The stepmother of one of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found mysteriously frozen to death in her friend’s yard said she had to identify his body over the phone because the remains needed to be “thawed.”
Linda Johnson provided a heartbreaking look at the fate of her stepson Ricky Johnson Jr. and his two friends by revealing that prosecutors are still “investigating this case thoroughly” even though cops initially ruled out anything suspicious.
She told NewsNation on Wednesday that when news of the deaths broke, she tried to identify her stepson as soon as possible “because you still have hope that he will come home.”
“We weren’t asked to go identify the body,” he told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
“They told us that the bodies had to be thawed. They were frozen and that could have possibly taken” a few days, she said in a haunting twist to the gruesome tragedy.
When he asked to go in person, they told him “that’s something you only see in movies, they don’t need people to identify the bodies,” he said.
Ricky Johnson Jr. was found dead along with his two friends on January 9. Family Handout
“Well, actually we weren’t willing to wait that long. So, I called the medical examiner the next day and began describing Ricky’s tattoos and piercings. And she told me that was one of the deceased,” Linda explained.
Ricky Jr., 38, and two of his 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 who went to his house to watch The Kansas City Chiefs play the Los Angeles Raiders.
Here’s the latest NYP coverage on Kansas City Chiefs fans who froze to death
Police quickly ruled out anything suspicious and firmly stated that the case was not being treated as a triple homicide, angering relatives of some of the men.
Linda said her family met with Platte County prosecutors and noted that everything “went well.”
“We are confident that they are investigating this case thoroughly,” 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 simply assured us that it is being investigated.”
Prosecutors also acknowledged reports that Willis, 38, had entered rehab, but were unable to verify the claims, he added.
Willis claimed to have been asleep for nearly 48 hours before his friends’ bodies were found, and was in his underwear and holding a glass of wine when police showed up once the bodies were found.
Everything you need 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 the backyard of their friend’s house 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, had possibly been there for two days.
Jordan Willis, the man renting the house, insisted he had “no knowledge” of his friends’ fate.
Harrington (circled in red, second from left), McGeeney (second from right) and Johnson (right) were found frozen to death in a yard on January 9. Ricky Johnson / Facebook
Willis’ attorney said the man was “asleep on the couch” for two days while his friends’ loved ones desperately tried to contact him.
“This case is NOT being investigated 100% as a homicide,” Kansas City Police Capt. Jake Becchina told Fox News Digital.
Here’s more coverage from The Post on the tragedy in Kansas City:
Toxicology reports for the three deceased are still pending. Two of them allegedly arrived at the watch party with two 30-packs of beer, a neighbor said.
At least one of the men’s bodies was discovered by McGeeney’s fiancée, April Mahoney, who broke into Willis’ home after becoming concerned about her partner.
“I understand that she entered the house from the front to the basement. And he went upstairs and he was looking out a window and he saw the body sitting in the backyard in the chair,” Linda said of Mahoney’s horrific discovery, although she noted that she had not spoken to her personally about what she saw.
The friends were found dead two days after a party to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game. AP
The family was concerned to learn that Johnson’s backpack was still inside Willis’ home and police never recovered it.
“They were his wallet. Your car keys. She had some antacids, ibuprofen and it was in a backpack. That backpack was still in the house, in Jordan’s house,” Linda said.
At the time of the interview, it was unclear whether Johnson’s family had finally received his belongings.
Surviving friend Jordan Willis apparently entered rehab. github The group of friends was last seen at the Kansas City rental house for the viewing party. Ricky Johnson/Facebook
Earlier this week, Ricky Jr.’s brother, Jonathan Price, criticized authorities’ approach to the incident.
“I’m not saying that there was or wasn’t a crime, but if you immediately suspect that there is no crime, then you should have a story, you should have something to tell the families, and if no one hears anything, that doesn’t mean anything. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he told Chris Cuomo.
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