WHITESBURG, Ky. — A small town Kentucky sheriff is due in court this week after he was accused of gunning down a local judge in his courthouse chambers.
The fatal shooting in Whitesburg sent shock waves through a tight-knit Appalachian town and county seat of government with about 1,700 residents, located about 145 miles southeast of Lexington.
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Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is charged with one county of first-degree murder after he shot District Judge Kevin Mullins last Thursday following an argument in the courthouse, according to Kentucky State Police.
Mullins, 54, who held the judgeship since 2009, was hit multiple times during the shooting and died at the scene. Stines, 43, surrendered without incident.
Stines is expected to be arraigned virtually before Chief Regional Judge Rupert Wilhoit on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. Judge Wilhoit was appointed a special judge in this case.
Special court clerk Larry D. Thompson, of Carter County, was also appointed.
The Letcher County courthouse is still considered a crime scene.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler, who was Mullins' brother-in-law, recused himself from the case. Attorney General Russell Coleman's office is trying the case.
Police have not offered any details about a possible motive, and an arrest citation from Kentucky State Police offered few details about the shooting.
A brief arrest citation from the Thursday shooting lists the murder charge against Stines and gives a short narrative: "Perpetrator used a firearm to shoot ... Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins. Judge Mullins succumbed to his injuries after the shooting.”
Mullins was shot at 2:55 p.m. and Stines was arrested five minutes later, the citation said.
There was no other information related to the shooting in the one-page document.
Responding to the shooting, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post: “There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
Mullins served as a district judge in Letcher County since he was appointed by former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009 and elected the following year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
