Louisville Mojo: EMT's Family Talks for First Time

There's more to the story of Michael Whitehead, the EMT accused by police of murdering his wife Ashley by injecting her with lethal drugs.

In the media, Whitehead's been portrayed as a man who took his wife's medical care into his own hands, resulting in her death. In discovery documents released this week, he's painted as an uncaring husband frustrated with his wife's health problems who compensated by flirting with women at work and publicly criticizing her.

But that's the police version of the story. Anna Belle Pfau, Whitehead's aunt, tells a different version. And she thinks the media has been too quick to believe police, who arrested Whitehead on a murder charge Oct. 1, six months after his wife's death.

She also criticizes media, notably an Oct. 1 report on WHAS-TV, in which the station claimed to have talked to Whitehead's family members. On Oct. 28, WAVE-TV reported the results of discovery in case, 250 pages which document interviews with Whitehead's co-workers, including one who claimed Whitehead had sexually harassed her and sent her photos of his penis.

But Pfau says that no one has spoken to Whitehead's family, and that their side of the story hasn't been reported. She thinks Ashley may have been addicted to prescription drugs and injected herself with the fatal dose of medicine in March.

Whitehead's life story, as told by Pfau, is a portrait of someone never in trouble with the law who finds himself caught in the criminal justice system with no support. He enrolled in the Navy out of high school, but a vision problem kept him from completing basic training.

When his girlfriend Ashley became pregnant, the couple at first decided against getting married because Ashley could get better medical benefits from the government as a single parent. But then when it looked like Whitehead was going to get in the Navy on a second attempt, they wed in hopes of getting the medical benefits involved.

Pfau says that while that story may lack romance, it's a reality for many couples. And she says Michael and Ashley genuinely loved each other and were doing their best to raise their daughter.

Whitehead married Ashley just before their daughter, now 5, was born. The baby was premature, and Ashley developed her own health issues shortly after the birth. She wasn't able to go back to full-time work, and doctors never fully diagnosed the problem. She was able, however, to get prescriptions for painkillers.

Meanwhile, Pfau said, Whitehead worked as an EMT and took on as many hours as he could. The couple was evicted from one apartment, moved in with relatives, then found the apartment off Dixie Highway where they were living when she died.

Pfau says Ashley was denied tests that might have led to a diagnosis of her physical problems, all because the young couple was under-insured.

Contrary to the police view, however, Pfau believes Ashley injected herself with the medicine that killed her.

Whitehead, who hadn't returned to work since his wife's death, was arrested and charged with murder six months later. His bond was set at $100,000 cash, out of his family's financial reach, so he sits in jail.

Today, Whitehead attorney Don Major argued for a reduction in his bond, but it was denied. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Dec. 16, but Major says he will file a new motion in a few weeks for a reduced bond. Major said it will be unusual, but he will argue the facts of the case in the motion.

Here is the statement from Whitehead family representative Anne Belle Pfau:

The family of Michael Whitehead continues to love and support Michael as he faces yet more hardship in this already difficult year. The loss of Ashley was devastating for Michael, their daughter Kaylee, and for us as her family. We regret that the unfortunate circumstances of their young marriage have been made public, but trust that in the end the simple facts of the case will demonstrate his innocence. The simple facts are:

Michael and Ashley were underinsured, a situation many families face today, and a fact of life that underscores Congress' current attempt to overhaul the healthcare system. The underinsured are routinely denied health care, and tests that can lead to a definitive diagnosis and thus more effective treatments are often prohibited by insurance companies, as was the case with Ashley. Her course of treatment, governed by the financial laws of the current health care market, meant more medicines to treat symptoms than tests to find diagnoses, which led to an addiction to prescription pain medication. This addiction eventually resulted in her accidentally overdosing on medication she was prescribed by a physician.

As members of her family, we sincerely wish that Ashley's addiction had not been made public. However, we are fighting for Michael's life and freedom, for his opportunity to raise their daughter Kaylee, and her essential need to preserve what is left of her immediate family. As the case progresses, all manner of additional information will become available, which we believe will exonerate Michael of the charges and restore his rights as Kaylee's parent and primary caretaker.

