On September 19, 2024, Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines shot and killed District Judge Kevin Mullins inside the judge’s chambers at the courthouse in Whitesburg. The Kentucky sheriff who shot the judge was arrested minutes later and charged with murder of a public official, a capital offense under state law. As of mid-2026, Stines remains jailed without bond, his attorneys are pursuing an insanity defense, and no trial date has been set.
What Happened Inside the Chambers
Stines and Mullins had known each other for years. On the day of the shooting, they ate lunch together at SideStreet Grill & Bar, where witnesses heard Mullins ask Stines whether they needed to “meet private in my chambers.”1Fox 56 News. Kentucky Sheriff Reportedly Shoots Judge: A Look at the Timeline, Investigation After lunch, Stines went to the judge’s chambers. Roughly four other people who were there cleared out once he arrived.
Courthouse surveillance footage captured the rest. Stines sat in front of the judge’s desk and used his phone to call his daughter. He then borrowed Mullins’ phone and called her again. Records indicated the judge’s phone had previously been used to call Stines’ daughter. Seconds after looking at the judge’s phone, Stines stood, drew a firearm, and shot Mullins multiple times. The footage shows him pausing and then firing additional shots as Mullins attempted to take cover under the desk.2ABC 6. Ex-Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines Indicted in Killing of Judge Kevin Mullins People in an adjacent room heard the shots and heard Mullins pleading for help.
Kentucky State Police received a 911 call at 2:55 p.m. Officers found Mullins dead from gunshot wounds. At 3:00 p.m., Stines surrendered without incident.3Courier-Journal. Timeline of Events in Letcher County Courthouse Shooting During his arrest, he told officers, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid,” and asked them to “treat me fair.”1Fox 56 News. Kentucky Sheriff Reportedly Shoots Judge: A Look at the Timeline, Investigation
The Two Men
Kevin R. Mullins, 54, had served as a District Judge in Kentucky’s 47th Judicial District for 15 years, handling juvenile matters, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, small claims, domestic violence cases, and mental health commitments. He was appointed in 2009 by then-Governor Steve Beshear and won election in his own right in 2010.4The Hill. Who Is Judge Kevin Mullins
Stines, 43 at the time of the shooting, had been elected sheriff of Letcher County twice.5Spectrum News 1. Letcher County Sheriff Affidavit He resigned days after the killing under pressure from Governor Andy Beshear’s office, which threatened removal proceedings if he did not step down.6NBC News. Kentucky Governor Tells Sheriff Accused of Fatally Shooting Judge to Resign He had been under significant legal pressure in the weeks before the shooting. A federal investigation reportedly targeted him, and he was a defendant in a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging he had failed to supervise a deputy accused of coercing women into sex. Three days before he killed Mullins, Stines sat for a lengthy deposition in that case.7Lexington Herald-Leader. Full Details on the Stines Deposition
The Charge and the Defense
A grand jury indicted Stines on one count of murder of a public official, which carries a potential death sentence. He was arraigned on November 25, 2024, and pleaded not guilty.2ABC 6. Ex-Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines Indicted in Killing of Judge Kevin Mullins He has been held without bond since the shooting.
Stines has acknowledged killing the judge. His defense is that he was mentally incapacitated and lacked the intent required for murder. In a November 2025 civil filing, he admitted to the shooting but said he was “exhibiting paranoid and psychotic conduct,” had “no control,” and was suffering from “pre-existing conditions.”8Lexington Herald-Leader. Stines Case Insanity Defense Details His attorneys have argued he suffered from “extreme emotional disturbance” and contend that first-degree manslaughter would be the appropriate charge.
Central to the defense is a claim that Stines suffers from California encephalitis, a neurological condition he says was caused by a tick bite. His attorney told the court the condition causes Stines “some issues” under stress.9The Mountain Eagle. Full Transcript of Stines Deposition Reveals Little About Motive for Shooting His aunt, Sherri Stines, testified that he had struggled with the condition for years and had not slept for about a week before the shooting. She said he had appeared “psychotic” and “paranoid” the night before, told her he feared someone would harm his wife and daughter, and asked to speak to his grandmother, who had been dead for more than two years.10WLKY. Mickey Stines Kentucky Sheriff Judge Letcher County Hearing Jail intake records after the shooting noted Stines was in a “state of active psychosis” and did not appear to understand the charges against him.5Spectrum News 1. Letcher County Sheriff Affidavit
The defense has filed a motion to remove the death penalty as a potential sentence, citing Stines’ “intellectual and/or mental health status.”11Courier-Journal. Kentucky Sheriff Stines Judge Shooting Aunt Testimony Court Hearing As of mid-2026, prosecutors have not formally filed a death penalty notice, though the charge itself carries that possibility.
The Motive Question
Authorities have never publicly identified a motive.12WDRB. Aunt Says Ex-Sheriff Accused of Killing Kentucky Judge Acted Psychotic Before Shooting The defense has focused entirely on Stines’ mental state rather than offering a reason. What is known is that the killing came at a time of intense legal pressure on Stines connected to conduct inside the same courthouse where Mullins worked.
