How Did a Night Out Turn Deadly for This 38-Year-Old Kentucky Woman?

Hope you like it, big papa. You going to. get what's coming to you. You son of a. You're not above the law. If you've never heard of Amber. Spradlin's case, well, then. >> [music]. >> you're probably not from Eastern. Kentucky. Because in Floyd County, this. case is all people are talking about. For over a year, this could have been. considered a whodunnit. Six people went. into a house, one ends up dead, one is.

covered in blood and failed a polygraph. The one with scratches left the house. right around when the murder is thought. to have happened. Two others don't seem. to be talking to police at all. And at. least one is talking, but says that when. she went to bed that night, everyone. [music] was fine. And a camera that was. pointed right at where the crime took. place and should have made this an open. and shut case is missing. But some. people in town never considered this a. whodunnit. They believe that the person.

police arrested, the one that's about to. go to trial here any day, did the crime. he's charged with. A brutal murder of a. young woman who had already been dealt. one of the toughest hands in life. But. there are still so many [music]. questions. Mainly, why? 38-year-old Amber Spradlin hardly knew. these people. Why would someone slit her. throat, stab her in the face, and leave. her dead, covered in blood, on the couch. till morning? >> [music]. >> And why would a police chief,

unconnected to the investigation, allegedly tell Amber's family [music]. that she wasn't murdered at all? And just died by aspiration. Something. in Floyd [music] County stinks. And. based on what we found, this might just. be scratching the surface of what's been. happening [music] there. So, with the. trial right around the corner, we're. trying to make sense of what happened to. Amber Spradlin that night in June of. 2023. [music].

Amber Spradlin had a tough childhood. Her mom and sister died when she was. young, and she was barely into her 20s. when she lost her dad. And as you can. imagine, all of that trauma left her. with pretty severe and sometimes. debilitating anxiety and depression. But. the family that she did have left, her. grandparents, her aunt Missy, her cousin. Debbie, [music]. they had all really taken Amber under.

their wings. And actually, up until. recently, Amber lived with her. grandparents. But when they too passed. away, Amber felt like it was time for. her to step out from under her family's. wings and finally spread her own. By. 2023, at the age of 38, Amber had. finally gotten her own place and found a. part-time job as a hostess at a popular. restaurant in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, where she lived. Now, I mean, this was a. bit zero to 60. So, aunt Missy decides. that it would be best to keep a close. eye on Amber just to make sure she was.

safe. So, she had security cameras. installed at Amber's new house to do. just that. And Amber was great about. communication, too. I mean, she is. nothing [music] if not predictable, and. keeping a strict routine is super. important to her. So, she made a call. every morning to her aunt at 9:00 a.m., and they would exchange even more calls. throughout the day. So, when Amber. doesn't call Missy [music] on Sunday, June 18th, this bad feeling washes over. her right away. Missy checks the footage. from Amber's place, and she can see her.

leaving for work Saturday evening. But. as she scrolls through later that night, when she knew Amber should be home from. work, then beyond, all the way till she. sees daylight, Amber never shows back up. on screen. And right away, [music] Missy. calls Debbie to tell her what's going. on. And Debbie has that same immediate. sinking feeling. Something is [music]. wrong, and they just know it. Now, Debbie isn't in town. She's on this. little getaway 90 minutes away with her. fiance, [music] Brandon. But that. doesn't stop her from jumping right into.

action. Brandon's brother is with the. Kentucky State Police. So, Brandon. actually calls him to tell him Amber's. missing. >> [music]. >> And about 10 minutes later, he gets a. call back. And what comes out of his. brother's mouth leaves everyone stunned. Amber isn't missing. She's been. murdered. Now, he can't give them much more. I. mean, the only reason he knows anything. about Amber's death is because his. agency is handling the investigation. So, Debbie and Brandon immediately hop. in their car and fly back to.

Prestonsburg. And by the time they get. there, basically everyone in the family. has come together. But no one knows. anything more. I mean, the wild part is. that they're not even supposed to know. what little they do. >> Right. That's like just through like. back channels because they know a. person. >> Right. No one in any official capacity. on the case has notified them, anyone in. their family, about what's going on. But. thank god for Brandon's brother. So, he. comes over to give them like the few. tidbits of information that he does. hear. And he tells them that Amber went.

out the night before, and she was. murdered by one of the men she was with. So, desperate for any help they can get, they reach out to a family friend that's. retired from the state police. And he. goes on to like make some calls to see. if he can find out more information. [music]. And what he ends up telling them is even. more confusing. Debbie says that this. guy called the Prestonsburg police. chief, this guy named Randy Woods. And Randy told him that Amber wasn't. murdered. He's like, she is dead, but.

she died because she aspirated, which is. basically like if food or something like. enters your airway and you stop. breathing, like that sort of thing. So, Chief Woods is saying that this was an. accident. And according to Debbie, he. told this friend to tell the family that. they should all just settle down. I'm sorry. Settle down? Like, they were told that. she's murdered, and now. what, she died by accident? Like, this. family has every right to not be.

settled. >> And it And it's getting no information. >> Well, and also, I thought this was a. state police investigation. Why is the. chief of the Prestonsburg Police. Department, different agency, telling them to settle down? He's like. not even involved, right? >> Well, so, this is a very small town, and. there's a lot of overlap between. agencies. Like, they often do help each. other out. They respond based on just. who's available, it seems like. And. Kentucky State Police handles a lot of. the suspicious death investigations in. smaller towns, like Prestonsburg and.

