Former Kentucky sheriff arraigned on murder charge in shooting of judge in chambers
WHITESBURG, Ky. — A former eastern Kentucky sheriff was arraigned on a murder charge Monday at the same courthouse where he is accused of fatally shooting a county judge about two months ago.
A grand jury indicted former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines on one count of murder of a public official last week. Stines, 43, is accused of shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins on Sept. 19 inside the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg.
At the Monday hearing, a judge denied bond for Stines, who had worked with Mullins for years before the shooting.
Mullins, who had served as district judge in Letcher County since 2009, was killed while sitting in his private office at the courthouse. Footage of the shooting was shown during a dramatic court hearing on Oct. 1, in which Stines can be seen firing at Mullins multiple times in several volleys before leaving the room.
Stines had served as its sheriff since 2018 and had previously served as bailiff in Mullins' court. They were friends, residents have said, who ate lunch together just hours before the shooting.
The sheriff, who resigned days later, was arrested at the scene and has been in custody ever since. No one else was injured and no one else was in the room when the shooting occurred, although other courthouse employees were in the building.
Stines is the lone suspect in the case and had entered an initial plea of not guilty on Sept. 25 before the case was sent to circuit court. A motive behind the shooting has not been given by prosecutors or Stines' defense team.
'This is a large story'
During the arraignment Monday, Bartley said his client has "a compelling defense." A deposition Stines gave in a separate federal lawsuit days prior to the September shooting is a part of that, according to Bartley.
Stines was one of several parties sued in federal court in 2022 over allegations that Ben Fields, who was a Letcher County deputy sheriff at the time, had given favorable treatment to a woman on home incarceration in exchange for sexual favors inside Mullins' private courthouse office, where there were no cameras.
Stines is not accused of taking part in that exchange, but attorneys for the plaintiffs have argued he failed to properly train and supervise Fields, who was convicted on state charges and spent several months in jail. The federal case is still pending.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in that case have said they were surprised by the shooting and unsure whether it was connected to the Stines deposition, which lasted several hours. But Monday, Bartley said the timing of the deposition is "certainly something that's going to be crucial in this case."
"I do believe that that is a piece," Bartley said. "This is a large story. It's a story that, in some ways, is difficult to tell. We look forward to sharing a more complete version of that as we go through this judicial process."
Commonwealth's Attorney Jackie Steele declined to say whether he believed the deposition was a factor in the shooting or speculate on other potential motives but said he does not currently expect Stines to face any additional charges beyond murder of a public official.
Ned Pillersdorf, an attorney representing the plaintiff in that federal case, has said he's still unsure whether the deposition is connected to the shooting. His co-counsel took the deposition, Pillersdorf added, and that lawyer told him Stines had an "odd demeanor" during the several hours that it took place.
Retired Judge Julia H. Adams, presiding over Monday's hearing after being appointed earlier this month to serve as special judge in the arraignment, said she came to the decision to not grant Stines' bond after "significant consideration." But the capital offense charge was a key factor, she said.
Steele, who's prosecuting the case along with Attorney General Russell Coleman's office, told reporters afterward it's too early to say whether they'll pursue the death penalty. Steele was appointed as a special prosecutor after Letcher County's commonwealth's attorney recused himself due to his familial relationship with the judge.
Fatal shooting sparks speculation in small Kentucky town
Bartley argued last month that the 24-second video shown in court, viewed without audio, does not offer enough context and additional footage should paint a clearer picture. He has not yet seen the full video, he said Monday, but "we do understand a lot more clearly than we did at the preliminary hearing."
At last month's hearing, a Kentucky State Police detective said just before the shooting, Stines called his daughter on his own phone, then used Mullins' phone to call her.
Bartley has argued the shooting occurred in the heat of the moment due to "extreme emotional disturbance," and manslaughter, not murder, would be a more appropriate charge. But he noted Monday that they "do not concede" this is a manslaughter case, and they planned to put on a full defense.
The national spotlight on Whitesburg, a town of less than 2,000 residents, has sparked speculation on why the shooting occurred. When he recused himself due to his relationship with Mullins' family, local Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Butler urged members of the community not to spread gossip, and Bartley offered a similar line after Monday's hearing.
"Let the story be told in the courtroom," he said. "What's online, all these social media posts, everybody's opinion about this case — it's a grain of salt. This is a complex case, but we believe there will be a very complete defense for Mr. Stines and we look forward to putting that on for him."
Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.