There were sobs as the court was shown footage of a Kentucky sheriff shooting dead a judge after finding his daughter’s number on the victim’s phone.
Lechter County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, appeared on surveillance footage in the inner chamber of his longtime “friend,” District Court Judge Kevin Mullins.
In the chilling clip played in the opening minutes of his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Stines shot Mullins, 54, repeatedly as he sat at his desk.
Mullins tried to cower behind the desk and chair in the corner of the room as Stines continued shooting, before eventually walking out of the room.
As the video played, sobs could be heard from the public gallery. Two women were seen comforting each other after watching the gruesome clip.
The court heard that Stines found his daughter’s number on Mullins’ phone and attempted to call his daughter from the judge’s phone, amid continued speculation about a possible motive for the shooting.
In the chilling footage played in the opening minutes of his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Stines shot Mullins, 54, repeatedly as he sat at his desk.
Mullins tried to cower behind the desk and chair in the corner of the room as Stines continued shooting, before eventually walking out of the room.
When he discovered his daughter’s number in the phone he jumped to his feet within ‘seconds’, the court heard. He then opened fire.
No further background was shared.
The video and new details come as the court tries to determine if there is enough evidence for Stines to face a grand jury.
He pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.
The judge ruled there was probable cause and had the case referred to a grand jury.
Police allege Stines shot and killed Mullins at the County Courthouse in Whitesburg Kentucky on September 19.
Lechter County Sheriff Mickey Stines, 43, is accused of shooting his “friend,” Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, at the County Courthouse in Kentucky in September
Mullins was appointed judge in the state’s 47th District in 2009 under former Gov. Steve Beshear
According to Kentucky State Police Detective Clayton Stamper, who is the lead investigator on the case, the men appeared to be having a conversation on their cellphones moments before the alleged shooting.
“Stines uses his phone to make some phone calls, he then borrows the judge’s phone and appears to make the call with it, and that led to what you just saw,” Stamper told the court.
The duo had been having lunch earlier in the day with several other friends, one of whom reported that Mullins asked Stines, “Should we meet privately, in my room?”
Under cross-examination, Stamper was asked if he had any evidence indicating this shooting was premeditated.
The video comes as the court tries to determine if there is enough evidence for Stines to face a grand jury. He pleaded not guilty to a murder charge
Mullins appeared in court via video link from the Leslie County Jail, 50 miles from Whitesburg
“No,” he said.
He was then asked if there was any evidence so far that would show the shooting was “not a response to what was on that phone.”
“No,” he said again.
Stamper confirmed in court that Stines’ daughter was questioned by police. The interview took place in the presence of her mother.
A total of three mobile phones are currently being downloaded in a forensic laboratory and will be part of the investigation.
Police allege Stines walked into the judge’s outer office, told court staff he needed to speak to Mullins alone, and then shot him as soon as they entered the inner office.
Stines then walked outside with his hands raised and surrendered to officers, who handcuffed him. He was charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Mullins was appointed as a judge in the state’s 47th District under former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009.
Stines was elected sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022
Stines and Mullins had worked together on drug policy in rural Kentucky, which had been hit hard by the opioid epidemic
He oversaw juvenile cases, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic violations, arraignments, probable cause hearings, claims valued at $2,500 or less, civil cases valued at $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitment cases, and cases of domestic violence. according to a Letcher County website.
Mullins was also recognized for his efforts to treat people with drug addiction instead of incarcerating them. He started a program in 2010 that allowed inmates with substance abuse disorders to enroll in inpatient treatment as a condition of pretrial release.
Previously, he served as an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for nine and a half years, focusing on drug-related crimes.
Stines, meanwhile, was elected sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
The two men were reportedly friends for 20 years before the incident.
Stines could face the death penalty if convicted of murder because Mullins was a public servant.