Martin, [music]. which is where the house ends up being. that she's at. But. it's a little messy because like just a. quick side story, so the 911 service in. Floyd County, it was in flux at the. time. So, the Kentucky State Police had. handled the 911 services for the county. for a long time. >> But for just the year before, county. officials had decided to switch its. emergency call center to Prestonsburg. because it would be less expensive. So, like this process is just a little bit. >> a lot of like moving parts that like. haven't been moving for that long.

>> Right. Like, this guy still isn't in. charge. And the family doesn't know what. to believe. Like, they want to hear. something straight from KSP. No back. channeling. Which, by the way, they've. been trying to make contact with someone. all day. It's their inability to. actually get someone official to talk to. them that was like necessitating all. this back channeling. But finally, not. long before midnight, Missy reaches. someone at the state police post and. >> [music]. >> gives them an earful, explaining that. they have been hearing rumors all day.

They just need to know what's going on. No one has been in contact with them. And whoever she talks to like must not. be able to give her the answers then or. doesn't want to because they have to. call her back. And that happens a few. hours later. That's when a detective. finally gets in touch. and says that Amber. has been murdered. >> I'm sorry. This is going back and forth. Like, what is happening? They're still. not being told anything yet. >> [music]. >> But she obviously didn't aspirate. And. her body is being sent to the state.

medical examiner. So, they do say that. they'll know more soon, and the case is. under investigation by the Kentucky. State [music] Police. Period. And then? And nothing. The family is left super in the dark. They just know that Amber left her place. for work Saturday night, and by Sunday. morning, she's been murdered. Where did it happen? What happened? Did. the police have suspects? They were left. to guess all of that while they waited.

for updates. Little did they know, though, right from the jump, state. police actually had all of that and. some. Because they had been working the. case since just after 10:30 a.m. that. Sunday morning. And it all started with. a 911 call from the home that Amber. would be found in. That home is in the. town of Martin, Kentucky, [music] and it. belonged to then 55-year-old Dr. Michael. McKinney II. The doctor is the one who placed the. call. And I'm going to read the.

transcript of it that was included in a. court filing. Now, the public hasn't. heard this call yet. I haven't heard. this call yet, so I'm just going to read. it pretty flat because I don't know what. the tone was. But Brandon, I'm going to. have you read for the 911 dispatcher, and I'll read for Michael. 911, where is your emergency? Yes, so my. name is Michael McKinney. I'm at. Arkansas Road. Yes. I had some people come back to my house. last night, and there's a girl on my. couch that's dead.

Arkansas Creek? Yes, so I need some. assistance. All right, I'll get. everybody out there. That's my cell, yes. Do you know who the female is? Roy, what's her name? What's her name? I. know it's Amber, but what's. And then, uh, Roy jumps in here, Amber. Spradlin. Amber Spradlin. Is it obvious, or was it. you think it's drugs, or Dude, it looks. like somebody's come into the house and. murdered her. Her throat's [music] slit. There's blood everywhere. Okay, about.

how old is she? How old is she? 32, 33. All right, I'll get everybody out there. Thank you. You're welcome. Thoughts? Well, I mean, it sounds like he doesn't. even know her. Like he can't give her. last name, doesn't really know how old. she is. Also, the phrase "There's a dead girl on my. couch." Like what a cold way to refer to. anyone, but to refer to this person in. your own. >> own home. Yeah. And listen, theoretically, he should know her.

because the restaurant that Amber was a. hostess at It's called Brick House and. Dr. Michael McKinney owns it. Oh. Now, it's probably not weird that he didn't. know her last name and age. Like he. didn't even work at the restaurant. full-time. He's a dentist. The. restaurant is just one of his business. ventures that helped make the McKinneys. [music] a like wealthy and prominent. family in the area. And by the way, Eastern Kentucky has one of the highest. poverty rates in the country. So, if you. have money, people know you.

So, first responders may have known what. house they were pulling up to when they. arrived after that 10-30 call was made. Now, Amber is found on the couch sitting. upright. Her head is slumped forward and. her clothes are covered in blood. >> [music]. >> And once they get a better look at her, like first responders, they could tell. that this was not a natural or. accidental death. I mean, she had been. stabbed and her throat had been cut. And. investigators now had four people.

standing [music] in front of them. and one of them was covered in blood. >> [music]. >> The man covered in blood is a. 51-year-old local guy named Roy Kidd. And after getting a lawyer, here's what.

he tells state police investigators. He'd met Amber years earlier at the. medical office in the area where Debbie. works as a doctor. Amber volunteered. there and Roy was a radiology. technician. Now, he told investigators that he. wasn't really close with Amber or. anything and [music] Debbie backed that. up. She told us that Roy was nice to. Amber, just kind of like joked around. with her, paid attention to her, but as. far as she knew, like they didn't even. hang out. Now, Roy said he occasionally. ran into Amber at the Brick House where. she worked and another bar called.

Seasons Inn and Restaurant, which. [music] was owned by a McKinney family. member who he's related to by marriage. [music]. Okay. But they didn't spend much time. together outside of that, except for. this particular Saturday. He hadn't really planned on doing. anything that night, [music] but Amber. had messaged him on Facebook and. convinced him to come out. He wouldn't. have known this, but this was maybe her. trying to branch out, be more. independent. [music]. So, after she got off work, Amber picked. him up at his house and then they headed.

to Seasons Inn. When Amber and Roy. arrived, they don't necessarily spend. every minute together. Michael McKinney. was there and Roy says that he spent. most of the night with Michael and. Michael's brother Chris and Chris is the. one who owns Seasons. And they're just. chatting. And Roy says that Amber was. talking to people she knew, hanging out. with her friends. Of course, they like. co-mingled at points. Michael even. bought Amber and Roy a few drinks and. then Chris gave them a few rounds on the. house. >> [music]. >> Now, the bar closes at 2:00 a.m., but. when you know the owner, no, it doesn't.

