The three Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead outside the home of an HIV scientist had taken three times the lethal dose of fentanyl, according to the toxicology report, Fox 4 KC reported. The bodies of David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were found frozen in the backyard of Jordan Willis' home in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 9.
Families of the three had been eagerly awaiting the results of the report, hoping for insights into the circumstances leading to their deaths. There has been speculation that drug use played a role in their deaths as Willis checked into rehab for substance abuse, his parents said.
Drugs, Alcohol and Deaths
Preliminary toxicology findings indicate the presence of cocaine, THC, and fentanyl in the systems of the three men, as reported by TMZ and NewsNation. According to a family member, the men tested at Level 30 for fentanyl, which is three times the amount needed to kill them.
Willis has hinted at the theory that the men died from exposure to the cold, while Johnson's brother, Jonathan Price, has publicly demanded information regarding the circumstances of their deaths. On Wednesday, Willis entered rehab.
In response to inquiries from DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department said that no information had been disclosed to the media and did not confirm the details provided by family sources to various news outlets.
"There have been no additional details of this case or reports revealed to any media, nor are there any plans to at this time," Captain Jake Becchina said.
"The case remains an ongoing death investigation. Both KCPD Detectives and the Platte County Prosecutors Office have been in touch with the deceased men's families and remain in contact with them as the investigation unfolds."
Harrington, McGeeney and Johnson visited Willis' home to watch the Kansas City Chiefs' last regular-season game on January 7.
Concerns arose when, two days later, McGeeney's fiancée, apprehensive about their well-being, entered Willis' property and discovered one of them frozen in the yard.
According to sources reported by Fox4 KC, the toxicology results revealed the presence of "several" substances in the systems of the three men.
Mystery Continues
Willis who was found by the police wearing underwear and holding a wine glass when they arrived, told officers that he was unaware of his friends being dead outside.
He claimed to have been asleep for nearly two days. Another friend, Alex Waemer-Lee, left the gathering around 11 p.m. after the game, while the four remaining men continued watching "Jeopardy!" his attorney, Andrew Talge said.
Experts are considering theories that involve the possibility of the men taking enough fentanyl, possibly combined with alcohol, to lose consciousness after leaving the house, leading to their deaths from exposure. This revelation follows news that Willis has entered rehab, a friend said.
According to a source, Willis perceives the events of that night and the subsequent days as a significant and heartbreaking wake-up call. The deaths of his friends prompted him to realize his struggle with addiction and the necessity to seek professional help, an insider told to Fox News.
Although the police have said that the case is not being treated as foul play, some relatives of the deceased men have raised suspicions, asserting that Jordan Willis may have played a role in their tragic deaths.
"[Harrington's mother] and I are both convinced that Jordan Willis played a part in this somehow," David Harrington's father, Jon, said last week.
"There were four of you in the house and now three of them are dead and you're not. That doesn't add up," the father added.
"I'm thinking that he, the three of them learned something or saw something that they shouldn't have seen, and he decided, 'Well, I need to get rid of you now.' Friends or not," he said.
Some relatives have gone to the extent of suggesting a possible connection between the incident and Willis' work as an HIV scientist at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's Neutralizing Antibody Center, specifically in the Schief Lab.
A source close to the Willis family dismissed the notion of a "mad scientist agenda" as "absolutely ridiculous," according to Fox Nation last week. Another source said earlier that Willis was profoundly affected by the loss of his friends and the subsequent scrutiny, describing him as "very depressed."
"Not only is the whole country accusing him of murdering his friends without factual details, evidence or any charges at this time, but he also lost three close friends," the source lamented.
Willis' father, Rodney Willis, has also publicly defended his son, stressing that he firmly believes Jordan would "never in a million years do anything" to harm his friends.
