A sheriff who shot the local judge dead in his chambers was paranoid he was going to be murdered on the way to jail minutes later.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn ‘Mickey’ Stines gunned down Judge Kevin Mullins inside the county courthouse on September 19.
Exactly why Stines killed his close friend soon after they had lunch together is a mystery, with only vague explanations from his lawyers so far.
The shooting and the moments leading up to it, before Stines drew his gun and Mullins tried to hide behind his desk, were 𝒄𝒂𝓊𝓰𝒉𝓉 on film.
Kentucky State Police arrested Stines minutes later and their attempts to interview him in the courthouse hallway were filmed on bodycam.
But the troopers didn’t have any success as they spent the whole time trying to reassure a paranoid Stines that they weren’t going to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 him.
‘I leave this building, I won’t draw another breath,’ he told them while handcuffed, his leg nervously shaking.
Stines was terrified of being transported to the Leslie County Jail, an hour’s drive away, and begged to be locked up in the one next door instead.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn ‘Mickey’ Stines being interviewed by Kentucky State Police in the courthouse hallways minutes after shooting a judge in his chambers
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The troopers spent the whole time trying to reassure a paranoid Stines that they weren’t going to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 him
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Stines gunned down Judge Kevin Mullins (pictured), his friend of more than 30 years, inside the county courthouse on September 19
KSP Investigator Clayton Stamper reminded him that wasn’t possible, as he had to be taken out of the county due to his position as sheriff.
‘I’ll never make it to the Leslie County Jail. Put me in the Leslie County Jail, I’ll get killed there. I’ll get killed in any jail,’ Stines pleaded.
Stamper, confused about why Stines was in fear of his life, asked why he thought the troopers planned to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 him.
‘Mickey, why do you think we’re going to do something to you? Why would we wanna hurt you?’ he said.
‘Look, I know that this is obviously a very crappy situation, but I assure you we have no intentions of harming you whatsoever.’
Stines said he was worried the transport would stop along the way, and someone else would get in the car and 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 him.
‘Come on, be fair to me now. I seen the look… Y’all come on now, don’t 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 me. Don’t punish me, you know. Let’s be fair. Don’t shoot me, nothing like that, he said.
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Stines had been a close friend to Mullins for around 30 years and the pair had even been seen dining together at a local restaurant for lunch just hours before the shooting
Stines eventually settled down, but became more paranoid when the troopers tried to question him about the shooting.
‘Y’all are gonna 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 me, I know you are. Let’s just get it over with. Let’s just go,’ he said.
Stamper eventually convinced Stines to go to the Leslie County Jail by agreeing to let Trooper Jason Bates, a former Letcher County deputy Stines knew well, be the one to drive him there.
Stines still appeared fearful and jumpy as he was led to the police car, peering around corners and scanning for potential threats everywhere.
Troopers tried to question Stines during the drive, but he stayed quiet.
Stines’ lawyers plan to present an insanity defense if the case goes to trial, claiming two weeks of intense stress drove him to murder.
Footage from just before the shooting showed Stines express concern about his family, and call his daughter from the judge’s phone.
He also told officers seconds after the shooting: ‘They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.’
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Stines was terrified of being transported to the Leslie County Jail, an hour’s drive away, and begged to be locked up in the one next door instead
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The shooting and the moments leading up to it, before Stines drew his gun and Mullins tried to hide behind his desk, were 𝒄𝒂𝓊𝓰𝒉𝓉 on film
Defense attorney Jeremy Bartley issued a legal filing saying his client’s state of mind at the time of the shooting would be key to his upcoming trial.
He said the case will hinge on testimony that Stines gave at a deposition for a lawsuit by Sabrina Adkins days before the September 2024 shooting.
Stines in that interview answered questions about one of his deputies allegedly sexually assaulting jail inmates.
An accuser in that case claimed that she was forced by a deputy sheriff to have 𝒔𝒆𝒙 in Mullins’ chambers for six months in exchange for staying out of jail.
Bartley claimed Stines was concerned about backlash from his deposition testimony, which caused him to fear that his or his family’s lives were in danger.
The attorney claimed Stines’ ‘mental health’ was affected by the perceived threat.
‘Ultimately, he was in fear for the safety of his wife and his daughter, and I think what you see there is the result of that,’ he wrote.
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Stines, seen in court in October 2024, is readying an insanity defense, with his attorneys saying his case will hinge on testimony that Stines gave at a deposition days before the September 2024 shooting
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Stines, seen in his mugshot, pleaded not guilty to murder charges following his arrest, and his attorney has indicated that he plans to issue an insanity defense at trial
Adkins accused Judge Mullins of inappropriate behavior, claiming she had witnessed him engaging in 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 acts with women in exchange for special treatment.
This lawsuit, filed in January 2022, claimed Mullins was involved in a 𝒔𝒆𝒙-for-favors scheme within his chambers.
Adkins also alleged former deputy Ben Fields was involved, having filmed 𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓉 encounters, some of which reportedly involved Mullins.
Stines, a close friend of Mullins for about 30 years, was mentioned in the legal proceedings just three days before the shooting.
‘I think the deposition has several important roles in this case… it’s going to be a large portion of the story we tell,’ Bartley said.
