Mystery deepens as fifth friend at football party claims fans found frozen to death in backyard were inside watching TV when he left

A fifth partygoer has come forward who claims he saw three football fans who later froze to death alive and well before he left.

David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36m all died. Picture: Kansas City Police Department.

A fifth friend has come forward claiming he was present at a US football viewing party that resulted in three men freezing to death in their friend’s backyard — and has revealed new details about the trio’s final hours.

The fifth person, who has not been named publicly, had joined the group — which included David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36 — at Jordan Willis’ home on January 7 to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play their last regular season game, lawyer John Picerno told TV station FOX 4.

The man told the outlet that when he left the Kansas City home, Mr Willis and his other three friends were still awake, reported the New York Post.

The Kansas City Police Department announced that the men’s bodies were discovered at 9.51pm January 9 after one man’s fiancee requested a welfare check. Picture: Kansas City Police Department.

The man also stressed that he was not the last person to see Mr Harrington, Mr Johnson and Mr McGeeney alive before they froze to death in Mr Willis’ yard and went unnoticed for two days.

The fifth individual had arrived at the house at about 7pm and left around midnight, his lawyer, Andrew Talge, said.

When his client left, the four other men were up watching US gameshow Jeopardy! — indicating that the three victims were still alive in the early hours of Monday, Mr Talge added.

Mr Talge’s version of events contradicts Mr Picerno’s statement, which insisted that Mr Willis saw his four friends out at the end of the night, then went to sleep on his couch.

Mr Picerno also said several times that Mr Willis — who allegedly slept on his couch for the next two days, unaware that his three friends were frozen in the backyard — only received messages via Facebook Messenger, and did not get texts or calls, FOX 4 noted.

They had all gathered at a friend’s house to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers on the night of January 7. Picture: fox4kc

According to Mr Talge, however, his client received a text from Mr McGeeney’s fiancee and from Mr Johnson’s mother, both asking about their loved ones.

Their concerns prompted Mr Talge’s client to text Mr Willis and Mr Johnson, but he did not receive a reply, the lawyer alleged.

Mr Picerno declined to comment on the discrepancy, FOX4 said.

Mr Talge also did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Mr Harrington, Mr Johnson andMr McGeeney’s bodies were not found until January 9, when Mr McGeeney’s fiancee requested a welfare check.

David Harrington, 37, Ricky Johnson, 38, and Clayton McGeeney, 36m all died. Picture: Kansas City Police Department.

In an interview with NewsNation last week, Mr Picerno said Mr Willis left his home sporadically on January 8 and 9 — only to backtrack on Monday and say that Mr Willis had only been in and out of his bedroom.

“What I meant to say on NewsNation is that he left — he was sleeping, and he left his bedroom sporadically,” he said, according to FOX 4.

Mr Willis moved out of the home less than a week after the bodies were found, his lawyer added.

The Kansas City Police Department is reportedly still waiting for autopsy and toxicology results — though Capt. Jake Becchina told Fox News that the incident “is 100% NOT being investigated as a homicide”.

This story was published in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Mystery deepens as fifth friend at football party claims fans found frozen to death in backyard were inside watching TV when he left