Two Kansas City Chiefs fans remained emotionless and silent as they met face to face in court as a judge ordered them to face trial for allegedly killing their three friends who were found frozen to death in their friend’s snowy backyard.
Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson sat at the same table in Platte County Circuit Court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing for the murder charges in the deaths of Ricky Johnson Jr., David Harrington, and Clayton McGeeney.
Willis, 39, and Carson, 42, face second-degree murder charges in the deaths of their friends who were discovered in the backyard of Willis’ rented home on Jan. 9, 2024.
Willis, who bonded out after his arrest, was dressed in a light-colored button-down shirt and slacks, stared directly ahead.
Carson, who remains in jail, wore an orange prison jumpsuit.
The two remained silent throughout the proceedings, according to photos obtained by USA Today.
Judge Abe Quint Shafer ordered the case to move to a jury trial after finding prosecutors had enough evidence against the two men.
Willis and Carson were charged with drug distribution and manslaughter charges back in March 2025.
Prosecutors elevated the charges to murder in June.
The three men died of fentanyl and cocaine combined toxicity, medical examiners found.
Willis is accused of distribution of cocaine and Carson was slapped with supplying fentanyl to Willis.
Investigators found drugs in Willis’ home during a search of the property, including a bag of cocaine that mostly had Willis’ DNA on it and another bag of fentanyl, which had Carson’s DNA on it, he said.
Police found messages on Harrington’s phone that indicated Carson allegedly supplied Harrington with cocaine, docs stated.
McGeeney, Johnson Jr, Harrington and Willis were all at the home in the Kansas City suburbs, where they were allegedly drinking, smoking marijuana, and using cocaine, said a witness who left the house before midnight on Jan. 7, according to officials
The three friends had eventually made their way outside, where they overdosed and died in the below-freezing temperatures.
McGeeney’s fiancée made the grim discovery when he failed to respond to his phone for two days after the friends got together for a watch party of the Chiefs’ 13 – 12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Jan. 7.
She broke a window to get into the home and found the bodies in the backyard.
Willis and Carson are scheduled to appear back in court on August 6.
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