The homeowner’s father who survived as his three friends died in his backyard says he spent two days sleeping “on the couch” while their families searched for them.
HIV scientist Jordan Willis, 38, has yet to speak publicly about the mystery, but his lawyer has made several statements on his behalf.
First he said he was going to sleep, leaving David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, in his living room to hang out.
The lawyer then corrected himself, telling DailyMail.com earlier this week that he “made a mistake” and meant to say that Willis waved them goodbye and then went to bed, plopping down on the couch first.
Now Willis’ father has spoken out in his defense.
Jordan Willis is an award-winning HIV scientist who moved and deleted all his social media after three of his friends were mysteriously found dead on his property
David Harrington (left), Clayton McGeeney (center) and Ricky Johnson (right) were all found dead on January 9
Police have not yet made any arrests and medical examiners have yet to reveal the cause of death. It is also unclear whether the men had used drugs.
Speak with The New York PostWillis’ father said he would “never in a million years” hurt his friends.
When pressed about inconsistencies in Willis’ story, particularly the fact that one of the bodies was not wearing a jacket when he apparently left his home despite the freezing January weather that night, he said:
“They could have gone there, it was freezing and cold that night. I don’t know how many cars they came in; there were three, and there were only two cars left on the street.
“They could have decided for some reason that they wanted to go back into his house.” People leave the house without a coat all the time, no matter how cold it is, so I can’t answer that statement.
“(Jordan) doesn’t know what happened to them, and he never saw them again the moment they walked to the front door and left his house.”
David Harrington (second from left), Clayton McGeeney (second from right) and Ricky Johnson (right) are shown with two unidentified fellow Chiefs fans, neither of whom are believed to be involved in the mystery. Harrington, McGeeney and Johnson were found dead in the backyard of another man’s home on January 9
Loved ones of the dead men have raised questions about the lack of reporting on their bodies, and the snow they say was not deep enough to submerge them.
One of the bodies was found on the back porch of the property by the fiancée of one of the men, who broke in after not receiving a response from Willis.
The other two bodies were found in the backyard. Police initially said there was no foul play, but have yet to confirm the cause of death of the three men
Picerno added that he did not discuss where Willis thought his friends would go after he left his home: “We never discussed where he thought they went, there is nothing inconsistent with them leaving.” ‘
When asked about the possible involvement of drugs or alcohol in their deaths, Picerno said, “I’m not in a position to comment on that on Jordan’s behalf. When and if the toxicology report comes out, I would certainly be happy to comment on that.
“I am not going to speculate about the activities and behavior of other people who were not in my client’s presence at some point that evening.”
“He did nothing wrong, and that’s what we’re saying, and that’s what we’re going to say in that autopsy report, no matter what.”
The medical examiner’s office has yet to reveal the cause of death or whether any of the men had drugs in his or her system.
Willis’ account of the events on the night of January 7 has come under intense scrutiny.
When his attorney was asked why Willis had not reported them missing, or even gone to his own backyard, where the bodies were found, he said, “He had no reason to go to the backyard, and he didn’t know that there was someone in the backyard.”
But his story is disputed by a fifth man who was there that night.
The friend, who remains unnamed, told local media that when he left the house at midnight they were all still alive.
The fifth man insisted that it is “absolutely not true” that he was the “last person to see the three men alive,” the outlet reported.
He has now also hired a lawyer, hiring fierce criminal defense attorney Andrew Talge.
Talge said his client arrived at Willis’ house at 7 p.m., and they all hung out until midnight. The four other men were watching Jeopardy as he left.
The lawyer also said that on Tuesday – the day after – the fifth man texted Jordan Willis. He sent this after Clayton McGeeney’s fiancée and Ricky Johnson’s mother reached out with questions about their loved ones.
This contradicts what Willis’ attorney Picerno has said repeatedly. He said his client only received messages on Facebook Messenger, not text messages or calls.
Kansas City police have said there was no evidence of any criminal activity or foul play at the scene.
Police classified the ordeal as a death investigation and not a homicide. Willis has not been charged.
For two days, the victims’ families said they visited Willis’ home, calling him and sending him Facebook messages asking where they were. He didn’t respond.
Eventually, the fiancée of one of the men broke into the house through the basement and found the first body in the backyard. She then called the police, who arrived to find Willis in his underwear, holding a wine glass.
His lawyer claims he did nothing wrong and has cooperated with police.
Relatives and loved ones of the dead have questioned Willis’ story.
“None of the stories match what he says; How do you not know there are three dead bodies on the porch?’ asked Adriana Juarez, the mother of Johnson’s child.
Johnson’s niece, Stephanie Walling, has said the national attention has been tough, but they hope it will lead to a breakthrough in the case.
“I never thought it would get as much attention as it does now, but I hope with the attention it will bring us closer to getting answers,” she said.