Michael Whitehead with his daughter

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Ilovemyson7605 thu oct 29 2009 at 9:58 pm ·


	its not fair

MOMMY 2 BE-* thu oct 29 2009 at 10:41 pm ·


	THATS SO MESSEd UP && BEYONd UNFAiR. THAT MAN iS iNNOCENT. HE SHUd BE lET OUT && BE ABlE 2 TAKE CARE OF HiS liTTlE GiRl. WE SHAll All PRAY 4 MiCHAEl && HiS FAMilY.

chuck stoner thu oct 29 2009 at 11:41 pm ·


	He admitted to choking his wife stealing medicine and putting an IV in when he was only a EMT a over payed taxi driver it takes a low life to choke his wife and people argue he should be out to take care of his daughter he ass should rott in prison for trying to play dr kavorkian

Tony B. fri oct 30 2009 at 6:17 am ·


	He should rot! He tried to be a doctor and acted outside of his scope of practice. He should go to jail. Chuck whats wrong with taxi drivers?

SusieSalt fri oct 30 2009 at 12:05 pm ·


	The Pfau family is used to getting their way in Jeffersonville.....I am surprised this has gone this far and that they haven't just paid off they system.

SELF MADE fri oct 30 2009 at 12:24 pm ·


	I THANK ALL WHOS LOVIN&CONCERNIN 4UR PRAYERS,AND MAY GOD BLESS U!4 THOSE WHO CHOOSE 2RUN UR MOUTHS WITH THE NASTY COMMENTS,U ALL R DEVILS CHILDREN!WE ASK 4 OUR GOD 2 SHINE DOWN & 4GIVE U ALL 4 UR STUPIDNESS!GROW UP GET LIVES&KNOW THE STATUS B4 ANYONE MAKES STATEMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE U DONT KNOW! MICHEAL UR FAMILY&FRIENDS WHO KNOW&LOVE YOU SUPPORTS YOU 100%&YOU R GODS CHILD BELIEVE N HIM AND HE ALWAZ BRINGS THE BEST OUT OF ALL&THE GOOD LORD WILL PROVE UR INNOCENT!WHEN GOD DOES PROVE MICHEALS INNOCCENTS 2YOU ALL WHO DONT KNOW HIM R CARE 2 KNOW THE TRUTH,WE WILL SHINE DOWN ON ALL YOU HATAS & KISS OFF NOW ROTT ON THAT 7 HELL U MAY GO!WHITEHEADS FAMILY&FRIENDS WILL SHINE DOWN FROM ABOVE HEAVEN WE WILL B,HOPEFULLY U MAKE IT! WE ALL LOVE YOU MICHEAL&PRAY 4 U 2B FREE&HOME WITH UR BEAUITFUL DAUGHTER WHERE U BELONG AND NOT N THAT ZOO!"LOVE UR FAMILY&FRIENDS!

chuck stoner fri oct 30 2009 at 1:06 pm ·


	How can you ask god to help a monster like micheal whitehead a person who could choke his wife and injector her with stolen meds with his EMT and he was in the navy twice as a corpman with his training in the medical field he knew that was above his ablity and everybody can say he done it out of love what man can love his wife and choke her and flirt with other women he wanted his wife dead and in my eyes a life for a life he should go to KSP "eddyville prison" and get the death sentence he didnt shoot his wife stab her but he poisoned her murder is murder if you comitte that crime you should pay with your life.

Casey Patt fri oct 30 2009 at 3:45 pm ·


	I would like to add, that he was not discharged from the navy because of vision issues, it was because he lied to them about his past mental illness... It's public record people do your research before you lie. Now we know what's wrong with Micheal his family lies too. He killed whether on purpose or accident he killed her.. The truth will come out...

who cares #233085 sat oct 31 2009 at 12:15 am ·


	i feel for both families. i esp feel bad for the baby because now without a mother and her father in jail all she has is grandparents. she is loved and all i hope is that she grows up knowing her mother and father loved her and that micheal loved ashley and loved him. i have known him for quite a while for yrs and its hard to believe it . may god be with everyone and both families in their time of need.

SELF MADE sat oct 31 2009 at 3:48 am ·


	I'VE KNOWN MICHEAL HIS WHOLE LIFE,AND ANYBODY WHO KNEW R GREW UP WITH MICHEAL R WHO SPENT HIS ADULT LIFE WIT HIM WOULD KNOW HE LOVES&LOVED HIS WIFE&DAUGHTER AND WAS A WONDERFUL LOVIN CARIN HUSBAND&FATHER.SO THEREFORE THE STUPIDNESS IS 4DA BIRDS&US AS MICHEALS FAMILY&FRIENDS WE DNT NEED THAT,NEAR DO HE,WE GOING THRU ENOUGH HARDACE.FOR THOSE OF U WHO SHOWS UR CONCERNS WE GRATEFUL FOR THE LORD OF UR PRESENTS&THOSE WHO CHOOSE 2KEEP B'N STUPID MAY GOD SHINE DOWN N BLESS U "JERKS" THAT U MAY B.

