My husband, Christopher McKinney, 35, was murdered on January 5, 2020 by a bouncer at Nowhere Bar in Louisville, KY. This bouncer was under the influence (admitted to police), had no formal training to be a bouncer, has a history of domestic violence and has gotten into other altercations at bars he's worked at.

The bouncer was not charged, proffering a self-defense argument. Yet, what he told police is that Christopher wasn't much trouble, that he was very intoxicated and couldn't stand up straight. The bouncer said that after he pushed Christopher out the door of the bar, it made Christopher drop his phone, and upon Christopher picking up his phone, it annoyed Christopher so much that the bouncer's perception is that Christopher swung at him first, yet he said Chistopher never made contact. There is no evidence of Christopher swinging first, nor did any bystanders who were NOT employees of the bar say this.

The reason for this petition is the hope that our family (and Christopher) can receive a proper, fair and just investigation.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's office's mission statement claims “to promote public safety through the ethical, fair and just prosecution of criminal offenses” and to “ensure the rights of all persons are respected.”

Nothing about the investigation has been fair, ethical or just. Christopher’s rights were not respected. This case was thrown to the side at the start of a global pandemic. The investigation was also biased as many LMPD officers thwarted the case by being employees of Nowhere Bar. The officers knew and worked with the owners for years. It’s no wonder things were not looked into properly. Those officers should be punished for possible obstruction of justice and not complying with orders by a judge to test the blood and urine of the bouncer. The bouncer even admitted he was under the influence and they still didn’t test him for anything.

You can’t tell me that this case was looked into or executed properly. The Commonwealth's Attorney's office knows grave mistakes were made. I am asking for one of two things from their office – things that Christopher deserves. His rights were violated by LMPD and the Commonwealth's Attorney's office.

1.)    To please assign a new prosecutor to look into all the evidence, or…

2.)    To please grant the Attorney General’s office to look into the case

Below are reasons why a new investigation is necessary:

• Police failed to execute a search warrant signed by a judge to test the bouncer for drugs and alcohol; even after he admitted to being under the influence and they still didn't do it. I even texted with the lead detective that night begging him to do a drug test, and he said he would consult with the Commonwealth's Attorney's office.
• The investigation was led by multiple officers including ones who were working off duty at Nowhere Bar the night of the incident; they were employees of the bar. THIS IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
• Police failed to collect all surveillance footage from the owners; in the police files, there is a write-up that they tried to contact the owners multiple times and none of the video surveillance was ever turned over.
• On one of the officer's body camera footage, he is overheard asking a Nowhere employee "They weren't talking about messing with the security cameras, were they?"
• Off Duty Officer Bert Delong (employee of Nowhere), was one of the officers who stepped into the investigation. He has known the owners for years, and worked with the bouncer since he started his job at Nowhere.
• Off Duty Officer Bert Delong (employee of Nowhere), also did not have his body camera turned on when he went to go find the bouncer in the back parking lot of Nowhere; we have no idea what was said during that conversation. Delong has been reprimanded by LMPD for not having his body camera on.
• A Nowhere Bar bartender told police the night of the incident that Officer Bert Delong had reprimanded the bouncer for being too aggressive with patrons before; yet, nowhere in the police files did Bert Delong mention this. 
• LMPD Detective Mickey Cohn questioned the bouncer for 20 minutes; 20 MINUTES for the death of a human being. 
• The bouncer said that he hit Christopher one time, however, Det. Cohn drove the bouncer back to his car at Nowhere Bar after the questioning at the police station; in that car ride, the bouncer then tells Cohn he can't remember if he hit Christopher once or more than once. How can you not remember this? No other questioning happened after that.
• The bouncer stated Christopher wasn't much trouble; that he couldn't walk straight and he was visibly intoxicated; HE WAS A VULNERABLE PATRON that was taken advantage of by a power-hungry under the influence bouncer.
• We also have testimony from two people that the bouncer had been doing cocaine the night he murdered Christopher; I have also spoken to many other people close to the bouncer who stated his cocaine problem started soon after he started working at Nowhere.
• Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ryane Conroy stated in a meeting with her in March 2020 that she does not believe being high on cocaine is reckless behavior. I have this entire conversation on audio recording. She was completely caught off guard.
• Two key witnesses who saw the incident while they were waiting to get into the bar stated that it was an "MMA-style, knockout punch," that Christopher was "completely defenseless, and that nobody deserves to be treated that way."  These two witnesses, Ryane Conroy said were too drunk to take their statements seriously. In the body camera footage, none of their words are slurred at all. They were VERY matter-of-fact statements. Why would two bystanders lie about something like this?
• In a letter dated August 10, 2020, from Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine, he wrote "it is our opinion that the one blow will not meet the elements of either extreme indifference to human life or conduct which creates a grave risk of death or serious physical injury." - so, it's HIS opinion. Yet, he did not consult with any of Christopher's neurosurgeons from that night. It doesn't take a brainiac to know that one punch can do serious physical damage.
• In our meeting with Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ryane Conroy in March 2020, she said that Christopher's head did not strike the ground; the bouncer said this as well. However, Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine said in a phone conversation with us in May 2020 that Christopher's head did strike the ground. Wine did not review the evidence, clearly. 
• The night of the incident, when I was at the hospital, LMPD Detective Michael McLaurine came to speak to my family and I, and he stated he used to work at Nowhere Bar too. Again, a major conflict of interest.

Christopher, and our family's rights have been violated. No one should be treated like this. This case was swept to the side from day 1 and I BELIEVE it was a cover-up by LMPD.

Please take 30 seconds to sign this petition. I really appreciate your continued love and support. I'm desperate.