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Letcher County, KY Sheriff arrested in shooting death of District Judge (2 Viewers)

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Sheriff Mickey Stines was arrested after surrendering himself to police. The shooting occurred in the judge’s chambers about 3 p.m. this afternoon (September 19).
Stines allegedly walked into the judge’s outer office, told court employees and others gathered there that he needed to speak with District Judge Kevin D. Mullins alone. The two then went into the inner office, closed the door and those outside heard shots. Stines walked out with his hands up and surrendered to police.

Court employees were on the sidewalk outside the courthouse in shock following the shooting. Stines was handcuffed in the foyer of the courthouse. Officials expected the investigation to continue for several more hours.

Sheriff arrested in shooting death of District Judge - The Mountain Eagle

Kentucky State Police and Letcher County Coroner Perry Fowler were still at the Letcher County Courthouse at 5 p.m. today investigating the shooting death of Letcher District Judge Kevin D. Mullins, apparently by the Letcher County Sheriff. Officials say Sheriff Mickey Stines was arrested after...
www.themountaineagle.com www.themountaineagle.com
 
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Arguments persist over second mental evaluation of former Letcher Co. sheriff​

Prosecutors for the Commonwealth of Kentucky are continuing to push for a second mental health evaluation of Shawn Mickey Stines, the former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a judge in his chambers.


The Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center (KCPC) conducted a psychological evaluation of Stines and provided copies of the report to the court and parties involved in July. The defense has asked the court to unseal those findings, something prosecutors have opposed.

The Commonwealth filed a notice in early September 2025 stating that it planned to have its own expert examine Stines. On Sept. 3, 2025, Stines’s attorneys filed a response opposing a second evaluation, saying there was no precedent for doing so and that another exam was not necessary.

The defense argued that the KCPC evaluation was conducted to ensure fairness and met the legal requirement. Stines’s attorneys claimed there was no evidence to suggest another evaluation was needed and that the Commonwealth just wanted a second opinion.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a response to that argument. The defense had cited Kentucky law, stating that it allowed for “a” mental health examination, not multiple. However, the prosecution wrote in its response that nowhere in the law does it explicitly state that only one examination may be conducted.

The Commonwealth also disagreed with the defense’s interpretation of a previous ruling used in the argument against a second evaluation.

Prosecutors also noted that Kentucky law does not allow statements made by defendants during a mental health examination to be used as evidence in a trial. The examinations and any expert testimony stemming from them may only be used in regard to the defendant’s mental condition, prosecutors stated.

The Commonwealth argued that by saying he planned to use an insanity defense, Stines initiated inquiries into his mental health.

“Practically, to exercise the Commonwealth’s right to rebuttal, the Commonwealth must be provided with the opportunity to present expert testimony about the Defendant’s mental health,” prosecutors wrote. ” If the Defendant intends to use the evaluator from KCPC as a defense expert, that same witness cannot also serve as the Commonwealth’s expert. Thus, the Commonwealth should be entitled to seek its own expert.”

Attorneys on both sides of the case have filed numerous documents in September 2025, which have spawned ongoing arguments about the trial’s venue, bond for Stines and claims that the case ought to be dismissed due to misconduct at grand jury proceedings.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:

Arguments persist over second mental evaluation of former Letcher Co. sheriff​

Prosecutors for the Commonwealth of Kentucky are continuing to push for a second mental health evaluation of Shawn Mickey Stines, the former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a judge in his chambers.


The Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center (KCPC) conducted a psychological evaluation of Stines and provided copies of the report to the court and parties involved in July. The defense has asked the court to unseal those findings, something prosecutors have opposed.

The Commonwealth filed a notice in early September 2025 stating that it planned to have its own expert examine Stines. On Sept. 3, 2025, Stines’s attorneys filed a response opposing a second evaluation, saying there was no precedent for doing so and that another exam was not necessary.

The defense argued that the KCPC evaluation was conducted to ensure fairness and met the legal requirement. Stines’s attorneys claimed there was no evidence to suggest another evaluation was needed and that the Commonwealth just wanted a second opinion.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a response to that argument. The defense had cited Kentucky law, stating that it allowed for “a” mental health examination, not multiple. However, the prosecution wrote in its response that nowhere in the law does it explicitly state that only one examination may be conducted.

The Commonwealth also disagreed with the defense’s interpretation of a previous ruling used in the argument against a second evaluation.

Prosecutors also noted that Kentucky law does not allow statements made by defendants during a mental health examination to be used as evidence in a trial. The examinations and any expert testimony stemming from them may only be used in regard to the defendant’s mental condition, prosecutors stated.

The Commonwealth argued that by saying he planned to use an insanity defense, Stines initiated inquiries into his mental health.

“Practically, to exercise the Commonwealth’s right to rebuttal, the Commonwealth must be provided with the opportunity to present expert testimony about the Defendant’s mental health,” prosecutors wrote. ” If the Defendant intends to use the evaluator from KCPC as a defense expert, that same witness cannot also serve as the Commonwealth’s expert. Thus, the Commonwealth should be entitled to seek its own expert.”

Attorneys on both sides of the case have filed numerous documents in September 2025, which have spawned ongoing arguments about the trial’s venue, bond for Stines and claims that the case ought to be dismissed due to misconduct at grand jury proceedings.
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The thing is that another MH exam now would do nothing to show his mental state at the time of the murder, so i don't see the point of it.
 
The problem I'm having is who to side with. They all sound dirty and I'm having troublel trusting either side.

