PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A blood-spattered door and a bloody handprint found next to the body. Those are just two of the dozens of pieces of evidence still waiting to be tested in the Amber Spradlin murder case, even as it heads to trial in 11 days.

One week after Special Judge Eddy Coleman denied a prosecution request to delay the trial, Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner filed an 11th-hour request for the judge to reconsider. In doing so, he provided the most complete accounting of the outstanding evidence the public has seen yet.

Turner says much of the evidence could prove pivotal for the jury to reach the correct verdict. In particular, he points to a bloody handprint found on the couch next to Spradlin’s body.

Spradlin was found stabbed at least a dozen times in the neck and head on June 18, 2023, in the home of Prestonsburg dentist Michael McKinney. McKinney’s son, M.K. McKinney, is charged with her murder, while both McKinneys and family friend Josh Mullins are charged with eight counts of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to cover up the crime.

Turner says it is undisputed that two people in the house that night were bleeding, Spradlin, from the attack that ended her life, and Roy Kidd, Spradlin’s friend who was there that night and said he significantly cut his chin during a fall earlier in the evening. He says that if the handprint contains DNA from anyone else, it could be the most compelling evidence in identifying the killer.

“Could it be [M.K. McKinney’s] DNA?” Turner writes. “What if it’s Roy Kidd’s DNA? The defense would certainly want to know if that’s the case. And a jury being asked to decide if the killer was defendant M.K. McKinney definitely needs to have that information to make a fair and just decision when the defendant is looking at the potential for life in prison.”

Likewise, Turner says blood found the on the door to Michael McKinney’s bedroom could also play a pivotal role.

In addition to those two pieces of evidence, Turner says DNA from Spradlin’s clothing, as well as blood found in the basement and in sink traps, also wait to be tested.

The reason these items remain untested, Turner says, is twofold. First, he says three days of investigation at the McKinney home resulted in a large amount of evidence. While more than 70 items have completed blood, DNA and trace evidence testing, in addition to a number of electronic devices, several dozen items still wait to be either tested or reviewed. Secondly, he says the state crime lab is severely underfunded and is operating at 70 percent staffing, because people who could work in the lab choose to go to neighboring states, where they can make tens of thousands of dollars more in salary each year.

Turner concludes by asking Judge Coleman to delay the trial until evidence testing can be finished. He says that is crucial not only for the prosecution to prove its case, but also for the defendants, who could benefit if any exculpatory evidence is uncovered in the final testing.

“The jury’s decision in this case will have life-altering implications for everyone involved, and it is critical that they be allowed to make their decision with all of the evidence available to them,” Turner writes. “Anything short of that jeopardizes the integrity of the entire process and would diminish public confidence of the outcome of the case, where there has been considerable public interest, both in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and throughout the nation.”

A full copy of Turner’s motion follows:

Note: This story has been corrected to indicate blood was found on the door to Michael McKinney’s bedroom, not on the doorknob.