Two charged in Kansas City Chiefs fans’ deaths 14 months after bodies found frozen in backyard

Two arrests have been made in connection with the deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans who were found frozen in their friend’s snowy Kansas City, Missouri, backyard after an NFL watch party more than a year ago. 

“After an investigation of nearly 14 months, two suspects are now facing felony charges in Platte County, including involuntary manslaughter, related to the deaths of three Chiefs fans in January of 2024,” the Kansas City Missouri Police Department said during a press conference on Wednesday. 

Jordan Willis and Ivory J. Carson have been charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of delivery of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid, according to court records obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Court records indicate that Carson, who went by “Blade Brown,” supplied and sold cocaine to Willis and the victims, and that his DNA was found on a bag of fentanyl.

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“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.

Willis is the longtime friend of Clayton McGeeney, 37; Ricky Johnson, 38; and David Harrington, 36, who were visiting his home in Kansas City on Jan. 7, 2024, to watch the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers.

Two days later, the three men were found dead on Willis’ property by McGeeney’s fiancée. Willis could not be reached by phone and did not answer his door in the days afterward, according to family members who searched for the three friends who never returned home.

However, Willis told police he had no idea any of his friends were dead outside and that he hadn’t heard from any of their friends or family members. 

Although preliminary autopsy results shared with the media by family members indicate that fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana were in their systems, the deceased men’s families have questioned Willis’ involvement in what happened, with some threatening to file lawsuits.

Willis’ attorney, John Picerno, told Fox News Digital that he was “surprised that Jordan was charged with the deaths of his three friends.”

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“That was contrary to what the prosecuting attorney’s office told me several months ago,” Picerno said.

“The probable cause statement submitted by the State is consistent with what Jordan stated happened. Jordan maintains that he is not responsible for purchasing or supplying the drugs that led to the deaths of his three friends. We are very much looking forward to the day a jury gets to hear all of the evidence in this case.”

Willis, who moved out of his Kansas City home and enrolled into a rehabilitation program after his friends’ deaths, has had his “life changed forever,” Picerno previously said.

A source close to the Willis family told Fox News Digital previously that the 39-year-old Ph.D. holder and research scientist “still struggles with the aftermath of all of this.”

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“[He] not only lost good friends of his, but [had] many people turn on him,” the source said. 

“It affected every part of his life, and he’s doing the best he can,” the source continued. “He has been helping with his dad’s care this year, and trying to stay positive.”

It was not immediately clear if Carson had retained a lawyer.