I think it was Brian Entin I watched who recently talked with the one woman and she said the sheriff was nice, however, she said he did know what was going on. It didn't sound as if he was one of them that was involved in the sex although she never explicitly said that, although she did about the judge. So that would have me leaning towards the sheriff, HOWEVER, he shot a defenseless man in cold blood so nope.
 
GrandmaBear said:
The problem I'm having is who to side with. They all sound dirty and I'm having troublel trusting either side.

I think it was Brian Entin I watched who recently talked with the one woman and she said the sheriff was nice, however, she said he did know what was going on. It didn't sound as if he was one of them that was involved in the sex although she never explicitly said that, although she did about the judge. So that would have me leaning towards the sheriff, HOWEVER, he shot a defenseless man in cold blood so nope.
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It's easier for me if I look at them as 2 separate, but intertwined issues.

1. A judge was murdered,
2. There's wider corruption that needs to be vigorously investigated.
 
RoundPeg said:
It's easier for me if I look at them as 2 separate, but intertwined issues.

1. A judge was murdered,
2. There's wider corruption that needs to be vigorously investigated.
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True but when I think of people in power and widespread corruption, I don't trust the court system, defense attys, etc. who all may have been involvled as we just don't know.

And if they are dirty in one way they probably are in many others like having a mental eval they may know will go their way. It just gives me a lot of distrust.

However, at its basis I agree, they are two separate issues. I's almost prefer they cleaned the bad guys out first though. I also don't trust that they will when they do. Call me cynical lol.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:

Arguments persist over second mental evaluation of former Letcher Co. sheriff​

Prosecutors for the Commonwealth of Kentucky are continuing to push for a second mental health evaluation of Shawn Mickey Stines, the former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a judge in his chambers.


The Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center (KCPC) conducted a psychological evaluation of Stines and provided copies of the report to the court and parties involved in July. The defense has asked the court to unseal those findings, something prosecutors have opposed.

The Commonwealth filed a notice in early September 2025 stating that it planned to have its own expert examine Stines. On Sept. 3, 2025, Stines’s attorneys filed a response opposing a second evaluation, saying there was no precedent for doing so and that another exam was not necessary.

The defense argued that the KCPC evaluation was conducted to ensure fairness and met the legal requirement. Stines’s attorneys claimed there was no evidence to suggest another evaluation was needed and that the Commonwealth just wanted a second opinion.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a response to that argument. The defense had cited Kentucky law, stating that it allowed for “a” mental health examination, not multiple. However, the prosecution wrote in its response that nowhere in the law does it explicitly state that only one examination may be conducted.

The Commonwealth also disagreed with the defense’s interpretation of a previous ruling used in the argument against a second evaluation.

Prosecutors also noted that Kentucky law does not allow statements made by defendants during a mental health examination to be used as evidence in a trial. The examinations and any expert testimony stemming from them may only be used in regard to the defendant’s mental condition, prosecutors stated.

The Commonwealth argued that by saying he planned to use an insanity defense, Stines initiated inquiries into his mental health.

“Practically, to exercise the Commonwealth’s right to rebuttal, the Commonwealth must be provided with the opportunity to present expert testimony about the Defendant’s mental health,” prosecutors wrote. ” If the Defendant intends to use the evaluator from KCPC as a defense expert, that same witness cannot also serve as the Commonwealth’s expert. Thus, the Commonwealth should be entitled to seek its own expert.”

Attorneys on both sides of the case have filed numerous documents in September 2025, which have spawned ongoing arguments about the trial’s venue, bond for Stines and claims that the case ought to be dismissed due to misconduct at grand jury proceedings.
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Can you say "cover up"?
 
Daughter of ex-KY sheriff charged with killing judge speaks out about case
The daughter of a former county sheriff charged with killing a judge last year took to social media this week to deny rumors the judge had an inappropriate relationship with her.

Lila Stines posted a pair of TikTok videos Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 urging people not to spread the rumor and claiming that any stories about her and “the other party” were made up.

“Do you all not have anything better to do than to sit and gossip?” she said. “You are taking my pain, and making it your pleasure. You’re taking our stories and turning them into big entertainment pieces, jokes, and for that matter, you’re making it your income. Since when did that become okay?”

The videos come after Lila Stines, who is now 18 but was a minor when the shooting happened, and her mother also denied to investigators that she had any contact with former Letcher County Judge Kevin Mullins, according to grand jury transcripts.


Clayton Stamper, a detective with Kentucky State Police, testified that the sheriff used Mullins’ phone to call his daughter before the shooting. In video footage of the shooting, Mickey Stines appears to ask for Mullins’ phone and make a call on it.

But Stamper said there was no evidence of previous communication between Mullins and the daughter, including through social media, texts or phone calls, according to grand jury transcripts.

Lila Stines’ videos this week went viral, increasing her follower count from about 950 to more than 7,000. She clarified in a second video that she wasn’t addressing the shooting specifically, only the rumors about a relationship with Mullins.

“I am aware of how serious this is and how much of a big deal this is,” Stines said. “I was not talking about news or social media; I was simply talking about the people who sit at home, behind a keyboard all day and say terrible things about my name.”
 
I watched a video of her videos last week. She seems mature for her age and was just matter of fact in them, not over the top, not over emotional. SHe really did not shed any insight on the case and would not talk of that and I'm sure she's been advised not to most likely. SHe does urge people to come forward, not to LE but I believe it was a PI about corruption or things they may know or experienced in this area...
 
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