Kentucky - Judge killed, sheriff arrested in Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024 # 2

[Elley Mae]

The daughter’s number was in the judge’s phone, Stamper said.

Court sees footage of Kentucky judge's courthouse shooting - WTVQ

WEST LIBERTY, Ky. (WTVQ) — Attendees in court on Tuesday afternoon saw video surveillance footage of the man police have identified as former Letcher County sheriff Mickey Stines shooting Judge Kevin Mullins to death in his own chambers last month. Audible cries were heard in the courtroom from...

www.wtvq.com

After the hearing, Bartley was asked if he believes there was an inappropriate relationship between Mullins and Stines’ daughter.

“I don’t want to comment on that,” Bartley responded. “I left the hearing today with a lot of questions still unanswered myself and there will be more light shed on the preceding events.”

 

[m00c0w]

Law & Crime did an interview with the defense attorneys yesterday. I haven’t seen it posted. Interview starts around 13 minutes.

 

[LadyL]

Retired Letcher County sheriff’s deputy Eugene Slone was heading out the door of his eastern Kentucky home Thursday when his phone buzzed.

“When they told me what had happened, I thought it was a dream,” Slone, 54, told The Washington Post. “I couldn’t believe it was real.”

Slone, the retired deputy, lost a race for sheriff to Stines in 2018 after he was laid off from the office. After the election, another former deputy sued Stines, accusing him of retaliating against her by refusing to rehire her from a layoff because she had supported Slone’s candidacy. The lawsuit was resolved in Stines’s favor.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/09/20/kentucky-judge-mullins-shooting-sheriff-stines/

“Some loved him, some didn’t like him,” Slone said of the sheriff. “Some say he picked and choosed who he busted.”

[bbm]

ok here we go
we knew there was more to the stories that he was the nicest guy ever

 

[Ontario Mom]

She is older then the Mullins children perhaps she baby sat them.

I've only seen pics of all of them in MSM articles (all posted here) but haven't seen any ages, other than Stines' daughter being 17. The other girls look much older but I cannot confirm that, it's jmo.

 

[Vegasgrl]

Maybe it's just me, and maybe I'm way too old fashioned but as a mom of 6 girls I find it highly inappropriate for a grown, married man to have a teenage girl's phone number that he isn't related to, or isn't an employee of his. In this case, neither applies.

Now if it turns out her number wasn't actually stored as a contact but only on the phone because her dad dialed it immediately prior to shooting Mullins, that's a different story. And yet, her number was still dialed immediately prior so it's pretty obvious she's connected in some awful way to what her dad did.

jmo

I agree. I also think these families were close for years, maybe closer than some relatives? Also, maybe the children had a relationship? IDK. Stines called his daughter and she didn't answer, but she answered for the judge's number...
I think that phone call during the lunch from the employee (who's phone is in custody) is also pertinent.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Stines called his daughter and she didn't answer, but she answered for the judge's number...

RSBM -- do we actually know this? I only recall someone speculating on this. Was it confirmed in the hearing?

 

[vls12345]

I agree. I also think these families were close for years, maybe closer than some relatives? Also, maybe the children had a relationship? IDK. Stines called his daughter and she didn't answer, but she answered for the judge's number...
I think that phone call during the lunch from the employee (who's phone is in custody) is also pertinent.

RSBM -- do we actually know this? I only recall someone speculating on this. Was it confirmed in the hearing?

It was specified in the hearing. From @Allabouttrial's awesome transcript:

DEFENSE - And have officers confirmed that the Sheriff's daughter's phone number was on Judge Mullens' phone?

DETECTIVE - Yes.

DEFENSE - So that number had been called from Judge Mullens' phone?

DETECTIVE - Yes.

Full transcript here:

Post in thread 'Kentucky - Judge killed, sheriff arrested in Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024'

Wednesday at 1:17 AM

Erm I apologise in advance for the length....

PROBABLE CAUSE HEARING

1ST OCTOBER

PROSECUTOR - Can you state your name for the record?

DETECTIVE - Clayton Stamper.

PROSECUTOR - How are you employed?

DETECTIVE - I'm a detective with the Kentucky State Police assigned to post 13 hazard.

PROSECUTOR - How long have you been employed?

DETECTIVE - I've been with KSP a little over 24 years. A detective since 2006.