And he said [clears throat] that this. big crowd stayed there drinking after. hours. That was the norm for Seasons. But sometime around 4:00 in the morning, Michael [music] invited Amber and Roy to. come back to his place to keep partying. This isn't a big group that's going. back. Honestly, it was really just the. people who lived at the house. So, Michael, then his 23-year-old son. Michael McKinney III or MK, as everyone. calls him, a guy named Josh Mullins who. had a room in the basement in the house. and Josh's girlfriend Lauren. So, Roy.

says, you know, they just accept the. invitation. But Amber's cousin Debbie. told us that Amber was probably so. excited to get that invite. I mean, this. may have been a big deal for her. She. probably felt so lucky. And so, she and. these other five people all piled into. Michael's Bronco to head to the McKinney. house. Now, Roy says when they got to. the house on Arkansas Creek Road, the. party kept going in the basement where. Michael had after parties like often. I. mean, he kept making everyone drinks, everyone was having a good time. But at some point, Roy had reached his.

limit and he knew that he had to go to. bed. He'd been there before, so he knew. right where to go, upstairs to MK's room. where he could collapse on a bunk bed. And he said that when he walked up the. basement stairs, everyone was still down. there. Everyone seemed fine. The next. thing he knew, Roy was waking up to. daylight. Now, it's between 7:00 and 9:00, maybe. 9:00, 10:00, 11:00. Like he's real fuzzy. on the details, but he was also in real. rough shape. Like he was.

like covered in his own urine and feces. Obviously felt really sick. >> Feces? Yeah, dude was like drunk drunk. and I think he had some medical issues, but he says that he just wanted to go. home. So, he makes his way out of the bedroom. to go look for his phone so he can call. someone to pick him up. And in his. search, he stumbles down the hall to the. other end of the house, like it's by. like the kitchen. And from there, he. could see the back of Amber's head and. it looked like she was sitting on the. couch in the living room. And so, he. said he called her name as he was like.

going around to the front of the couch. And as soon as he saw her from the. front, he knew why she hadn't been. responding because she was covered in. blood. And he says he rushes over to. her, like shakes her. He's like. screaming her name twice, but she didn't. respond at all. And in a panic, he. rushes to Michael's bedroom on the same. floor, starts like banging on the door. for him to wake up. And he says Michael. opens it right away and Roy just said. like call 911 because something's. happened to Amber. And he thought she'd.

had a stroke or something. And so, according to Roy, Michael maybe stepped. out from his room a bit, like looked. Amber's way and then he steps back in. and starts making calls. And Roy can't hear much. He's just like. sitting at the dining room table in. shock. But at some point, he asked where. MK was because he didn't want him seeing. what was like in the living room. And. Michael told him that MK left sometime. during the night. So, like no concern. there. But Lauren and Josh weren't so. lucky. At some point, they come upstairs. where they all wait for police. So, they.

just. sat there? Did no one check her pulse or. try CPR? Like I know he's a dentist, but. like dentists are still doctors. Police. literally asked Roy the same question. and Roy explained that he I mean, he. works in the medical field, right? He. thought Amber had some kind of. hemorrhage or aneurysm because he didn't. notice any wounds, he says. All he saw. was the blood, which had dried already. And he figured that that she was gone. just from her face and her eyes. I I.

have so many questions. How did he. mistake a slit throat for. an aneurysm? Like that is not the same. at all. It actually, the way that she. was slumped over, it like hid her neck. and you actually couldn't tell. Even. first responders say that you could not. see her throat was slit. So, that wasn't. super weird to them. Okay, fine, but if. he's claiming the blood was dry and that. he didn't really touch her beyond like. what, shaking her that one time? Like.

how does that explain him being covered. in blood? Because he says it isn't her. blood. He said that he'd fallen quite a few. times the night before. He had something. like 10 to 14 drinks that night and said. he was like a nine out of 10 on the. drunk scale. I don't know what a 10 out. of 10 is for Roy, but he was sloppy. So, he said he wiped out once while getting. out of the Bronco when they first got. there. And then later at the house, he. fell again in the bathroom and split. open his chin. And the story probably. seems a little wild and far-fetched.

[music] Yeah. Especially because. according to court records, one of the. detectives tells Roy that. they can't find any blood in the. bathroom where he says he busted his. chin. And Roy's surprised by this cuz he's. like, you know, I didn't clean up after. myself, so I don't know what to make of. this. But he insists that's what. happened. He insists that everyone was. fine when he staggered off to bed at. 6:30. And Lauren, the only other person. willing to talk to police that we know.

of, backs this up. She says that Amber. was still alive in the living room when. Josh and her went back down to the. basement where Josh's room was to go. [music] to bed. And she said that was. around 7:00 a.m. Okay, what about the. blood? Does she back up his story about. why it was on him? Say anything about. someone cleaning it up in the bathroom? >> know. So, there haven't been a ton of. details released about what exactly she. told police, but there is something else. that backs up Roy's story. Something way. better than a drunk person's memory. Investigators realized pretty early on.

that there was another call made to 911. from Michael's house that morning. Like. four and a half hours before the one. about Amber, MK called. According to court filings, MK asked. dispatchers to send someone to take a. family friend to the drunk tank. The. family friend that he's talking about is. presumably Roy. And the dispatcher asked if Roy was like. fighting or otherwise like committing an. arrestable offense. And MK didn't answer.

directly, but he added, "I'm not saying. arrest him." Now, I have not heard this call, but Debbie. got to listen to the call and she said. that MK describes Roy as "really effed. up" and said that he was bleeding. profusely. But And Michael gets on the line and. says that like, "I've got this under. control. No responses needed." So, no. one is dispatched. I'm sorry. I I guess. I just I I Don't know what to think?

