 Letcher County Courthouse, where the shooting occurred (pictured in 2008) | |
| Date | September 19, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3:00 P.M. (EDT) |
| Location | Whitesburg, Kentucky |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Deaths | Kevin R. Mullins |
| Accused | Mickey Stines |
On September 19, 2024, Letcher County, Kentucky, District Judge Kevin R. Mullins was shot and killed. Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was arrested in connection with the shooting.
Kevin R. Mullins (June 25, 1970 – September 19, 2024) was a district judge for the 47th Judicial District in Letcher County, Kentucky since 2009 following his appointment by former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. Mullins then won the election the following year and had been re-elected since. [1] Before becoming a district judge he had served as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Letcher County, starting in 2001. Mullins was a native of Pikeville and a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville School of Law. [2] [3]
Shawn M. "Mickey" Stines was the Letcher County Sheriff and had previously served as a bailiff for the Letcher County District Court before being elected sheriff in 2018. [4] [5] He was reelected in 2022. [6]
In 2022, Stines was sued by a woman, alleging that a sheriff's deputy had pressured a woman into having sexual intercourse with him for favorable treatment. Stines was alleged to have not trained the deputy properly and to not have responded to reports appropriately. The suit says the abuse occurred in the chamber of Judge Mullins but did not allege that Mullins was aware of the assaults or allege he was involved in any wrongdoing. [7]
At around 3:00 p.m., Stines walked into the outer chambers of Mullins and told courthouse employees that he needed to talk with Mullins privately and the two walked into inner chambers of the judge's office, closed the door behind them, and several minutes later shots were heard. [8] Stines subsequently walked outside of the courthouse and surrendered himself to the police. Kentucky State Police did not release a motive for the shooting. Stines has been charged with one count of first-degree murder. A school in the area was subsequently put under lockdown due to the shooting. [9] [4] [10]
Governor Andy Beshear released a statement on Twitter:
Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon. There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow. [9]
Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court Laurance B. VanMeter said the state court system was "shaken by the news," while the Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said his office will work with a regional prosecutor as special prosecutor. County prosecutor Matt Butler recused from the case citing his social ties with Mullins. Letcher County courts were closed the Friday after the shooting. [10]
Hundreds of mourners attended Mullins' funeral service at Jenkins Middle and High School on September 22. Several judges spoke favorably of him during the service, including Kentucky Supreme Court deputy chief justice Debra H. Lambert who lauded Mullins for "his passion for people". [3]
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