WHITESBURG, Ky. (TCN) — A local sheriff turned himself in to law enforcement after he allegedly shot and killed a 54-year-old district court judge in the victim’s office.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, at approximately 2:55 p.m., Kentucky State Police received a call regarding a shooting at the Letcher County Courthouse. Troopers arrived on scene and found Judge Kevin Mullins suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. State police said the preliminary investigation indicates that Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines fatally shot Mullins following an argument. Stines was arrested without incident and charged with first-degree murder.
Letcher County Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler recused himself from potentially prosecuting the case because he and Mullins were brothers-in-law.
According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Mullins was appointed to the bench in 2009 by then-Gov. Steve Beshear. Before that, he worked in the Letcher County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
The Louisville Courier Journal reports that in 2022, a woman alleged in a lawsuit that Letcher County Deputy Ben Fields allegedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him in exchange for “favorable treatment.” The suit claimed the woman was “coerced and compelled to comply with defendant Fields’ advances” because she could not afford an ankle monitor for house arrest “and did not want to return to Letcher County Jail.”
Stines was named as a co-defendant, claiming he did not train Fields appropriately. The sexual encounters allegedly occurred in Mullins’ judge chambers in the courthouse, but it is not clear if Mullins was involved or knew about it.
Stines reportedly later fired Fields for “conduct unbecoming.” The Mountain Eagle reports Fields was sentenced in January to six months in jail and 6 1/2 years of probation after he pleaded guilty to rape.
According to The Associated Press, Stines was deposed on Monday in connection with the suit.
Stines reportedly went to Mullins’ office and asked him to sign some papers and they were about to get lunch together before the shooting occurred. The Associated Press reports Stines worked as a bailiff in Mullins’ courtroom before he was elected sheriff.