Yeah, cuz. are we thinking something really. happened at 6:00? Not if you believe Roy and Lauren. Cuz Roy goes to bed after this. Everything's fine. Lauren goes to bed. an hour after this call. Everything's. still fine. But did either of them. mention the first 911 call in their. stories? I don't know about Lauren, but. I know that police asked Roy when they. found out about it. Like, you know, "What's this 6:00 a.m. 911 call about?".

And it was total news to him that MK. called 911 on him. >> I mean, if he blacked out, I don't know. if we can trust anything he says, though. I don't I don't think he's. saying he doesn't know cuz he blacked. out. Like, he just didn't know that MK. did that. Like, and without hearing the call myself, I. don't know if MK's in another room. I. don't know or or if things were just. getting hazy for Roy. Or if he's lying. Roy actually agreed to. a polygraph test, but he fails it pretty.

royally. I mean, he fails on four. substantial questions. Did you see anyone stab or cut that. woman? Did you stab or cut that woman? Did. anyone tell you [music] that they stab. or cut that woman? Did you help cover up. that woman's death? Oh, so like. all the important questions. >> after he fails, detectives want to bring. him in for more questioning, but this is. where Roy's attorney shuts it down. And.

as far as I know, that was Roy's last. interview with police. So, are Michael, MK, and Josh taking polygraphs and. giving like their version of events? Oh, your your face is telling me a lot. >> doesn't it doesn't seem like it. So, there's nothing in any of the court. records coming from them. But of course, a lot of evidence won't come out until. the trial. It actually even takes investigators a. minute to find MK. I do know that. because he wasn't at his mom's house, either. Like, he's not there when they. show up, not at his mom's house. And it.

turns out that he had gone back to the. city of Morehead, which is like 70 miles. away, where he went to college. But. luckily for state police, the evidence. that they have been collecting from the. scene and Amber's autopsy, that all tells a story of its own. It's just not what anyone expected. Amber's autopsy reveals that her attack. was brutal. At less than 5 ft tall, she. clearly tried to fight off her killer.

because she had defensive wounds, and. they were able to collect biological. material from under her fingernails that. didn't belong to her. But any one of the. men in the house that night could have. overpowered her. They were all taller, stronger, and of course, whoever. murdered her had a weapon. Now, we don't have the official autopsy, but what we do know from court records. is that she was stabbed a total of 12. times in the face, neck, head, torso, and throat. [music] And the killer used.

so much force that the blade of the. knife broke off in her neck and was. still there for the ME to find. >> Oh my god. And that was probably a huge shock to. anyone in the room when it was found. because they had collected a knife from. the scene. What? >> A whole intact knife that had been like. shoved into the couch Amber was sitting. on. >> [music]. >> And now they have this blade, but the. missing handle that should have been. attached to said blade in her neck was.

nowhere to be found. Never recovered. Wait, so were two weapons used? It. doesn't seem like it. Again, there's. still very limited information about the. knife recovered from the couch and what. testing might have been done on it and. what that might have shown. But the way. the indictments read, it looks like they. think that knife was planted. But why? Like, that that doesn't make any sense. I know, and I keep going over it in my. head, and I don't know if it only. doesn't make sense because we're sober.

right now. Like, trying to like piece. this together. >> Right. Anyway, put the planted knife aside. The. handle to the knife that we care about. is missing. And you know what else is missing? The McKenneys had surveillance cameras. around their house, and one of those. cameras was pointed [music] directly at. the couch where Amber was found. According to Lauren, it was there. There. was also one in the basement by the bar. area. So, this case should be over right.

there. Yeah. It should show exactly what. happened and when and who was involved. >> Mhm. But those cameras and the footage. were gone by the time police arrived at. the house after Michael's 911 call. And so was the digital video recorder. and the hard drive that stored the. footage from the surveillance cameras, too. >> Whatever was on those tapes is long gone. now. According to court records, surveillance footage from the area,

though, they collect that. And it shows. MK's blue truck leaving the area at. around 8:30 in the morning. And that is very different from what Roy. said that Michael told him, which was. that MK left the night before. I mean, we knew that was a lie as soon. as we found out about the 6:00 a.m. call. from MK to 911. >> Right. And if everyone's stories are to. be believed, big if there.

>> Mhm. The time that he's there at the. house and then leaves is in this very. critical window. So, MK makes that 911. call a little before 6:00 a.m. Roy goes. to bed, presumably, after that. Then. Lauren and Josh go to bed at 7:00 a.m. And Lauren says Amber is still alive and. well, and it's just Michael and MK who. are now unaccounted for. Then, just before 8:30, MK's truck is. driving away, and by 10:37, Amber is for.

sure dead. Blood on her has already had time to. dry. Yeah, I'm so suspicious of everyone. right now. I know, which I think is going to be a. problem when this case goes to trial. What they need is physical evidence. tying someone to Amber's murder. It. seems like the best piece of evidence. they have to work with is that material. found under her fingernails. I mean, she. clearly tried to defend herself. So, if. it was from one of the five other people. in the house that night, maybe their DNA.

is going to show up there. Now, they are able to create a profile from. what they got. It's not great, but it is. enough to tell that it's male. And they can do direct comparisons with. it. So, they get the DNA of every man. that was in the house that night. I'm assuming through a warrant, but. that's not specified in the court docs. So, Roy, Michael, Josh, and MK. And something interesting happens when. MK goes to the KSP post to give his. sample. This is just 3 days after.

