 Letcher County Courthouse, where the shooting occurred (pictured in 2008) | |
| Date | September 19, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | 2:52 P.M. (EDT) |
| Location | Whitesburg, Kentucky |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Deaths | Kevin R. Mullins |
| Accused | Mickey Stines |
On September 19, 2024, District Court Judge Kevin R. Mullins was shot and killed at the Letcher County Courthouse in Letcher County, Kentucky. Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines was arrested and charged with murder in 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]
At precisely 2:40 (EDT) p.m., September 19, 2024, security video shows Stines walked into Mullins's chambers and other courthouse employees left the room. Stines closed the door behind them, and several minutes later the video shows Stines shooting Mullins. [7] The shooting was captured on a security camera in the judge's office, and Stines subsequently surrendered himself to the police. Kentucky State Police did not release a motive for the shooting. Stines has been charged with one count of murder, and has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has indicated publicly that he intends to pursue an insanity defense. [8] [4] [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. [9]
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]
In 2022, Stines was included in a civil suit by Sabrina Adkins against Deputy Sheriff Ben Fields. The suit alleged that Fields had extorted her and other inmates into having sex for favorable treatment while on house arrest. The suit stated the abuse occurred in a restroom in the chambers of Judge Mullins. Fields was sentenced to prison in 2024 for rape and sodomy of the inmate in 2022. Stines was alleged within the suit to have not trained the deputy properly and to not have responded to reports appropriately. Stines had given a deposition in the case three days before the shooting. [10]
In the months following Mullins' murder, a Kentucky woman made statements to the media that Judge Mullins had used his power to extort sex from women. A former corrections officer said that Mullins was known to be one of many local officials who treated the lockup like "a brothel." [11]