The Deputy Fields Lawsuit
In January 2022, a woman named Sabrina Adkins filed a federal civil rights suit alleging that Letcher County Deputy Ben Fields had coerced her into sexual acts in exchange for waiving her home-incarceration ankle monitor fees. The encounters, according to the lawsuit, took place inside Judge Mullins’ chambers. The suit named both Fields and Sheriff Stines as defendants, Stines for allegedly failing to train and supervise the deputy.13Courier-Journal. Kentucky Woman Says Deputy Forced Her to Have Sex in Judge’s Chambers Fields later pleaded guilty to third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy, two counts of tampering with a prisoner monitoring device, and second-degree perjury, and was sentenced in January 2024 to seven years.14WYMT. Former Letcher County Deputy Receives Sentence It was Stines’ September 16, 2024, deposition in the still-pending civil case, three days before the shooting, that placed him in direct legal jeopardy over the deputy’s conduct.
Allegations About Mullins
After the killing, additional allegations surfaced about the judge himself. A former inmate, Tya Adams, alleged that Mullins had used his judicial power to coerce female inmates into sex in exchange for court favors, with encounters occurring in the judge’s chambers and other courthouse rooms after hours. She also alleged that Mullins and associates held “sex parties” involving cocaine.15Court TV. Former Inmate Claims Murdered Judge Was Involved in Sex Parties A former deputy jailer, Sarah Davis, said the rumors were widespread and that Mullins had personally invited her to a sex party, which she declined.16Yahoo News. Killed Judge Made People Feel
The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts said it had “no record of receiving information suggesting misconduct by Mullins.” Security cameras were installed in Mullins’ chambers at the judge’s own request after the Fields lawsuit was filed. Adams said she did not believe Stines was involved in the alleged sexual misconduct, though she suspected he may have been aware of it.15Court TV. Former Inmate Claims Murdered Judge Was Involved in Sex Parties No charges were ever brought against Mullins, and the allegations remain unproven. Whether any of this factored into the shooting has not been established.
Where the Case Stands Now
The case has moved slowly. A status hearing in December 2025 ended abruptly over an undisclosed issue, pushing pending motions further out.17Lex18. Murder Case Status Hearing for Former Kentucky Sheriff Postponed Over Undisclosed Issue Several significant disputes have shaped the pre-trial phase.
The Recusal Fight
The case is being overseen by Judge Christopher Cohron, an appointed retired judge. In December 2025, the defense moved for Cohron’s recusal, citing video from a September 12, 2024, meeting of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health that showed Cohron and Judge Mullins seated “inches apart for approximately two hours” seven days before the shooting.18Court TV. Stines Judge Hard Pressed Not to Change Venue Cohron denied the motion on March 6, 2026, writing that professional service on the same commission did not constitute a personal relationship.19Fox 56 News. Judge Denies Motion Seeking His Recusal in Former Kentucky Sheriff Murder Trial On April 18, 2026, Deputy Chief Justice Robert Conley issued a final denial, ruling the standard for disqualification had not been met.20WJHL. Kentucky Sheriff Accused of Killing Judge in Chambers Appears in Court
Change of Venue
Special prosecutor Jackie Steele filed a 57-page motion to move the trial out of Letcher County, arguing that “immense media coverage” had left local residents with “preconceived opinions” and that both men, as former elected officials, were known to every eligible voter in the county.21Lexington Herald-Leader. Special Prosecutor’s Change of Venue Motion The defense opposed the motion, arguing the court should first try to seat a jury through the ordinary selection process. At a June 5, 2026, hearing, Judge Cohron said he was “highly likely” to move the trial and would be “hard pressed” to keep it in Letcher County given the publicity and community division. A written ruling was to follow.18Court TV. Stines Judge Hard Pressed Not to Change Venue
Mental Health Evaluations and Bond
A psychiatric evaluation of Stines was conducted at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center after the defense signaled an insanity defense. The results were filed under seal, and the defense’s August 5, 2025, motion to unseal the evaluation was denied.22Court TV. Ex-Sheriff Shawn Stines Wants Psychological Evaluation Unsealed Prosecutors have since asked to have a private expert conduct a second evaluation to rebut the insanity claim. The defense objected, and Judge Cohron said he would rule in a written order.23WEKU. Former Letcher County Sheriff Stines Appears in Pre-Trial Hearing for Murder Case
At the June 2026 hearing, the defense proposed a $50,000 bond. Judge Cohron rejected the figure as “not entertainable” and said any bond he might set would be “much higher.”24WKYT. Former Sheriff Accused of Killing Judge Attends Status Hearing Stines remains jailed in eastern Kentucky without bond.
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
On September 18, 2025, Kimberly Mullins, the judge’s widow, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Letcher Circuit Court on behalf of herself and the couple’s two minor daughters. The suit names Stines and three sheriff’s office employees, Jason Eckels, Lashawna Frazier, and Christine Bolling, as defendants.25WKYT. Family of Judge Killed in His Chambers Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit It alleges assault and battery against Stines and negligence against all four defendants, claiming the sheriff’s office employees knew of Stines’ “anxious, paranoid, and psychotic conduct that posed a foreseeable risk of violence” but failed to warn Mullins or control Stines. The family is seeking damages for loss of consortium and punitive damages.26Spectrum News 1. Kimberly Mullins Lawsuit Two motions to dismiss had been filed by late 2025.
The criminal case is being prosecuted by special prosecutor Jackie Steele and Assistant Attorney General R. Ramsey Dallam.23WEKU. Former Letcher County Sheriff Stines Appears in Pre-Trial Hearing for Murder Case Rulings on the second mental evaluation, the change of venue, and the death penalty motion are still pending.