On September 19, 2024, Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins and Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines ate lunch together in Whitesburg, Kentucky, then walked back to the courthouse for a private conversation in the judge's chambers. Nearly 10 minutes later, surveillance video showed Stines pull out his gun and shoot Mullins. The video has no audio, leaving the central question unanswered: what was said in that room before the shooting?
Stines surrendered at the courthouse and is charged with murder of a public official. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense is expected to focus on his mental condition in the days surrounding the killing, including reports that he had not slept, had become paranoid about his family, and appeared to be in crisis. We also address the online rumor involving Stines's daughter, why the facts do not support it, and the federal civil lawsuit involving a former deputy whose crimes had been connected to Mullins's chambers.
The shooting was captured on camera. The man accused of firing the gun was identified immediately. But with no audio, a pending trial, and a motive that has not been publicly established, Kevin Mullins's family and a small Kentucky community are still waiting for answers.
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Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins fatally shot inside a courthouse, sheriff arrested, state police say | CNN
Kevin R. Mullins - Ballotpedia
Kentucky Sheriff Arrested in Shooting Death of Judge - The New York Times
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New footage in the shooting death of Kentucky judge
Judge grants change of venue for former sheriff accused of killing judge
Kentucky sheriff accused of killing judge in chambers appears in court | WJHL |
Wife, daughter of KY sheriff deny contact with slain judge | Lexington Herald Leader
Kentucky judge shot and killed in chambers, sheriff charged with murder: Officials
Ex-sheriff indicted in judge's killing pleads not guilty at KY courthouse where shooting erupted
Why was a Kentucky judge killed? So far, it remains a mystery
Kentucky sheriff fatally shot a judge in courthouse chambers, officials say
Ex-Letcher Co. sheriff in psychosis days after shooting judge, records say
Former KY sheriff accused of killing judge asks for indictment to be dismissed
CI, 24-CR-00204, COMMONWEALTH VS. STINES, SHAWN
Civil suit exposes sexual exploitation in Letcher County courts
Hearing reveals key details in civil case against Shawn Stines | Court TV
Civil suit exposes sexual exploitation in Letcher County courts
A former Kentucky sheriff who fatally shot judge was ‘losing it’ in the days before killing, friends said | CNN
Chilling Detail Dropped in Sheriff Mickey Stines Judge Slaying
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