Amber's death. And I don't know if this. is the first time they're actually. laying eyes on him or what, but. authorities notice that he has a bunch. of scratches on both of his arms. And it. looks like the scratches kind of like. start at the inside of the elbow and. like move down in the direction of his. hand. And listen, I'm no expert, but like. it kind of looks like claw marks. What. does MK say the scratches are from? I. don't know if he gives an explanation.

Like, if he does, that's not in the. court records. My guess is that he's keeping his mouth. shut based on advice from his attorney. >> Mhm. But DNA is going to do the talking. for him if it's his. [music] They just. have to. send it off and then wait. Now, mind. you, while all of this is unfolding in the. first couple of days, Amber's family is. still mostly in the dark. No one from. law enforcement ever came to their house. for an official notification of Amber's. death, and no one came to them right.

away to get any statements or anything. But they weren't just waiting around. I. mean, they start hearing rumors about. what happened. They find out who Amber. was with the night before and where she. was. They feel like the McKenneys might. have something to do with whatever. happened to her. Which I think is a fair. assumption. >> Right, and their biggest fear, though, is that. I mean, because the McKenneys are kind. of what they consider powerful in the. community, they're afraid that Amber's. death might just get swept under the. rug. Debbie told us that people feel.

that there are two kinds of justice in. Floyd County. One for the haves and one. for the have-nots. I mean, we end up. finding out that Michael is actually. friends with at least one officer in the. Prestonsburg Police Department. So, even. though the case is being handled by a. different agency, their faith in a. proper investigation is shaky, at best. So, by day two, her loved ones and. people from the community were. protesting outside of Michael McKinney's. restaurant where Amber worked. Debbie created a Facebook page called.

[music] Justice for Amber, and people. were joining in droves. They went on to hold a candlelight vigil. at the alternative school that Amber. attended. And her family talks to every. reporter who calls. They want answers, and they think the best way to get them. is through attention. [music]. So, tension is building in the community. And keep in mind, when I say community, Prestonsburg is literally a few streets. tucked into a valley, a few stores on the highway, a few side.

streets, mostly these little houses. I. mean, the whole population is around. 3,500 people. So, it does not take long. for rumors to start spreading. And the. rumor that's spreading isn't just that. someone in that house was involved in. her murder. People in town. believe that police tried to cover it. up. The Kentucky State Police? No. Though, I mean, the family still does. not love how they found out Amber was. murdered second hand. >> Right. But, there was something about.

the call that they got from Debbie's. friend, that retired KSP officer, that. just like. never quite sat right with them. [music]. And that's the one where the chief of. police in Prestonsburg told them to. settle down. And that Amber wasn't. murdered. Right. Just she aspirated. Cuz. like. that's specific. And how would he know? It's specifically so different from the. truth of what happened, too. >> So, if he was in the know, like that.

shouldn't have been his answer. >> Right. >> If he didn't know anything, why is he. saying that? >> is he literally making stuff up to tell. a grieving family on a case that he's. not working? Like, it's not adding up. But, you know, there's something else. that's not adding up when it comes to. who knew what and when. [music]. So, remember Michael's 911 call when he. said, "Dude, it looks like somebody's come. into the house and murdered her. Her. throat's slit. There's blood. everywhere.".

How would he have known that? Roy didn't know that her throat was. slit. He told Michael that she had an. aneurysm or something. And remember, even first responders said that it. wasn't clear that her throat was slit. because of how she was like slumped. over. >> Yeah. Right. But, Michael wasn't even. close up. Roy said at most. Michael just stepped out of his room and. looked over. >> over. toward the couch before going back. into his room and making calls. And Roy. told police that he never saw Michael. check on Amber. I mean, he seems pretty. sure about what happened on the call,

though. Yes. He does seem pretty sure of. it when he calls 911. But, you might have caught me saying. that he made calls. that morning, plural. Not just a call to. 911. >> And the first one that morning wasn't to. 911. [music]. You're not going to believe who it was. to when I show you the court docs. Police found out that before calling. 911, Michael McKinney made a nearly. 8-minute call.

to Randy Woods, the Prestonsburg Chief. of Police. >> Which like, for what possible reason? So, Michael doesn't give one to. investigators that we know of, but Chief. Woods does. Chief Woods tells state investigators. that when Michael called, he just. instructed him to call 911. Call 911. Did that take 8 minutes? Right. They have an 8-minute call. Yeah. Now, maybe Michael was in shock. I mean,

no one ever expects to be in a situation. like this. Maybe he panicked. He called. law enforcement by dialing his friend's. number who's in law enforcement instead. of 911. Like, in his mind, it could have. been the same thing. And maybe for 8. minutes Chief Woods was calming him. down. We don't know. But, it would sure be weird if he spent. that long calming his friend down, but. then basically told the family to like. cool it because she aspirated. [music]. Well, then Michael goes on to tell 911. that her throat was slit. And Roy didn't.

