PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — The Amber Spradlin case has garnered widespread attention, after a brutal killing that has gone unsolved for more than a year.
Now, Kentucky State Police confirm they have made an arrest in the case. The agency was spotted outside of Dr. Michael Mckinney’s dental office Tuesday morning.
Michael McKinney lll, 24, of Martin, Ky., was arrested and charged with murder and seven counts of complicity to tampering physical evidence. He is currently lodged in the Rowan County Detention Center.
Michael McKinney ll, 56, of Martin, Ky., was arrested and charged with seven counts of complicity to tampering physical evidence. He is currently lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center.
Josh Mullins, 23, Martin, Ky., was arrested and charged with seven counts of complicity to tampering physical evidence. He is currently lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center.
Case background
According to Kentucky State Police, 38-year-old Amber Spradlin was found dead in a home on Arkansas Creek, on June 18, 2023. The incident that led to her death is believed to have happened overnight, on June 17. State Medical Examiner confirmed Spradlin died due to multiple stab wounds.
Her family told WHAS11 she was stabbed 11 times in her head, neck and throat.
"It was brutal. There was blood everywhere. There was blood everywhere -- blood mixed with other blood," family attorney Mark Wohlander told WHAS11 last year.
Wohlander believes state police have had a suspect since the first week of the investigation, though no suspect has been named publicly. He described the crime scene as incredibly gruesome and said he believes they are waiting on DNA evidence, which has been difficult to analyze.
Spradlin’s family described her upbringing as tragic, explaining she lost her mom and sister when she was young and was raised by her grandparents. She, in turn, cared for them until the end, and only just recently moved out, to start a life on her own. "Friends, family, community. That meant everything to Amber," her cousin Debbie Hall said.
We will update this story as we learn more information.