PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — The three men charged in connection with the murder of Amber Spradlin last year made their first appearance in court on Wednesday.

Spradlin’s body was found at the Arkansas Creek home of Prestonsburg dentist Michael McKinney on June 18, 2023. She had been stabbed at least 11 times in the neck and head.

McKinney’s son, Michael “M.K.” McKinney, 24, has been charged Spradlin’s murder. He, his father and Josh Mullins, 23, have also been charged with seven counts of complicity to tamper with evidence.

During their arraignment in Floyd Circuit Court yesterday, all three entered not guilty pleas.

Special Judge Eddy Coleman also set bond in the case, after ruling that all three men were considered flight risks, and that both of the McKinneys pose a danger to themselves or others.

M.K. McKinney’s bond was set the highest, at $5 million. Michael McKinney’s bond was set at $250,000, while Mullins’s bond was set at $100,000. The bonds were set at full cash for all three defendants, meaning they cannot post a surety or property to satisfy the amounts.

All three would remain under GPS-enforced home incarceration if they are able to post bond. All three will also be required to surrender their passports and will be prohibited from possessing weapons or consuming drugs or alcohol, and will be subject to random blood, breath and urine tests.