overhear anything. He says no. He says. that he knew he was making more than one. call, but he suspected that Michael was. calling his ex-wife first. I don't know why, but he says he didn't. know it was the chief, and like he. couldn't hear much from the call. Could. Chief Woods have been instructing. Michael about what to do? Only two. people know what was said in those 8. minutes. We reached out to Chief Woods, but we. have not [music] heard back yet. What I will say is I think.

there's something interesting to. remember. Floyd County had just changed its 911. call system, remember, a few months. before Amber's murder. It is possible. that when Michael called 911, he. expected Prestonsburg dispatch to send. Prestonsburg officers. Would it have made a. difference? I don't know. One of the things. I think about, and I might have mentioned this before,

but like I recently went to a coroner's. conference this year, and the educator there was warning. against something that he sees a lot, where responding officers or like a. coroner with no death investigation. training, because like, by the way, in some. places, like to this day, you don't need. any training to be a coroner. Just like. got to be a high school graduate with a. pulse. I'm not saying that's like the case. here, but like, anyways, someone with no investigative training. can show up in some places to a scene, and if that person says it's not.

suspicious, that's the end of the line. No criminal investigators come out. It. is just over and done with. But, Michael. said on the call with 911 that her. throat was slit. I know that doesn't. make sense to say if something sketchy. was going on. So, I'm not saying that in. this case. I would pay good money to see first. responders' reports. [music]. Who was dispatched? Who showed up? When? Why? But, none of that has been released. yet by the state [music] police. Because.

Amber's family has some suspicions about. the way that they think things went down. and what was supposed to happen. But, without documentation, I can't report on. it. Not yet, at least. I can tell you. that if someone was trying to cover this. up, Debbie's family believes it wouldn't. be the first cover-up to happen in Floyd. County. [music] Not even the first for. their family. Remember how I told you that Amber grew. up with her grandparents because both of. her parents died?

>> Yeah. Well, her mother, Sharon, died in. 1988 after she got locked in a. Prestonsburg bar called the Wildcat. Lounge. >> [music]. >> and climbed up on a chair to break out a. window. The story is that the chair collapsed. and it left her stuck hanging from the. window with her feet a few inches off. the floor. So, she suffocated and it was. just considered an accident. The family. feels that there wasn't much of an. investigation at all. But, Debbie said. the family never bought that.

explanation. I mean, the bar owners. swore that they had checked the place. before closing that night and nobody was. inside. And there's other cases that. Debbie mentioned, like Kristen Smith, who was 33. She was found dead in her. home by her boyfriend on June 2nd, 2021. in Martin, the same tiny city of around. 500 where the McKinneys live. And not just any boyfriend. A friend we. spoke to who did not want to be named. says that she was dating a local. official. She was a mom of two kids and.

about to graduate from college. She'd. worked really hard to complete a diploma. that would mean that she could give her. kids the kind of life that she wanted. them to have without having to rely on. anyone else. The same friend told us. that after numerous instances of. domestic violence, Kristen was leaving. And the next morning, she was found dead. under what her family thinks are. suspicious circumstances. According to. WSAZ, her death was ruled a suicide. Her. friend also told us that people in Floyd.

County just see this as. kind of the way things happen in those. parts. The same day Kristen was last. seen alive, a woman named Candy Green. Gonzales, who was 36, was reported. missing from Prestonsburg. Her family had last seen her at the day. before. Rumors online that we can't confirm say. that Candy was dating the son of a local. law enforcement officer. [music] Now, one of Candy's relatives did tell us. it's disturbing how much happens in. Floyd [music] County that just seems to.

get swept under the rug. It is never. talked about again. Women missing, women suspiciously dying, and no one convicted, especially if they. have pull at the courthouse. People. close to both women say that their cases. weren't really investigated and they. believe that the politicians and law. enforcement in the county close ranks to. protect their own. And there was almost. no media coverage on these cases to. expose any issues. And that is what. makes Amber's case different.

>> And her case is so clearly. homicide. Like, there's no way to even. try to call it something else. You mean like aspiration? Right. Yeah. But, still, even with everything they. have at that time, months go by while. KSP waits for the forensic testing they. did to come back because the lab is. backlogged. And in that time, no one is arrested. >> Which like, how? But, who? Like, you. have six people in the house that night.

I mean, one's dead. One is covered in. blood and failed a polygraph. The one. with scratches on his arm left the house. during like a very critical window of. time when the murder is thought to have. happened. One talked to police, but said. that she was asleep and everything was. fine. And two others don't seem to be. talking to police at all, unless you. count an off-the-books call to the chief. of police before 911 was called. So, who. do you arrest? Like, it can't be all of. them, not without proof. The community. is outraged by this, though,

understandably. And at some point, members even rented a. billboard that says justice for Amber. They paid $3,000 every 3 months to keep. it up. But, finally, according to. Debbie, 8 months later, 8. months? >> 8 months later, the results finally start coming in. The blood on Roy's shirt. >> Mhm. is Roy's blood. No trace of Amber's.

And that DNA under her nails? Not Roy's. And not Josh's. Okay. Now, the type of testing they have, they. were working with Y-STR testing, [music]. which looks at genetic markers on the Y. chromosome. >> Mhm. And those get passed down from father to. son. [music] So, all males along a. direct paternal line have the same. marker. >> Mhm. So, good news in this case, they have a match.

