Two individuals are set to appear in court on Thursday to face murder charges for the first time following the discovery of three Kansas City Chiefs fans who were found deceased in their friend’s backyard earlier this year, in January 2024.

On Thursday at 10 a.m. EST, the Platte County Circuit Court will hold a preliminary hearing for Jordan R. Willis and Ivory “Blade” Carson. 

The two are facing amended second-degree felony-murder charges in the deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans.

The three victims, Ricky Johnson, 38; David Harrington, 37; and Clayton McGeeney, 36; were found dead in the backyard of Willis’s home shortly after the group had gathered there to watch a Chiefs game.

According to two other unnamed witnesses who attended the football watch party, they engaged in activities such as drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and using cocaine. One witness mentioned in his statement that he departed “shortly before midnight” on January 8, as noted in the documents.

Another witness said that before heading to Willis’ rental home, he saw a “large plate of cocaine allegedly supplied by Mr. Willis that everyone was using” at Harrington’s home, the documents said.

Court records also indicated that Carson, who went by “Blade Brown,” allegedly supplied and sold cocaine to Willis and the victims, and that his DNA was found on a bag of fentanyl.

The Kansas City Police Department said that it investigated the three deaths for 14 months before charges were filed.

“KCPD detectives never stopped working on the case, waiting for all the facts to come in. Reaching this point is a testament to their dedication to delivering justice for the victims and their loved ones,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Wednesday.