(WYMT) – The three men charged in connection with the murder of Prestonsburg woman Amber Spradlin appeared in Pike Circuit Court Thursday for a pretrial conference, addressing outstanding motions before a January jury trial.
Defendants M.K. McKinney, Dr. Michael McKinney, and Josh Mullins appeared before Judge Eddy Coleman, as the judge heard a motion from the defense to allow M.K., who is charged with Spradlin’s murder, to alter his home incarceration conditions to allow monitored work release hours. The defense also asked to alter his set bond to remove the $500,000 cash stipulation while keeping the $1 million property bond in place.
Prosecutors said they will defer to the court to alter the bond as the judge finds appropriate and the judge. However, Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner pushed back on the work release request.
“You know, he’s not worked before that I’m aware of. And for him to suddenly have this ambition to get in the workforce kinda looks off to me,” Turner said.
Turner argued the family and the judge deserve to know where MK McKinney would be working, which was not included in the motion to alter the conditions.
“We don’t want to give anybody that would want to interfere with his potential employment a reason to contact a potential employer- that type of thing. Obviously, we would provide documentation, confirmation to probation, to whoever needs it,” said M.K.’s attorney, Steven Romines.
Judge Coleman agreed with Turner, asking the defense team to share more information about the proposed employment, which will later be sealed by the court, before he rules on the motion.
“We want to know what he is proposing to do and whether this is a real job or some sort of made-up thing with a family business or whatever, to be used as an excuse for him as an excuse to get out of the house,” Turner said.
Judge Coleman also asked for an update on outstanding evidence testing. Turner said he has been getting encouraging updates from the lab, but Coleman told Turner the lab is now on a deadline.
“That will be done in 30 days. Just tell them. Just tell them they’re gonna be done,” Coleman said.
“From today?” Turner asked.
“From today,” Coleman said.
Turner said the order is the biggest update from the Thursday hearing.
“Frankly, we’re glad to see that because that might help move things along. And, as we all know, that’s been the holdup in getting this case to trial. So, I will look forward to getting that order to the lab and see what their response to that is and what they can do with it,” Turner said.
Turner said he hopes the deadline will produce more results, while also recognizing the magnitude of what the request will require from the lab.
“To be accurate, not just what helps this person or that person. That’s always been their mission, and I know that’s what they’ll do,” Turner said.
According to Turner, the Commonwealth remains focused on not only getting it done, but getting it right, to get justice for Amber.