chuck stoner sat oct 31 2009 at 1:50 pm ·


	im so tired of hearing about micheal and his family atleast he is living what about ashley family? no parent should have to see there daughter dead in a casket its the other way around now if he ment to kill her or not he fucked up big time and he should have to pay the price the state of kentucky should do the same thing to micheal whitehead as he did to his wife lethal injecton thats what he done to ashley in excuted her and its messed up and not fair that her family has to deal with if he didnt want Dr kavorkian ashley would be here and not dead

SELF MADE sat oct 31 2009 at 2:31 pm ·


	jus like we tired of non important people who dnt matter n the nEgitive from those who dnt have a clue.i am glad 2 hear a half aSS SUM WUT OK COMMENT THAT AINT SO NGITIVE!ATS RITE EVERYONE SHOULD LOOK AT BOTH SIDES BUT SHU=OULDNT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.ME PERSONALLY MY HEART GOES OUT TO ASHLEY FAMILY N THEY STAY N MY PRAYERS AS WELL AS MICHEAL N HIS FAMILY."THATS MY POINT IF ANY HAVE ANY 2 SAY MAINLY NEGITIVE,IT SHOULD B ASHLEY FAMILY OR FRIENDS NOT A M******N WHO DNT MATTER ON EITHER SIDE OF ASHLEY OR MICHEALS FAMILY.ASLEY SIDE MAY FEEL ONEWAY&MICHEAL FAMILY MAY FEEL ANOTHER WAY. 'BUT REGUARDLESS ON WHO THINKS NEAR FEEL WUT AINT GOING TO CHANGE WUT HAPPEN NEAR MAKE IT BEETER NEAR BRING HER BACK NEAR FREE HIM IT ONLY SHOWS STUPIDNESS OUT OF ALL'I WILL STATE AGAIN I NEAR ANY OTHER SOURCE TRUELY KNOWS WUT HAPPEN THEN NEAR BEEN GOIN ON B4 THEN BUT MICHEAL,ASHLEY,&THE GOOD LORD!THEY R THE ONLY THREE THAT WILL EVER KNOW.IT CNT B 2MUCH OUT OF EITHER SIDE KAYLEE WAS LEFT N DADDY'S CARE N SHE WAS STILL LIVIN ON OCTOBER 1ST WHEN THEY DECIDED TO CHARGE MICHEAL.SO HE CNT B TO BAD HUH!WE DNT KNOW THE TRUTH BIUT WUT&HOW SHE WAS DOIN TO GET BY NEAR WUT SHE WNT OR ASK OUT OF HER HUSBAND TO DO TO HELP HER GET BY.I WANT NEAR SPREAD EITHER ONE OF THERE BUSSINESS OUT THERE OF THEY LIFE STYLE."ATS WUTS WRONG WITH THE CITY 2DAY,SPREAD&RUN THINGS AROUND WHEN ITS NOT THEY PLACE"THINGS GET CHANGE AROUND OR SAID THAT AINT TRUE.<SO PEOPLE GET WIT IT>

who cares #233085 sun nov 01 2009 at 12:06 am ·


	my prayers are with ashleys family and micheals. i did not know ashley but she seemed like a loving mother and wife she seemed like she loved life no matter what disease took over her. micheal to me seemed as if he loved her and kaylee. accident or not all i want is kaylee to live a good life and to know that each parent loved her shes too young and the questions come later in her life. micheal is a good man and i will always believe that. but whats wrong is wrong and whatever happens happens . think about the baby she is important.

Josh Shanahan sun nov 01 2009 at 2:25 am ·


	im ashley brother all i want to say is their daughter is being taken care of and you dont get charges like micheal has gotten and still be a innocent man he broke the law now its the courts duty to find how far micheal went as far as a personal comment about micheal i'll wait till the trial is over till i know all the facts but a personal comment about my sister is yeah she was a devoted mom probley the best mom you could ask for to her daughter she was not scared to speak her mind she lived her life for her daughter she was her everything i saw the change ashley went throw after having her daughter 100% mommy mode 24/7 unlike other parents out there who is mommy monday-friday and partying all weekend ashley never once thought of herself be4 her daughter the baby was number 1 how can people say a person that devoted to her child was a addict i've knowen ashley 21 years never once did she abuse her meds i have her named tattooed on my arm i look at it everyday and think about her and i dont remember a addict i remember my big sister who was a wonderful mother and a great person so the slandering of her good name needs to stop as far as micheal goes the truth will come out innocent or gulity only time will tell people said ted bundy was a good man he killed dozens.

who cares #233085 sun nov 01 2009 at 9:43 pm ·


	i was not slandering her name or her just to let everyone know

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