Tiny Kentucky town is rocked as their sheriff is jailed in the killing of a prominent judge

Bruce Schreiner & Dylan Lovan, Associated Press

WHITESBURG, Ky. (AP) — Residents of a mini Appalachian municipality struggled Friday to header pinch a shooting involving 2 of its astir salient citizens: a judge who was gunned down successful his courthouse chambers and a section sheriff charged pinch his murder.

“It’s conscionable truthful sad. I conscionable dislike it,” said Mike Watts, nan Letcher County circuit tribunal clerk. “Both of them are friends of mine. I’ve worked pinch some of them for years.”

It wasn’t clear what led to nan shooting. The preliminary investigation indicates Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines changeable District Judge Kevin Mullins aggregate times pursuing an statement wrong nan courthouse, according to Kentucky State Police.

Mullins, 54, who held nan judgeship for 15 years, died astatine nan scene, and Stines, 43, surrendered without incident. He was charged pinch 1 count of first-degree murder.

The fatal shooting stunned nan tight-knit municipality of Whitesburg, nan region seat, pinch a organization of astir 1,700 people, 145 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of Lexington.

Stines was deposed connected Monday successful a suit revenge by 2 women, 1 of whom alleged that a lawman forced her to person activity wrong Mullins’ chambers for six months successful speech for staying retired of jail. The suit accuses nan sheriff of “deliberate indifference successful failing to adequately train and supervise” nan deputy.

The now-former lawman sheriff, Ben Fields, pleaded blameworthy to raping nan female captive while she was connected location incarceration. Fields was sentenced this twelvemonth to six months successful jailhouse and past six and a half years connected probation for rape, sodomy, perjury and tampering pinch a captive monitoring device, The Mountain Eagle reported. Three charges related to a 2nd female were dismissed because she is now dead.

Stines fired Fields, who succeeded him arsenic Mullins’ bailiff, for “conduct unbecoming” aft nan suit was revenge successful 2022, The Courier Journal reported astatine nan time.

Those who cognize some nan sheriff and nan judge had thing but praise for them, recalling really Mullins helped group pinch constituent maltreatment upset get curen and really Stines led efforts to combat nan opioid crisis. They worked together for years and were friends.

Those who knew Stines besides were struggling to understand really personification they described arsenic a family man could termination someone.

This booking photograph provided by Leslie County Detention Center successful Kentucky connected Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 shows Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines. | (Leslie County Detention Center via AP)

Jessica Slone, a distant comparative of Stines’ and a lifelong resident of Letcher County, said she was shocked erstwhile she heard nan news. She was astatine nan dollar shop pinch her nephew erstwhile he told her Mullins had been shot.

“I was for illustration seriously? Is he okay? And he said ‘No, he’s dead,’” she said. “But astatine nan time, I didn’t cognize that Mickey had done it. When I recovered retired I was market shopping and I sewage really affectional and started praying.”

She said Stines was adjacent pinch his children and worked difficult to get fentanyl and methamphetamine disconnected nan streets of nan organization and thief group dealing pinch constituent usage upset get into recovery.

Patty Wood, nan widow of District Judge Jim Wood, Mullins’ predecessor, said she has been adjacent friends pinch Stines and his family for years. She said she was shocked by nan shooting and nan apprehension of Stines.

“You couldn’t find a amended personification connected nan look of nan world than Mickey Stines. I don’t cognize what happened,” she said.

“I cognize Mickey’s character. And I cognize location had to beryllium thing that did it,” she said. “I conscionable cannot judge that he conscionable went successful and changeable him for nary reason.”

Jennifer L. Taylor, a Whitesburg attorney, said Stines has a large bosom and was looking guardant to retiring from rule enforcement, she said. In a caller speech pinch her, Stines brought up that he mightiness spell to rule school. Mullins, she said, “took his clip retired to perceive to people.”

“Keep our organization successful prayers,” Taylor said. “It’s going to beryllium a unsmooth time.”

Several group besides reflected connected really a comparatively quiet time successful tribunal quickly turned chaotic.

Watts said he saw Mullins and Stines together soon earlier noon Thursday — astir 3 hours earlier nan shooting — erstwhile he went into nan judge’s chambers to inquire him to motion immoderate papers. Mullins and Stines were getting fresh to spell retired to luncheon together, Watts said.

It seemed for illustration an mean interaction, isolated from that Stines seemed quieter than usual. He thought nan brace had a bully moving narration and knew of thing that could person prompted nan convulsive encounter.

Watts, who was connected different level successful nan courthouse, ne'er heard immoderate shots and only learned of nan shooting shooting erstwhile his boy called to show him location was an “active shooter” successful nan courthouse.

Taylor said she was astatine her rule agency a short region from nan courthouse, erstwhile nan shooting happened Thursday. “We conscionable saw cars flying by,” she said. “I’m still successful shock. It’s unreal.”

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said his agency will collaborate pinch a location commonwealth’s lawyer arsenic typical prosecutors successful nan criminal case, since nan lead region prosecutor, Matt Butler, recused himself and his office. Butler said he and nan judge joined 2 sisters, and their children enactment for illustration siblings.

“We will afloat analyse and prosecute justice,” Coleman said connected societal media.

Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter was successful Whitesburg connected Friday and said he was visiting to show his support for nan organization and “our Kentucky Court of Justice family,” he said. “They are evidently successful daze and grieving.”

VanMeter commented connected nan swirl of societal media speculation astir what triggered nan shooting.

“I cognize it’s difficult to do, but I would dream that group connected societal media would conscionable respect their privateness and their condolences and fto them mourn,” he said. “It’s conscionable a tragic, horrific situation.”

Letcher County’s judge-executive closed nan region courthouse connected Friday.

It was unclear whether Stines had an lawyer — authorities constabulary referred inquires to a spokesperson who did not instantly respond by email.

Mullins served arsenic a territory judge successful Letcher County since he was appointed by erstwhile Gov. Steve Beshear successful 2009 and elected nan pursuing year.

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Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.