PROSECUTOR - And have you in the (inaudible), have you investigated the death of Kevin Mullins?

DETECTIVE...

• Allabouttrial

• 
• 
• 

 

[Ladyotm]

I do not want it to seem I'm excusing what happened. Is it possible to, Stines was experiencing some type of mental break down and was acting out at home? Maybe paranoid, verbal, or physically abusive and the daughter has reached out to the judge for help? Maybe the daughter's phone was used for Stines wife and the judge to communicate as they formulated a plan to get the family to safety? All just my opinion/thoughts on what could have happened.

 

[RANCH]

RSBM -- do we actually know this? I only recall someone speculating on this. Was it confirmed in the hearing?

I don't believe we heard that Stines daughter answered the call placed from the judges phone and not her fathers. JMO.

 

[RANCH]

I agree. I also think these families were close for years, maybe closer than some relatives? Also, maybe the children had a relationship? IDK. Stines called his daughter and she didn't answer, but she answered for the judge's number...
I think that phone call during the lunch from the employee (who's phone is in custody) is also pertinent.

I believe it was text messages sent by Stines to his employee about the lunch and not a phone call.

A woman reportedly employed by the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office also gave her phone to investigators to be examined. Stamper testified that she was one of Stines’ employees and believed she’d received text messages from Stines that detailed what occurred at lunch and ultimately led to the shooting.

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/former-letcher-county-sheriff-accused-of-killing-judge-to-appear-in-court/?nxsparam=1

 

[RANCH]

I noticed this from the link i posted above.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart told FOX 56 News on Wednesday that contrary to how it was stated in court, investigators won’t know if her number was saved in Mullins’ phone until forensic reports come back in a few weeks. However, the call log reportedly showed her number had been called prior to the shooting.

So LE doesn't know if Stines daughters phone number was saved in the judges phone contacts at this time. JMO.

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/former-letcher-county-sheriff-accused-of-killing-judge-to-appear-in-court/?nxsparam=1

 

[Seattle1]

I agree. I also think these families were close for years, maybe closer than some relatives? Also, maybe the children had a relationship? IDK. Stines called his daughter and she didn't answer, but she answered for the judge's number...
I think that phone call during the lunch from the employee (who's phone is in custody) is also pertinent.

From sworn testimony during the preliminary hearing, there is no confirmation that any call was answered. We only know that Stines used his phone, and the phone of Judge Mullins, to call his daughters phone.

 

[Vegasgrl]

From sworn testimony during the preliminary hearing, there is no confirmation that any call was answered. We only know that Stines used his phone, and the phone of Judge Mullins, to call his daughters phone.

Yes, thank you for the correction. I tried to go back and edit, but I don't have the option.

 

[Angelcat13]

Maybe it's just me, and maybe I'm way too old fashioned but as a mom of 6 girls I find it highly inappropriate for a grown, married man to have a teenage girl's phone number that he isn't related to, or isn't an employee of his. In this case, neither applies.

Now if it turns out her number wasn't actually stored as a contact but only on the phone because her dad dialed it immediately prior to shooting Mullins, that's a different story. And yet, her number was still dialed immediately prior so it's pretty obvious she's connected in some awful way to what her dad did.

jmo

If the Judge had the Sheriff’s daughter’s phone number STORED in his phone UNDER A FAKE NAME - to me it would most likely NOT be gor a legitimate/appropriate reason.

But if the Sheriff’s daughter’s phone number was stored in the Judge’s under her REAL NAME I wouldn’t be able to believe - beyond a reasonable doubt - that it was definitely for some nefarious reason. I live in a relatively small town - about 3,600 people, 2 Churches, 1 traffic light and most people know (or at least know of) almost everyone. My son just turned 21 y/o and we are good friends with his best friend since they were 4 y/o - they even dated twin sisters for about 3 yrs. I have the parents’ numbers in my phone along with my son’s friend & the friend’s older brother (who was in my daughter’s class & on the same co-ed winter indoor soccer team because we didn’t even have enough kids for a boys team a
nd a girls team. My point is, it could just be because the families had a good relationship. Maybe the daughter took care of pets, watered plants, brought in mail, etc if they were away and her number was in both the Judge’s phone AND his wife’s phone for purely innocent reasons. We just don’t know at this point.