A woman is stabbed 11 times inside her apartment while five people are home In the small community of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, the life of 39-year-old Amber Spradlin was cut short in a brutal act of violence that would leave a lasting scar on the town. On June 18, 2023, Spradlin was found deceased in the home of a local dentist, Michael McKinney. An autopsy would later reveal the horrifying extent of her injuries: she had been stabbed at least eleven times in her head, neck, and torso.
A piece of the knife blade was discovered lodged in her throat during the examination.
The initial investigation into Spradlin's death moved slowly, causing frustration and anguish for her family and the wider community who rallied for answers. Their persistence was fueled by the disturbing circumstances surrounding her final hours. It was known that Spradlin had been at a gathering at the dentist's home on the night she was killed. The subsequent investigation uncovered a series of troubling events, including a 911 call made from the residence hours before her body was discovered, to which police did not respond.
After more than a year of investigation, a significant breakthrough came in July 2024 with the arrests of three individuals. Michael 'M.K.' McKinney III, the 24-year-old son of the homeowner, was charged with murder. His father, Dr. Michael McKinney, 56, and another man, 23-year-old Josh Mullins, were both charged with multiple counts of complicity to tamper with physical evidence. The indictment alleges a coordinated effort to conceal the crime, including the destruction of the alleged murder weapon, the cleaning of blood from the scene, and the removal of surveillance equipment that may have captured the killing. Prosecutors later revealed that DNA found under Amber Spradlin's fingernails was a match to M.K. McKinney, suggesting she fought for her life in her final moments. The three men have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
