Louisville Man on Trial After Woman Found Chained to Floor; Police Say He Blamed Her

A man stands trial in Louisville, facing serious accusations of falsely imprisoning and exploiting a woman, as the community reacts to chilling details of the case.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY- A Louisville man currently on trial for a string of disturbing allegations—including restraining and exploiting the mother of his child—told detectives she had restrained herself due to relationship issues, according to police testimony delivered in court this week.

Moises May, of Louisville, is facing serious charges after police discovered Jonna Wilson, his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, chained to the floor of a second-story bedroom in August 2023. According to testimony from Detective Brittany O’Neil of the Louisville Metro Police Department, May initially claimed that Wilson had restrained herself, allegedly stating she "couldn’t stop being unfaithful." However, O’Neil testified that the scene investigators encountered did not indicate self-imprisonment.

“It didn’t seem like it was something she did to herself,” O’Neil told the court, according to WDRB.

The incident took place in Louisville’s Park Hill neighborhood, prompting a police response after neighbors heard screams coming from a second-story window and called for help. Officers arrived to find the first floor barricaded and unable to enter through conventional means; one officer used a ladder to climb into the second story. There, he discovered Wilson in distress, trembling, crying, and secured by a metal collar and chain fastened with a MasterLock bolted into the floor.

Body camera footage later released by police captured Wilson thanking officers during her rescue. Paramedics used bolt cutters to free her and treated her on the scene.

Detective O’Neil also testified that May allegedly told multiple stories about how Wilson’s hair was forcibly cut, at one point saying she had lost a bet in a game of checkers, and later claiming she wanted to dye her hair and requested his help. Investigators say May forced Wilson to participate in inappropriate exchanges for money on at least five separate occasions.

According to an arrest citation reviewed by Law&Crime, the August 16 incident began after an argument. May allegedly restrained Wilson, cut her hair, and made repeated threats, including telling her, “I told you next time you leave and don’t come home, I’d kill you.”

Wilson later described the ordeal in an interview with WDRB, saying,

“This is my only time—if I didn’t get free now, I’ll be dead. He made me undress, he put the chain around my neck, he called his friend and said, ‘I’ve got to take this equipment back to Lowe’s. When I come back, I’m going to kill you.’ I only had a few minutes to get out.”

Prosecutors say Wilson was kept chained for approximately five hours before she managed to call for help.

Moises May has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, human trafficking, and harassment. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations Thursday following closing arguments.