03/16/2026
When the state and media get it horribly wrong - one has to wonder if it is intentional? 
Steven Tyler Whitehead clarification and truth 🌟
Seventeen rounds? That number raises immediate and serious questions.
According to the state’s own testimony, investigators located 13 shell casings in total. Twelve were reportedly found the night of the incident, and a K-9 unit was brought out the following day to locate the thirteenth casing.
However, the case involves 20 gunshot wounds that must be accounted for.
At the same time, the firearm repeatedly referenced in this case is widely known to hold 12 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber—a total capacity of 13 rounds.
So the question is simple:
How does the state claim 17 rounds were fired when only 13 casings were located—and the alleged firearm itself was never collected?
Let’s look at what is missing from this investigation:
• The alleged firearm was never seized
• No ballistic testing was performed
• No forensic comparison exists
• No gunshot residue testing was conducted
• No toxicology or urine analysis was performed
• No original clothing from Mr. Whitehead was collected
Yet the state expects a jury to believe—beyond a reasonable doubt—that a specific firearm fired a specific number of rounds, despite the fact that investigators do not even possess the firearm.
That is not evidence. That is speculation.
The contradictions do not stop there.
All 911 calls are public record under the Freedom of Information Act, and those records show a response time of roughly 20–28 minutes for the lead detective. Detective McKinney. 
During testimony, Detective McKinney stated that as many as 20–30 individuals had already left the scene before officers arrived.
Despite that, the detective also testified that no other fi****ms were present.
How can anyone responsibly make that claim after acknowledging that dozens of people left the scene before law enforcement even arrived?
It becomes even more concerning when Detective McKinney later clarified that one firearm was located inside a vehicle and had been put away.
So which is it?
If a firearm was present in a vehicle, and officers arrived nearly half an hour after the incident, how can anyone credibly testify that no other fi****ms were involved?
You cannot eliminate possibilities that were never investigated.
Another critical moment in this case occurred during Mr. Whitehead’s Aniah’s Law hearing. The court set a $333,000 total bond, including $150,000 for the murder charge, and the judge stated clearly on the record that Mr. Whitehead was not considered a threat to society, which is why the state’s request under Aniah’s Law was denied.
That judicial finding matters.
But perhaps the most troubling aspect of this investigation is the absence of basic investigative procedure.
Detective McKinney:
• did not test Mr. Whitehead for drugs or alcohol
• did not perform gunshot residue testing
• did not collect the clothing worn during the incident
• and when informed of the location of the alleged firearm reportedly stated, “Throw it in a plastic bag and if we need it, I’ll come get it.”
Those are elementary steps in any homicide investigation.
They were not taken.
Under Alabama law, admitting to firing a firearm is not the same as admitting to murder. Even if someone verbally confesses, the state still carries the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
So the question remains:
How does the state prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:
• the alleged firearm fired 17 rounds
• when only 13 casings were recovered
• the firearm itself was never collected
• and no forensic or ballistic evidence exists?
How can the state prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Whitehead’s firearm produced the fatal shot that killed Kimber Mills?
And how can investigators rule out the possibility that any of the 20–30 individuals who left the scene before police arrived possessed or discharged a firearm?
Without forensic evidence, those questions remain unanswered.
Another deeply concerning statement attributed to Detective McKinney is that Silas and Hunter were only charged because of a petition I filed.
If that statement is accurate, it raises serious concerns about investigative independence. Charging decisions should be based on evidence, not public pressure.
Kimber Mills and her family deserve the truth.
The speed with which this case moved forward also raises eyebrows. Multiple attorneys in Jefferson County have noted they have never seen a murder case with three attempted murder charges attached move to indictment within roughly 30 days, effectively bypassing the normal progression through probable cause hearings and arraignments.
Sometimes rapid charging indicates a strong case.
Other times, it suggests something very different.
The public is capable of forming its own opinion. The court record exists. The Aniah’s Law hearing transcript, video evidence, and court filings are all available to review.
Everything I am discussing comes directly from Detective McKinney’s own testimony and the documented court record.
Beginning tomorrow, I will be releasing a series breaking down these inconsistencies in detail using the detective’s own words and the official record.
Kimber Mills deserves real justice.
Not convenient justice.
Not rushed justice.
And certainly not justice built on an investigation that leaves this many unanswered questions.
Nor should justice look like aggressively charging the individual who has consistently maintained that he acted in self-defense while minimizing or delaying accountability for the individuals who allegedly initiated the violence.
Video evidence shows Mr. Whitehead attempting to leave the party before a physical altercation escalated—being beaten, jumped, and forced into a defensive fetal position.
Those facts matter when evaluating self-defense under Alabama law.
Justice requires that every participant be evaluated equally under the law, not that one individual becomes the easiest person to charge while others are addressed only after public pressure.
If charges against others were pursued only after outside advocacy brought attention to the issue, that raises serious questions about investigative judgment and consistency.
Accountability cannot be selective.
Kimber Mills deserves the correct justice—not the easiest arrest, not the fastest indictment, and certainly not an investigation built on speculation instead of evidence.
Tyler Whitehead deserves to have his life back, he does not deserve to live with the weight of the speculation Jefferson County has placed on his shoulders. Tyler Whitehead deserves Justice. A new petition is to follow. 
The record will speak for itself.

New court documents are shedding light on the chaotic moments surrounding a deadly shooting at a gathering known as “The Pit” in Pinson that left Cleveland High
