Judge and law enforcement officer denies spreading rumors of contract killing | News

Floyd County Judge and County Clerk Robbie Williams denied allegations that he told community members that a relative of murder victim Amber Spradlin was involved in a murder-for-hire plot involving the man accused of Spradlin's murder.

Dr. Debbie Hall, a cousin of Spradlin, addressed the Floyd County Fiscal Court during public comments during its regular session on Wednesday, September 18, claiming that Williams was trying to damage her reputation.

“Only in Eastern Kentucky would the Floyd County Judge and Administrator go to such lengths to portray a family member of a murder victim as a criminal,” Hall said as she read from a prepared statement. “It is clear which side you are on in this matter. You played the 911 calls for the people of the community when KSP did not want her released. You intercepted a letter intended for the Attorney General and used it as a pretext to demand a special prosecutor without consulting the family, and now you are spreading false allegations about my character in the community. I have been a respected physician in Floyd County for nearly 30 years, and because of your false allegations, my reputation has been damaged.”

Hall said she received a call about four months ago from someone incarcerated at the Floyd County Detention Center asking Hall to lend him money to get him out of jail.

“I denied their request and jokingly told them that they would just have to stay in jail where they belonged because MK (Michael Kent McKinney) would be there soon. Then I chuckled and hung up. There were no further calls. No money was exchanged. This was not a contract killing as you have told people in the community. I would think that as a district judge you would have more important things to do, like controlling and managing the county finances.”

MK McKinney is charged with the murder of Spradlin in June 2023. His body was found in the home of his father, Dr. Michael McKinney.

Hall then asked what authority Williams had to obtain 911 phone calls and play them to community members; who provided him with the 911 calls related to Spradlin's murder and who he allowed to listen to the calls; and what authority he had to obtain recorded calls from the jail, who he allowed to listen to the calls and what his intentions were.

“Was it an attempt to attack my reputation and intimidate me and the family?” Hall said.

Hall also asked Williams when he would admit that moving 911 calls from the Kentucky State Police to the city of Prestonsburg did not save the county any money.

In his response, Williams said, “There is a lot I would like to respond to, but we are in the middle of a multi-million dollar lawsuit.”

“As far as the prison tapes go, I did not release those tapes,” Williams said. “I don't know who told you I released those tapes, and I called everybody and told them it was a murder for hire. OK? I did not do that. I will say that.”

Williams said he would release a statement “in the very near future.”

“Look, I want justice for Amber just like everyone else, but the situation has become volatile,” Williams said. “And there's a lot of misinformation going back and forth between both sides.”

“Can you tell me you didn't play a recorded phone call from prison? You don't have anything like that in your possession?” Hall asked.

“I have it in my possession,” Williams said. “Yes, I do. It was given to me as a gift.”

“Did you get a search warrant for this?” asked Hall.

“No,” Williams said. “Debbie, that call was in May. I just got it two or three weeks ago.”

Hall asked how she could access recorded calls from the detention center.

“Debbie, I don’t know where the call came from,” Williams said.

“But somebody should know,” Hall said. “It's a pretty important thing.”

“I agree 100 percent,” Williams said.

Hall asked if Williams would investigate the case, and Williams said the prison warden could conduct an internal investigation.

“I did not receive this call through the jailer's office or through a public records request,” Williams said. “The call was forwarded to me. A Zip drive was placed in my office and I do not know where the call came from.”

Williams issued a press release later in the day saying Hall's “inflammatory and misleading allegations” were “both deeply disturbing and factually inaccurate.”

“Her statements to the inmate, as recorded on the phone call, contained disturbing insinuations,” Williams said in the press release. “By selectively presenting her version of the conversation, Dr. Hall is misleading the public, which is why it is critical that the entire exchange be heard in its full context.”

The press release states that Williams initially received a copy of the recorded conversation on a USB stick that was delivered to his office.

“After reviewing the contents of the call, he took steps to confirm its authenticity by obtaining an official copy through appropriate legal channels. Following that review, the audio recording was released to private citizens to assess whether the conversation contained credible threats of physical violence, particularly in light of the potential for criminal charges against individuals involved in the murder of Amber Spradlin.”

Williams said the community's focus should remain on seeking justice for Spradlin, “rather than allowing divisive rhetoric to distract from that goal.”

He said Hall's “ongoing attacks on our dedicated police officers, firefighters and emergency responders are not only unfounded, but harmful to the community as a whole.”

“It appears she is attempting to wage a civil lawsuit in the court of public opinion involving the city, county and local leaders,” Williams said in the press release. “In doing so, she is undermining the interests of our community and creating unnecessary division. We hope Dr. Hall will refrain from making further false and damaging allegations.”