The Case of Judge Kevin Mullins

Kevin Mullins was a 54-year-old Kentucky district judge who was shot and killed inside his chambers at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg on September 19, 2024. Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines, a longtime friend and former bailiff of Mullins, entered the judge's chambers following an argument and allegedly shot him multiple times. Stines was arrested at the courthouse and indicted for murder of a public official.

Kevin R. Mullins served as District Judge for Kentucky's 47th Judicial District, which included Letcher County. He had been appointed to the bench in 2009 and subsequently elected and repeatedly re-elected. Before becoming a judge, Mullins worked as an assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Letcher County. Shawn "Mickey" Stines was the elected Letcher County Sheriff and had known Mullins for many years. Stines had previously served as Mullins's bailiff and was responsible for the judge's security in his role as sheriff. The two men were described as friends and longtime colleagues. On September 19, 2024, Stines went to the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg and entered Mullins's chambers.

At approximately 2:55 p.m. on September 19, 2024, Kentucky State Police received a 911 call reporting shots fired inside the Letcher County Courthouse. Responding officers found Mullins inside his chambers suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene. Stines remained at the courthouse and surrendered to law enforcement without incident. Security footage from inside the courthouse captured Stines entering Mullins's chambers and subsequently shooting him multiple times. The footage was later introduced as evidence at Stines's preliminary hearing and before the grand jury.

Kentucky State Police immediately began investigating the shooting. Investigators determined that Stines had been inside Mullins's chambers when the shooting occurred. The preliminary investigation indicated that the shooting followed an argument between the two men. Stines was arrested and initially charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty. The investigation attracted significant attention because the victim and accused were not strangers: Stines had worked closely with Mullins for years and had previously served as his bailiff. The motive remained unclear publicly following the shooting. Investigators and prosecutors were initially limited in what they could disclose because of Kentucky's rules governing publicity in criminal proceedings. On November 21, 2024, a Letcher County grand jury indicted Stines on murder of a public official, a capital offense under Kentucky law. The case remained pending as of 2026.

Shawn "Mickey" Stines has been charged with murder but has not been convicted. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. The indictment alleges that Stines murdered Kevin Mullins while Mullins was serving as a public official. As of August 2026, the case remains in the pretrial stage.

The killing shocked the small Appalachian community because both men were prominent local officials who had known and worked with each other for years. The precise circumstances that led to the argument and shooting remain central to the pending prosecution.