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Crime Junkie

INFAMOUS: Amber Spradlin

November 17, 2025 • 55m

Summary

⏱️ 13 min read

Overview

This episode examines the brutal 2023 murder of 38-year-old Amber Spradlin in Floyd County, Kentucky. After a night of drinking with five others at a wealthy dentist's home, Amber was found dead on a couch with her throat slit and multiple stab wounds. The case involves missing surveillance footage, a mysterious eight-minute call to the police chief before 911 was contacted, conflicting stories from witnesses, and allegations of a cover-up in a town where justice appears to have two different standards based on wealth and connections.

Amber's Background and the Discovery

Amber Spradlin had overcome a difficult childhood marked by the loss of both parents and struggled with anxiety and depression. By 2023, she had finally achieved independence with her own apartment and a job as a hostess at Brick House restaurant. When she failed to make her daily 9am call to her Aunt Missy on June 18, 2023, and didn't appear on home security cameras, her family immediately knew something was wrong. They soon learned through back channels that Amber had been murdered, though official notification from authorities never came properly.

  • Amber lost her mother and sister when young, and her father in her early 20s, leaving her with severe anxiety and depression
  • She had recently gotten her own place and part-time job as a hostess at Brick House restaurant in Prestonsburg, Kentucky
  • Aunt Missy had security cameras installed at Amber's house and they spoke every morning at 9am as part of Amber's strict routine
  • When Amber didn't call on June 18th and never appeared on camera returning home from work, the family knew something was wrong
  • The family learned Amber was murdered through Brandon's brother at Kentucky State Police, not through official notification
" Amber isn't missing. She's been murdered. "

The Confusing 911 Call and Initial Response

At 10:30am on June 18th, Dr. Michael McKinney II called 911 to report finding Amber dead on his couch. The call was disturbing in its tone and revealed immediately suspicious details - Michael didn't seem to know Amber well despite owning the restaurant where she worked, and he specifically stated her throat was slit even though her position on the couch would have hidden that injury from view. Most critically, this wasn't actually the first call Michael made that morning.

  • Dr. Michael McKinney called 911 at 10:30am reporting a dead girl on his couch, referring to Amber coldly and not knowing her last name or age
  • Michael told the dispatcher it looked like someone came in and murdered her with her throat slit and blood everywhere
  • Michael owned Brick House restaurant where Amber worked as a hostess, though he didn't work there full-time as he was a dentist
  • First responders found Amber sitting upright on the couch with her head slumped forward, clothes covered in blood, with stab wounds and her throat cut
" There's a girl on my couch that's dead. "

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