PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — The prosecutor over the Amber Spradlin murder case is asking the judge to provide clarification on the amount of time one of the defendants can spend at his restaurant.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner said he was prompted to investigate after hearing rumors that Michael McKinney had been spending large amounts of time at the Brickhouse Restaurant, which he co-owns.
Turner obtained records of McKinney’s GPS tracking device over the past six weeks, which showed that the rumors were somewhat overblown, but did indicate he had visited the restaurant a dozen times during that time period. Notably, McKinney spent nearly two hours at the restaurant on Dec. 20, over 1.5 hours on Dec. 31, and just over an hour on Jan. 6.
In a motion filed with the court on Friday, Turner says McKinney’s presence at the restaurant did not come up when the subject of work release was discussed. He says he would not object if McKinney has a legitimate business purpose for visiting the restaurant, but it would be helpful for the court to determine if McKinney is allowed at the restaurant at all, and if so, the parameters of those visits.
He said it would also be helpful for obtain clarification since the restaurant has a bar, and McKinney is prohibited from going to businesses that sell alcohol as their “primary purpose.”
Spradlin’s body was found in McKinney’s home on June 18, 2023. She had been stabbed at least 12 times in the neck and head.
McKinney’s son, M.K. McKinney, has been charged with her murder. Both McKinneys and family friend Josh Mullins are also charged with eight counts of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to cover up the crime.
