Dr. Siegel on Chiefs fans toxicology report: Poly-drug situation becoming a ‘huge epidemic’ in US
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel discusses findings from the toxicology report of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen to death.
Reports of THC, cocaine and lethal levels of fentanyl in the systems of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen and dead in their friend's backyard have not brought closure to their families, who are still pushing for a thorough investigation into their deaths.
The preliminary findings in the post-mortem examinations of Ricky Johnson, 38, Clayton McGeeney, 36 and David Harrington, 37 – all found dead on the evening of Jan. 9 in Jordan Willis' backyard two days after attending an NFL watch party – were shared with the men's families last week, Fox News Digital confirmed.
FOX4 Kansas City reported several substances, including cocaine and fentanyl, were found in the men’s systems.
But the presence of the substances did not alleviate Harrington's family members of their suspicions regarding his death.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS DEATHS: JORDAN WILLIS CHECKS INTO REHAB AS FAMILIES AWAIT TOXICOLOGY RESULTS
David Harrington, Clayton McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead outside their friend's Kansas City home on Jan. 9, 2024. (Ricky Johnson/Facebook)
"What matters is that he didn't take that to die," his stepmother Theresa Harrington told NewsNation. "He didn't take that to die – if he took the drugs on his own, he took them to get high."
"It just means that there's more to the story," she continued. "There's more to it than that… We keep getting answers that [police] are still investigating, so there’s something there that they’re saying, ‘Maybe that’s not right.'"
Harrington said David "wasn't a drug addict," suggesting that he may have taken the drugs under "peer pressure."
Harrington's father, Jon Harrington, said the men likely "got [the drugs] there," referring to Willis' house party, where they were last seen alive.
"Somebody gave them something that would kill them," he told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo.
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Family and friends of Clayton McGeeney, left, David Harrington, center, and Ricky Johnson are clamoring for answers after the three men inexplicably died in freezing temperatures outside their friend's Kansas City home. (Facebook)
Previously, the elder Harrington told Fox News Digital that he was "convinced that Jordan Willis played a part in this somehow."
"We just haven’t figured out how yet," he said at the time, before the preliminary results had been released. "What else could it be? Perfectly healthy men don’t just drop off the face of the earth."
"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 continued. "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."
After speaking with the Platte County prosecutor's office, Harrington's father said he "would expect that they will treat this as a drug overdose and go on with their business."
PRELIMINARY TOXICOLOGY RESULTS BACK FOR KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FANS FOUND FROZEN TO DEATH
Jon Harrington, left, along with his son David. The elder Harrington told NewsNation that "somebody gave them something that would kill them." (Provided by Jon Harrington)
"But I don’t think it’s as simple as that," he said. "I'm aware that they may have done some substances that were questionable – but the idea was to get high, not dead… If they were supposed to be friends, why didn’t [Willis] come find them. I’m sure they have a hundred different answers to that, but that’s my question."
Last week, the men's families all met with Platte County prosecutors, with McGeeney's cousin telling FOX4 Kansas City that they "want to see what action is being taken."
A representative with the Platte County Prosecutor's Office told Fox News Digital that the partial leak of toxicology information was not delivered at that meeting, and must have come from the Kansas City Police Department.
An exterior view of Jordan Willis’ home in Kansas City, on Jan. 26, 2024, where three of his friends were found on Jan. 9, 2024, two days after attending a Kansas City Chiefs watch party. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
"There have been no additional details of this case or reports revealed to any media, nor are there any plans to at this time," Kansas City Police Department Capt. Jacob Becchina told Fox News Digital on Thursday evening. "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."
"Any records associated with the case, to include any toxicology reports or medical examiner reports would remain a closed record at this time until the investigation is concluded," Becchina said.
HIV scientist Jordan Willis, 38, checked himself into a rehab facility after his three friends were found dead in his backyard on Jan. 9. (GitHub)
A spokesperson for Frontier Forensics Midwest, the private company contracted by Platte County to carry out the autopsies, told Fox News that the results of the men's toxicology reports will take six to eight weeks to process, while their full autopsy reports will not be released for another 10 to 12 weeks.
In the hours before the preliminary toxicology reports were released, Willis checked himself into an inpatient rehab facility, a source close to his family told Fox News Digital.
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"This was an enormous, heartbreaking wake-up call for Jordan, and he is facing his addiction head-on," the source said.
Willis' attorney, John Picerno, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that he will not make any comments until "the autopsy, which will include the cause of death, is released."
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