Shawn Stines (Mickey)

Shawn “Mickey” Stines was born in approximately 1981 and spent much of his adult life in Letcher County, Kentucky.

He entered law enforcement and eventually became Letcher County sheriff. Stines and Kevin Mullins had known each other for years through their professional roles in the small Eastern Kentucky community. Mullins served as a district judge, while Stines served as the county sheriff.

The two men were described as friends and professional acquaintances. They had also worked together within the local criminal justice system.

Stines was serving as Letcher County sheriff when Mullins was killed.

Stines' only confirmed killing is the shooting death of Kevin Mullins.

On September 19, 2024, Stines went to the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg and entered Mullins' private chambers. The two men had reportedly eaten lunch together earlier that day.

A short personal argument occurred inside the judge's office. Stines subsequently drew his handgun and shot Mullins multiple times.

Security-camera footage from inside the chambers captured the shooting. The video showed Mullins attempting to protect himself and moving behind his desk as Stines continued firing.

Mullins, 54, died at the scene. Stines then left the office and surrendered to law enforcement at the courthouse.

Stines used his personal firearm to shoot Mullins at close range inside the judge's private courthouse office.

The shooting was not a random public attack. Stines specifically entered Mullins' chambers, asked others to leave and confronted the judge before opening fire.

Surveillance footage showed Stines firing repeatedly at Mullins, who attempted to take cover behind his desk. Court evidence later indicated that Mullins was shot nine times.

The prosecution has not publicly established a definitive motive for the killing. Although considerable speculation has surrounded the case, investigators have not established the widely circulated allegations concerning Mullins having a relationship with Stines' wife or daughter. Both Stines' wife and daughter denied having a relationship with Mullins, and investigators found no communications establishing such a relationship.

Stines did not flee after the shooting.

Immediately after killing Mullins, he left the judge's office and surrendered to police at the courthouse. He was arrested at the scene and taken into custody without incident.

Stines was initially charged with first-degree murder. A Letcher County grand jury later indicted him on murder of a public official, a capital offense under Kentucky law.

He has remained incarcerated without bail since the shooting.

Stines pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

His defence has focused on his mental state at the time of the shooting. His attorneys have indicated that they intend to rely on an insanity or extreme-emotional-disturbance defence and have argued that Stines lacked the capacity to form the intent to kill Mullins.

In December 2025, Stines' attorneys acknowledged in court filings that he shot Mullins but argued that the shooting was not intentional in the legal sense because of his mental state. Stines has therefore continued to contest the murder charge despite acknowledging the shooting.

As of August 2026, Stines has not been convicted or sentenced.

On August 11, 2026, Special Judge Christopher Cohron denied bail, finding that the evidence was sufficiently strong to justify continued detention. The judge also granted prosecutors' request for an additional mental-health evaluation and ordered that the trial be moved out of Letcher County because of the extensive publicity surrounding the case.

A trial date has not yet been set.

The killing shocked Letcher County because Mullins and Stines had been part of the same local justice system and were known to one another personally and professionally.

Mullins had served as a district judge in Letcher County since 2009. Stines was the elected county sheriff at the time of the shooting.

The precise reason for the confrontation remains unclear. Police said the shooting followed an argument, but prosecutors have not publicly established a definitive motive.

The case generated widespread speculation after rumours circulated online that Mullins had inappropriate relationships with members of Stines' family. Investigators examined those claims, but Stines' wife and daughter denied having any relationship with Mullins, and police found no communications supporting the rumours. These allegations should therefore not be presented as an established motive.

Another potential factor investigated by authorities was a lawsuit involving one of Stines' deputies. Shortly before the shooting, Stines had been deposed in litigation alleging that he had failed to properly supervise a deputy accused of sexually abusing a woman in Mullins' chambers. However, authorities have not publicly established that the lawsuit was the motive for Mullins' killing.

Stines' mental state has become a major issue in the case. Court records indicate that he exhibited unusual and combative behaviour after the shooting, and his defence has argued that he was experiencing a severe mental disturbance. Prosecutors have sought additional psychiatric evaluation as the case moves toward trial.

The surveillance footage of the shooting has been released publicly and is expected to be significant evidence at trial.

Sources:

• Kentucky State Police, Attorney General's Office
• Letcher County Sheriff's Office, County District Court
• Kentucky Court of Justice
• Letcher County Courthouse
• Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy
• Associated Press
• Reuters
• Lexington Herald-Leader
• Court TV
• WYMT
• ABC News