It's McKinney DNA. Bad news, investigators can't say which. one. It could be Michael, or it could be. MK, or it could be any other male in. that familial line for that matter. >> Yeah, but there wasn't any other family. in the house that night. Very true. >> [snorts]. >> So, with investigators knowing that they. were the only two men from that family. in the house, and knowing that MK is the one who. wasn't there when police showed up, and.

that he's the one who had scratches on. his arms when they met with him 3 days. after the murder, >> Mhm. MK is the one who is finally charged. with Amber's murder. The one, so just him? Yeah, they charge. MK with murder and what will eventually. be eight counts of evidence tampering. But Michael and Josh get hit with. evidence tampering charges, too. And. they all plead not guilty. And Roy and. Lauren? Nada. Which like was a little. surprising to me. I'm I'm not.

necessarily the Roy part based on just. like how he cooperated and what we know. from all like the pieces. I mean, I he. said nine out of 10 drunk. I think he. was like a full 10 out of [music] 10. drunk and asleep when whatever happened. happened. But I am having a hard time. figuring out like where Lauren is for. all of this or why she's not a part of. it, but Josh is if they both went to bed. together like she said. >> But the idea put forward in the. indictment is that MK killed Amber, and. then with Michael and Josh, {quote}.

removed, concealed, or destroyed, {end. quote}. the handle on the knife used in the. attack, MK's clothing, and the camera. and digital recorder containing. surveillance footage, the hard drive. that would have contained footage of the. murder, all of that. The indictment also alleges. that Amber's blood was cleaned up from. the kitchen and the laundry room sinks. And this is all before Michael ever. makes any calls, like while Roy is still. sleeping. Presumably. Now, one thing I.

know I mentioned is that Roy said that. Michael opened his bedroom door like. right away when he starts pounding on. it. It seems to me like Michael was. already up or like. maybe had never gone to bed. So, did Roy interrupt a plan or was Michael. waiting for someone else to find Amber? Like I have no clue. I don't even think. we can say for certain that Michael. wasn't sleeping. >> Mhm. But I think if evidence was destroyed. like the prosecution is alleging,

it probably happened before Roy woke up. And listen, there is still a lot we. don't know. I mean, I get the feeling. what has been released is only. scratching the surface of what police. have. I mean, yeah, like motive. How did. this night spiral so like. badly and quickly and all of it? That is. the thing with this case. This is the. big question. still, but I'm not sure we're ever going to get. a satisfying answer. I mean, like so. often when it comes to violence against.

women, you see a sexual motive. But. Amber was clothed from what we [music]. know, and there was no sign of sexual. assault that was in the records. And the prosecution hasn't suggested. that that's their theory, either. The. only thing that has been talked about is. some worrisome behavior by MK that got. uncovered in KSP's investigation. According to court docs, MK allegedly. has a history of violent outbursts and. mental instability.

Now, he doesn't have a criminal history, but what investigators hear paints a. really disturbing picture. According to. court records, a guy named Timothy. Likens told investigators that he had. gone to the McKinney house one night. [music] after drinking at Seasons, you. know, the usual. And he alleges MK pulled out a knife and. said that he was going to kill everyone. there. And like 20 people were over, so. everyone fled the basement according. [music] to Timothy. And then Michael wrestled the knife away. from MK. And Roy even told investigators.

that he was talking to MK the night of. the murder, and MK was confiding in him. that he was experiencing suicidal. thoughts, and that he'd been hearing. dark voices telling him to do bad. things. Now, Roy says that he was really. concerned, and he tried to comfort him, but like given how much he drank, Roy. was in no shape to like help anyone. >> Right. But interestingly, MK's defense is not. combating these charges with any kind of. insanity defense. >> Which I mean, I feel like that would be. a struggle to pull off given that 6:00.

a.m. call he made. Like you're lucid. enough to call 911 about Roy like. worried about his state. >> Right. So, if he wasn't experiencing an. episode of psychosis, and he did murder. Amber like police allege and the. prosecution alleges, then what was that call? Was this premeditated? Was he trying to frame Roy with that. call? I mean, it might be totally. unrelated, but pointing the finger at. Roy does seem to be the strategy for. MK's defense. [music].

We actually got MK's defense attorney, Stephen Romines, on the phone. It's one. of the first times he's spoken publicly. about the case. And one of the first. things he pointed to for us was that. first 911 call from MK about Roy being. drunk and belligerent. He also pointed. to police testimony to the grand jury. that indicated Amber was [music] upset. at Roy for being so drunk and. embarrassed by his behavior in front of. her boss. So, what? He killed her? MK's. lawyer didn't say that. He's just like. pointing to things that he thinks we.

should know. And stuff I assume he's going to be. sharing with a jury. Wait, what about. MK's dad lying about when MK left? Like. he's the only one who left that morning. Well, we get that from Roy. I mean, Roy. is the one telling police that Michael. said that. >> Mhm. And MK's lawyer says that anything that. comes out of Roy's mouth is worthless in. his mind. He told us that Roy's cell. phone was right beside Amber's body on. the couch. I mean, remember he'd gone. looking for it that morning, and that's. when he found Amber.

