Police confirm Chiefs fans found frozen in backyard died of 'fentanyl and cocaine toxicity' as arrests are made

Police have this week issued an update in the case of three American football fans who were found frozen in a friend's backyard last year.

Kansas-born trio Ricky Johnson Jr, 38, David Harrington, 37, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, had gathered together at a property rented by their long-time pal and fellow sports fan, 39-year-old Jordan Willis, on 7 January 2024.

Two days after they rallied together to watch a Kansas City Chiefs game together, however, their bodies were discovered by friends frozen in Willis' garden by friends.

Willis, meanwhile, had remained indoors, and claimed not to have noticed his friends were still outside.

The months that followed the discovery of the bodies saw dozens of peculiar theories for their eerie demise put forward by police, lawyers, and other friends and family members.

Their loved ones were particularly concerned with Willis' claim about being ignorant to the fact his friends' bodies were sitting in his garden.

This week, however, an official cause of death has been ruled by Kansas City police, and the families have been given the answers they've been seeking for over a year.

In a statement released by the department, it was found that the deaths of Johnson Jr, Harrington and McGeeney involved no foul play.

The friends had officially died of 'fentanyl and cocaine toxicity', after several bags of potentially-lethal drugs were found inside Willis' home.

Willis has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter, after police said his DNA was discovered on the bag of cocaine found at the property.

Jordan Willis has since been arrested (Platte County Sheriff's Office)

His alleged drug dealer, 42-year-old Ivory Carson, has also been arrested, with a fentanyl bag also allegedly bearing a significant amount of his DNA.

The pair were arrested on Wednesday (5 Mar).

Platte County Prosecutor, Eric Zahnd, subsequently told press: "This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of street drugs.

"But make no mistake, the people who supply those drugs can and will be held accountable when people overdose."

Text messages sent between Carson and Harrington - one of the victims - also indicated that the pair had exchanged drugs prior.

Willis insisted during questioning that, on the night of his friends' deaths, he didn't hear friends or family attempting to alert him by pounding on the doors. He claimed he'd fallen asleep with headphones on.

The HIV researcher also denied noticing the trio's cars were still parked in front of his property.

Alleged drug dealer Ivory Carson has also been arrested (Platte County Sheriff's Office)

It wasn't until McGeeney's fiancee broke down to door to his home that he claims to have realised what happened.

Willis' attorney added that, he was not the individual that purchased the drugs that resulted in his friends' deaths.

Following his arrest, lawyer John Picerno told the Kansas City Star: "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."