A Bucks County grand jury has indicted Antwan McKoy, 37, for the death of his brother-in-law Michael A. Whispell. Whispell was a gay man and his advocates have been calling for McKoy’s arrest for months.
The fatal incident for Whispell began around 11 p.m. on June 19, 2022 when McKoy arrived at Bucks Meadows Apartments, 3131 Knights Road in Bensalem, for a family gathering at the apartment of Whispell’s mother.
McKoy is married to Whispell’s sister, Saketha Jackson. During the gathering, the two men were seated together on a couch and got into some type of argument, police say.
McKoy, of Maple Shade, N.J. allegedly choked Whispell, punched him twice in the temple and threw him to the ground during the argument. Then, McKoy jumped on top of Whispell. Family members had to pull McKoy off of Whispell, police say.
Later that evening, Whispell couldn’t breathe due to pain in his head from the assault. Bensalem police and Bensalem emergency-medical services arrived at the apartment. As Whispell was being transported to the hospital, he lost consciousness. He was placed in a medically-induced coma and never regained consciousness. Whispell died on July 4, 2022, at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia.
There’s no indication McKoy suffered any injuries during the altercation. Whispell, 41, was slight of build and McKoy was much larger than him, friends say.
According to Whispell’s autopsy, the cause of death was from complications of blunt impact injury to the head.
After McKoy’s indictment, he turned himself in to Bensalem police on May 12, 2023. Bucks County officials said the case required “special measures,” without elaborating.
McKoy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment. He’s being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility in Doylestown, in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.
A preliminary hearing for McKoy is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 23 before Magisterial District Judge Joseph P. Falcone in Bensalem, Pa.
Asa Khalif, an LGBT advocate, said he viewed Whispell as a brother.
“After 10 months of protesting and demanding justice for Michael, finally an arrest in his case has been made,” Khalif said, in an email. “Michael was a beloved member of the LGBTQ community and a dear friend. His [alleged] murder will not be swept under the rug. The coalition of activists will continue to stand with his family until justice is served.”
Robin Proctor, a close friend of Whispell, echoed those sentiments. “Finally, I can sleep better knowing the man who killed my dear friend will get what he deserves,” Proctor said, in an email.
According to his obituary, Whispell was born on Dec. 6, 1980, in Bristol, Pa. He graduated from Harry S. Truman High School in 1998. After high school, he studied culinary arts at the Community College of Philadelphia and subsequently worked at several well-regarded restaurants in the area.
Whispell married William Whispell on June 23, 2018, and the couple resided in Tunkhannock, Pa., with their pet bulldog Festa, according to his published obituary.