The stepmother of one of three Kansas City Chiefs fans mysteriously found frozen to death in a friend’s yard says she had to identify the body over the phone because it needed to “thaw.”
Linda Johnson gives a heart-wrenching look at the plight of Ricky Johnson Jr.’s stepson. and two friends as he revealed that prosecutors were still “fully investigating this case” despite police initially ruling out anything suspicious.
She told NewsNation Wednesday that when news of the death broke, she tried to identify her stepson as soon as possible “because you still have hope that he’s going to come home.”
“We have not been asked to identify the body,” he told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
“They told us that the body had to be thawed. They are frozen and that may take” several days, he said in a disturbing twist to the terrible tragedy.
When she asked to go herself, she was told “that’s something you only see in movies, they don’t need people to identify bodies,” she said.
Ricky Johnson Jr. was found dead with two of his friends on January 9. Family Distribution
“Well, we really can’t wait that long. So, I called the medical examiner the next day, and I started explaining Ricky’s tattoos and piercings. And he told me that it was one of the dead,” explained Linda.
Ricky Jr., 38, and his two friends, David Harrington, 37, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were found frozen in the backyard of fellow fan Jordan Willis on Jan. 9 — two full days after they went to his house to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Los Angeles Raiders.
Here’s the latest NYP coverage of Kansas City Chiefs fans freezing to death
Police immediately dismissed anything suspicious and stated firmly that the case was not being treated as a triple murder, angering relatives of some of the men.
Linda said her family met with the Platte County prosecutor, saying it “went well.”
“We have been assured that they are looking into this case fully,” he said.
Linda Johnson said she identified her stepson’s body over the phone. NewsNation
“They didn’t give any details about the evidence or what they found or what they didn’t find. They just assured us that it was being investigated.”
Prosecutors also acknowledged reports that Willis, 38, had entered rehab — but could not confirm the claims, he added.
Willis claimed to have slept nearly 48 hours before his friends’ bodies were found — and was wearing underwear and holding a wine glass when police showed up as soon as the bodies were found.
Everything to know about the 3 Kansas City Chiefs fans who froze to death outside their friend’s house
Three Kansas City Chiefs fans were found frozen to death in a friend’s backyard on January 9, where they had gathered to watch a football game.
The bodies of David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, may have been there for two days.
Jordan Willis, the man who rented the house, insisted he had “no idea” about the fate of his friends.
Harrington (circled in red, second from left), McGeeney (second from right) and Johnson (right) were found frozen to death in the yard on January 9. Ricky Johnson / Facebook
Willis’ lawyer said the man “slept on the couch” for two days while his friend’s loved ones tried to contact him.
“This case is 100% NOT being investigated as a homicide,” Kansas City police Capt. Jake Becchina told Fox News Digital.
Here’s more of The Post’s coverage of the tragedy in Kansas City:
Toxicology reports for the three men who died are still pending. Two of them allegedly arrived at the viewing party with two 30-packs of beer, a neighbor said.
At least one of the men’s bodies was found by McGeeney’s fiancee, April Mahoney, who broke into the Willis home after becoming concerned about her partner.
“My understanding is that he entered the house through the front into the basement. And he went upstairs and looked through the window and saw the body sitting on the back porch in a chair,” Linda said of Mahoney’s gruesome discovery, though she noted that she didn’t talk to him personally about what she saw.
The friends were found dead two days after a viewing party for a Kansas City Chiefs game. AP
The family was troubled to learn that Johnson’s backpack was still inside the Willis home — and the police never retrieved it.
“That’s his wallet. his car keys. He had some antacids, ibuprofen and they were in the backpack. The backpack is still in the house, at Jordan’s house,” said Linda.
At the time of the interview, it was unclear whether Johnson’s family had finally received his belongings.
Jordan Willis’ surviving friend appears to have entered rehab. github The group of friends were last seen at a Kansas City rental house for a viewing party. Ricky Johnson / Facebook
Earlier this week, Ricky Jr.’s brother, Jonathan Price, slammed law enforcement’s approach to the incident.
“I’m not saying there is or isn’t a crime, but if you suspect there’s no foul play, then you have to have a story, you have to have something to tell the family, and for no one to hear anything, that’s not unreasonable,” he said. to Chris Cuomo.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
