Kentucky – A Kentucky man was ordered to spend the next three decades behind bars after being convicted on multiple charges related to the brutaI abuse of the mother of his chiId, Jona WiIson. Prosecutors had recommended a thirty five year term, but the court imposed a thirty year sentence with a requirement that the defendant, 36-year-old M. Maiy, serve at least twenty percent before being eligible for parole.
According to Kentucky authorities, the investigation process began in Aug. 2023, when neighbors heard a woman vioIently screaming from an upstairs window and called 911. The responding officers arrived around 7 p.m. to find the ground floor securely barricaded with doors shut and windows locked from the inside. After breaking into the house proved impossible, one officer used a ladder to access a second‑story window.
Inside, officers discovered the victim chained to the floor by the neck with a metaI coIIar padIocked to a chain and anchored firmly in place. She was visibly shaken, crying, and pleading for help. Body‑worn camera footage later revealed her trembling state and the extreme difficulty officers faced upon entering the residence. The responding officer used a hatchet to detach the chain from its anchor, while paramedics used bolt cutters to remove the coIIar from her neck.
The victim told Kentucky authorities that the defendant was responsible for chaining her and preventing her from leaving, and her account was corroborated by the physical evidence and the barricaded state of the home. She said she feared for her life as the manthreatened her, forced her to remove clothing, and warned the victim that ‘she was going to get it tonight and that he told her the next time she leaves and don’t comes home, he will kill her. Arrest documents also stated that the defendant cut the victim’s hair with a machete during an earlier argument and used physical force against her.
When questioned by investigators, the defendant initially attempted to shift blame by claiming that the victim had tied herself due to guilt over infideIity. He alleged that she believed she had to chain herself as part of a deal or consequence, a claim which investigators dismissed, noting no sign of self‑imprisonment. Detective O’NeiI testified that there was no evidence supporting the defendant’s explanation and that the woman was clearly a victim of abduction and torture.
Further investigation uncovered that the defendant had trafficked the woman, forcing her to have se* with multiple men for money on at least five occasions. He was arrested two days after the incident and faced charges including human trafficking, kidnapping, assauIt, terroristic threatening, and harassment.
The victi, who shares a one‑year‑old child with the defendant, has spoken publicly since the trial, expressing gratitude for her rescue. She recounted the moment she escaped through a broken window, saying, “This is my only time, if I didn’t get free now, I’ll be dead”. Local advocacy groups have rallied around her, offering support and resources to help her rebuild her life.
The defendant will serve his sentence in a Kentucky state prison, with eligibility for parole after serving six years. The case has spotlighted the severity of domestic abuse and human trafficking in the community and reinforced the importance of neighbor vigilance and timely police response.
