Man who died after being run over in cemetery identified, arrests made

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB+WAVE/Gray News) — Two men are in custody in connection with a hit-and-run at a southwest Louisville cemetery earlier this week. However, that is not enough of an explanation for the loved ones of the man killed.

The victim’s brother, Charles Barbe, identified him as Carl “Mikey” Michael Kinley. He was 45.

“I got a million questions, a million questions,” Barbe said. “Everybody loved him. The dude would take the shirt off his back for anybody, you know? He would give his last meal to somebody else if they were hungry, you know? I mean, just that kind of guy.”

Barbe learned of his brother’s death the day after he was found by police at Bethany Cemetery. According to Louisville Metro Police, they responded to the report of a man down at the cemetery around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Kinley was found under a cardboard box, described by LMPD as large enough to fit a refrigerator. The box had tire marks over it, indicating it had been run over.

On Thursday, LMPD arrested 40-year-old Brad Brinkley and 60-year-old Thomas Litsey in connection with the incident.

Brinkley faces multiple charges, including reckless homicide.

He is accused of driving over Kinley with his truck. Court documents say Brinkley told police he had run over the cardboard box and felt a bump but did not check what he had hit. He then drove over the area a second time and saw a hand sticking out of the box.

“I mean, if the man would have rendered aid to him to begin with, and came forward, I probably wouldn’t even have a quarrel with him,” Barbe said. “I mean, what kind of dirty dude, man, runs over a cardboard box?”

An arrest report said Brinkley told cemetery groundskeeper Litsey what happened. LMPD said Litsey tried to cover up for Brinkley, leaving out Brinkley’s alleged involvement when Litsey told police he found the body.

Despite the arrests, Kinley’s family feels they have many questions that have gone unanswered, including: Why was Kinley in a box to begin with?

According to Barbe, his brother did struggle with drugs all his life, but he lived nearby, where he was in good standing and rented a room.

“I’m 52 years old, I’ve never heard of it in 52 years, ever heard about my brother crawling in a cardboard box,” Barbe said. “If he got on camera walking in there, why ain’t he on camera getting in the box?”

LMPD said Kinley walked into the cemetery on his own, and they believe he was alive under the box before he was run over.

According to LMPD, he died of blunt force trauma, and he did not suffer from a gunshot or stab wound. LMPD emphasized that they stand by their arrest and charging decisions, and the decision to move the case from the homicide unit to the traffic unit.

In court Friday, a judge set Brinkley’s bond at $250,000 and Litsey’s bond at $50,000. They’re both due back in court later this month.