In a significant development for the civil case surrounding the 2023 killing of Amber Spradlin, Special Judge John F. Vincent entered summary judgment on Wednesday in Floyd Circuit Court. The ruling dismisses claims against several local government officials and agencies, but leaves individual‑capacity claims against two former Prestonsburg officials alive.
Officials granted immunity
Judge Vincent found that Floyd County Judge‑Executive Robbie Williams and fiscal court magistrates Mark D. Crider and George Ousley are protected by legislative and qualified immunity. The court concluded the record does not show they owed a duty to Spradlin or breached any such duty.
The City of Prestonsburg and the Prestonsburg Police Department also received summary judgment, with the court determining that decisions about the city’s 911 system involved discretionary government judgment rather than a mandatory duty.
Former officials’ claims
Official‑capacity claims against former Prestonsburg Police Chief Randy Woods and former Mayor Les Stapleton were dismissed. However, the lawsuit may still proceed against Woods and Stapleton in their individual capacities.
Background of the civil action
The wrongful‑death suit, filed in 2024 by the administrator of Spradlin’s estate, alleges that local officials failed to provide adequate emergency‑response coverage after Floyd County moved its 911 dispatch services from the Kentucky State Police to the Prestonsburg 911 center six months before Spradlin’s death. Attorneys for the estate argued that officials were warned about gaps in around‑the‑clock law‑enforcement coverage.
Floyd County officials have disputed those allegations, stating that funding and staffing constraints limited the sheriff’s office’s ability to provide overnight response, and that the county never previously had continuous law‑enforcement coverage, even when the state police handled dispatch.
Separate criminal case
The civil suit is distinct from the ongoing criminal prosecution. Michael MK McKinney III faces murder and evidence‑tampering charges, while Michael McKinney II and Josh Mullins are charged with multiple counts of complicity to tamper with physical evidence. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that after Spradlin’s death, evidence—including clothing, a security camera, a hard drive and a knife handle—was removed or destroyed. Recent forensic testing in October 2025 found presumptive blood on several items, prompting further DNA analysis.
Implications
While the judge’s ruling narrows the scope of the civil lawsuit, it does not resolve the underlying questions about emergency‑response policies or determine liability in the criminal case. The estate’s attorneys may continue to pursue claims against Woods and Stapleton individually, and the case remains a focal point for community concerns about public‑safety resources in Floyd County.
Original reporting: LEX18 Lexington (local) — read the source article.