And MK's attorney also points to the. fact that Roy failed his polygraph test. on, remember, those pretty substantial. questions. And I'd also like to point. out that Roy's the only one who actually. took a polygraph. That we know of, correct. Crime Junkie life rule number. four, never take a polygraph. >> But of course, those results aren't. going to be admissible in court. >> Right. MK's attorney says that investigators. basically ruled Roy out because they. thought that Roy was too drunk to kill. someone, which he disagrees with. Oh,

and the missing surveillance and camera. equipment. >> Yes. We asked him about that, and he says. that he'll address that at trial. But he. says that it had been removed weeks. earlier because it was going to get. replaced. As for why MK didn't cooperate with. investigators, MK's lawyer says. investigators implicated him. immediately, and so he wisely exercised. his Fifth Amendment rights. And. what about the DNA? Like the DNA does. not look good for his client. He said.

it's the weakest DNA evidence he's ever. seen in connection to a case, and that. it could have come from anything like. laying on a couch in someone's home. And listen, I don't have details about. this DNA, but I do assume there was very. little if all they could do was Y-STR, right? If there. would have been more, they could have. gotten a sample to do a direct. comparison with both of the McKinneys, which I think would have helped their. case against MK, right? If it ended up. being his. So, I think that's going to.

be a point that MK's lawyer may be able. to win with a jury. But guess who else. we heard from? Right before we got ready. to do this recording, Michael McKinney, MK's dad, got back to us. And he had some interesting things to. say. He accused Amber's family and supporters. of using a {quote} paid social media. campaign, {end quote} to attack him and. his family, which he said is an attempt. for. conviction in the court of public. opinion. And he also said that the.

campaign made it so that Roy wasn't. investigated, even though that Michael. says the evidence against Roy is. overwhelming. And he points to some of the same. factors as MK's lawyer did. Like the. failed polygraph, the fact that Roy. eventually did stop talking to. investigators. Michael says the campaign against his. family is trying to {quote} contaminate. the jury pool. And he also accused the prosecution of. trying to delay the trial so that there. is more time to influence prospective. jurors. Now, the trial was set for.

December, but on October 20th, the. prosecution [music]. did ask for more time. They wanted to. continue to test more [music] evidence. What evidence is there left to be. tested? >> Apparently, there are at least 33 more. items that need to be analyzed for DNA. Remember, the crime lab in Kentucky is. seriously backed up. It took eight. months for that first batch of results. to come back. So, the lab just didn't get it done in time. Now, the judge granted that request,

canceling the December 1st trial date, and basically they ordered everyone to. come back in that day for a pretrial. conference instead. And so, I assume. that they'll have a new trial date after. that. And we're actually going to be. live streaming the whole thing on the. Crime Junkie Jury YouTube channel. So, please show up for Amber and her family. Come, drop a comment, let them know that. you are there, that you're supporting. them. I know it would mean so much to them. And until then, like MK is in jail.

awaiting trial. Josh and Michael are. both out on bail and house arrest with. conditions. Like they can kind of go. about their business. Like, Michael was. still allowed to train other dentists. while awaiting trial to save his dental. practice. And he's still allowed to go. to his restaurant. And what about the. Chief Woods of it all? Like, if it were me, I would want to dig. deeper into figuring out whether there. was any kind of attempted cover-up here. But this is this is the other. interesting part. So,

Chief Woods ended up resigning from the. Prestonsburg Police Department 5 days. after Amber's murder. Now, in a statement quoted in local. media at the time, he said that his. resignation was because of the emotional. toll of a June 2022. shooting in Floyd County that killed. three police officers. Ashley. The resignation was right before. the anniversary of the shooting. So, that is his official reason.

Got it. Anyway, in June 2024, Amber's family. brought a civil suit against multiple. public officials and private. individuals, including Chief Randy. Woods. Also, the Prestonsburg Police. Department, the McKinneys, Roy, and. others. All alleging negligence, obstruction of justice, civil. conspiracy, and other wrongdoings. And. this was before they ever knew if there. was going to be criminal charges. So, that case is still pending. >> [music]. >> A major part of the suit is what we. mentioned about the 911 system transfer.

in Floyd County from the KSP to the. city. And the lawsuit claims that that. switch left the county without adequate. emergency coverage. And they say that contributed to Amber's. murder because if someone had gone to. the McKinneys' house when MK first. called 911 on Roy, she might still be alive. It has been beyond hard for Amber's. family to watch the men accused of being. involved in her death go about their. day-to-day lives over the last couple of.

years. It's their hope that when they. have their day in court, that they're. going to see justice for Amber. Because. at the end of the day, they want to. ensure that Amber herself never gets. lost in this story. She endured so many tragedies and she. was just finding her footing. And for. things to end like this for her, like. this doesn't seem fair. And they don't want her death to be for. nothing. So, they're pushing for a bill. to be reintroduced in the Kentucky State.

Legislature that would increase funding. for crime labs so that investigators and. families don't have to go through long. waits that they had to in Amber's case. It would be called Amber's Law. And. they're getting a lot of support from. the community where they live and across. the nation. Debbie tells us that she. thinks it's because so many people in. that area identify with Amber, with her. struggles and her losses. And as information came out after she. was murdered and people caught wind of. an alleged cover-up, it really rubbed a.

lot of people the wrong way. So, Debbie. hopes Amber's case brings attention to. the other loved ones of other missing. people or people who may have died. suspiciously in the county. And she. actually took to the Facebook group that. she created for Amber and she put this. call out on it asking other people if. they knew of cases that needed attention. because she wants Amber's story to give. other people some hope and some fight. that, you know, if they can get out.

there and stand up and stick with it, maybe there will be some change or some. justice for them, too. And people have. been commenting with names. Like, so. many names. It is totally overwhelming and we're. having the team look into some of those. cases now. So, we're going to keep you. updated as we dig into those. And Debbie. wrote in that same Facebook post that. she had been hoping and praying that. Amber would help bring attention and. justice to others who needed it.

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