reported habit of sharing cocaine in times of financial strain, sourced from Carson.
Willis reportedly informed police he believed the men might have somehow obtained fentanyl, emphasizing his assumption that everyone left his home around 4 a.m. the day following the game. The temperature that evening reportedly dropped to a chilly 33 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius).
Interrogation of Carson led to his acknowledging prior cocaine sales to Johnson, Willis, Harrington, and McGeeney before the New Year.
Picerno, representing Willis, raised questions about the source of drugs consumed by the men, suggesting there was no direct link to Willis’ purchase or knowledge. Highlighting Willis’ lack of awareness regarding the men’s continued presence in his backyard or their dire need for medical intervention, he stressed, “Jordan has had an incredibly challenging year. He’s experienced loss across the board—his job, his home, and his friends. It’s unjust that the public views him as culpable for their deaths, which he is not.”
