Madison Hinchey is being held without bond after police say two people were injured inside the store.
MURRAY, Ky. — A Calloway County criminal case began with a reported stabbing at a Goodwill store and now includes attempted murder and assault charges against a 30-year-old Murray woman, police said.
Madison Hinchey was arrested April 21 after Murray police said she attacked a shopper and an employee at the Goodwill on North 12th Street. The most serious charge, attempted murder, stems from an allegation that Hinchey chased a woman through the store and stabbed her in the chest near a loading dock. Police said the victim was flown to a regional medical facility for treatment.
The court case opened after officers were dispatched at about 1:36 p.m. for a stabbing. Police said the first responding officers found two victims and store employees restraining Hinchey. The shopper had a stab wound, and the second victim, an employee, had been assaulted with a shovel, police said. Investigators later tied those facts to three charges: attempted murder, second-degree assault and fourth-degree assault.
Local court coverage reported that Hinchey was arraigned in Calloway District Court the day after the incident. She was held in the Calloway County Jail without bond. At arraignment, a defendant is formally advised of charges and the court begins setting the path for later proceedings. The hearing did not resolve the case, and the charges remain accusations unless prosecutors prove them in court.
The police narrative describes a fast-moving encounter that began inside the store and ended in a back-area space. Investigators said Hinchey entered the store with a large knife in her purse, pulled it out and chased another woman through racks and aisles toward the loading dock. Once there, police said, she stabbed the woman once in the chest and bit her. Officers have not released the victim’s name, age or hometown.
Police said Hinchey made a statement after the arrest that the victim “got what she came for.” The words have drawn attention because investigators have not released a motive. Authorities have not said whether the two women knew each other, whether there was an argument before the chase or whether the alleged statement is connected to anything that happened earlier that day. No public filing has explained what police believe caused the attack.
The second-degree assault charge is tied to the alleged injury involving the shopper, while the fourth-degree assault charge involves the employee, according to the reported charge descriptions. Police said the employee was struck with a metal snow shovel while trying to intervene. That detail means the criminal case includes both the alleged knife attack and the conduct that unfolded when store staff tried to stop it.
The case file is likely to turn on several kinds of evidence. Medical records may show the severity and location of the stab wound. Witness statements may describe the start of the chase, the employee’s intervention and the moments before police arrived. Store video, if available, could show the path through the store and the loading dock area. Police have not publicly confirmed whether surveillance footage has been collected or whether the knife and shovel have been entered as evidence.
Emergency response records may also matter. Reports from the scene said the Murray-Calloway County Ambulance Service, Murray Fire Department, AirEvac and Calloway County Sheriff’s Department assisted after police were called. The decision to airlift the stabbing victim suggests responders treated the injury as serious at the scene. Authorities, however, have not released a condition update or said whether the victim remained hospitalized after the initial transport.
The Goodwill store became the scene of a major police and medical response in a city better known as the home of Murray State University and as the county seat. North 12th Street is a main commercial route with stores, restaurants and local traffic. Police did not report that the public faced an ongoing threat after Hinchey was arrested. They also have not said whether the store was closed for evidence collection or when normal operations resumed.
Hinchey’s next steps depend on the Calloway County court schedule. Prosecutors may seek a preliminary hearing or grand jury review for felony charges. Defense counsel may argue bond, review discovery and challenge the evidence behind the most serious count. The attempted murder charge would require prosecutors to address intent, while the assault charges would center on the alleged injuries and the objects used during the attack.
No public statement from Hinchey or an attorney for her has been reported. Police have not said whether she answered questions after her arrest beyond the alleged statement about the victim. Officials also have not released detailed interviews from the victims or store workers. The limited information has left the public record built mostly from the initial police release, jail status and early court reporting.
As of the latest reports, Hinchey remained in custody and the victims’ names and full medical conditions had not been released. The next milestone is expected in court, where prosecutors must begin laying out the evidence behind the attempted murder and assault counts.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, May 21, 2026.