Kentucky Judge Fatally Shot by County Sheriff: Community Reeling

A small community in eastern Kentucky is in shock following the fatal shooting of District Judge Kevin Mullins inside the Letcher County courthouse. The incident, which occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday, left residents searching for answers and mourning the loss of a respected figure in the community.

The shooter, identified as Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, has been charged with murder. Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart stated that the preliminary investigation indicates Stines, 43, shot Judge Mullins, 54, multiple times following an argument inside the courthouse. “We know that it was an argument between the two that led up, but what exactly transpired prior to the shots being fired, that’s still things that we’re trying to get answers to,” Gayheart told reporters.

Matt Butler, the commonwealth’s attorney for Letcher County, expressed the community’s devastation and called for prayers for the judge’s family. “If you knew Letcher County, you would know that families stay tightly connected at all times and pull even more tightly during times of unspeakable tragedy like today,” Butler said in a statement. He recused himself from the investigation due to familial ties, as his children and Mullins’ children are first cousins.

The courthouse scene was attended by shocked relatives and legal colleagues, with Chief Justice of Kentucky’s Supreme Court, Laurance B. VanMeter, expressing his condolences, noting he was “shocked by this act of violence” and that the court system was “shaken by this news.” He requested privacy for Mullins’ family during this difficult time.

This tragic event has brought additional scrutiny to allegations against Sheriff Stines. He was deposed recently in a federal lawsuit involving one of his deputies, Ben Fields, who was accused of sexual misconduct in the same courthouse. Fields pleaded guilty to charges and was subsequently sentenced.

In response to the shooting, Governor Andy Beshear stated, “There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.” Judge Mullins had served as a district judge since 2009, following an appointment by former Governor Steve Beshear and was subsequently elected by the community he served.