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

[Chimera]

Vinnie Politan and Court TV focus on the phone in this analysis (approx. 17:00 in):

The Shooting Of Judge Kevin Mullins | Vinnie Politan Investigates

Vinnie Politan dissects the video and body language of Sheriff Shawn Stines shooting Judge Kevin Mullins.

www.courttv.com

Thanks for this ^^^ and the time stamp , @jlo6161a .
Going to watch it now !

 

[MassGuy]

IMO it looks like the screen on an iPhone when the phone is locked and it’s receiving a call. You can see the white circle on the bottom left of the screen that you would swipe over to answer the call, as well as what appears to be the phone number or contact name at the top of the screen.

An alarm on an iPhone displays an orange snooze button in the middle of the phone, and a smaller gray button centered at the bottom of the screen which I don’t see here.

IME, android devices have completely different interfaces that don’t match what is seen from the phone on the desk.

Screenshot of the phone from the video (zoomed in as far as YouTube would allow) posted upthread is attached.

All my opinion.

Yup, looks like a locked iPhone screen receiving a call to me. I also think I see a number and not a name, which tells me that caller is not in his contacts list.

 

[Chimera]

I've also got to ask what is up with that desk? It moves around almost like it is on wheels.

Couldn't see visible wheels on the bottom panels of the desk, but some are built with the wood panels outside of the wheels and mask them; if it wasn't wheeled, I doubt it would move the way it's doing with all of that clutter on top.
I'd imagine the stuffed square briefcase and the backpack belonged to Mullins, as Stines most likely came in with nothing except his wallet and his sidearm ?
Omo.

 

[MollyDDD]

So what causes a lawman to kill his friend, a sitting Judge, following a cordial lunch?

• From all signs visible in the released video, Stines was under no threat by Mullins.
• Even if Stines suspected there was phone contact between his teen daughter and Mullins, upon confirmation of this by looking at Mullins phone, he did not allow for any reasonable explanation by his friend before he immediately began firing his weapon at Mullins.
• There was no immediate threat to the daughter for her number to be in Mullins phone!
• There was no immediate threat to his wife.
• After wounding Mullins, as if to ensure he was dead, he stopped, fired additional shots at his fallen body, before exiting the room.
• I believe Stines made up his mind before he entered Mullins Chambers that if Mullins phone showed he had phone contact with his daughter, he was dead.
• Maybe Stines was having some paranoid, delusional thoughts....
• But from the evidence we have today, I think a jury would find him guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, because of those deliberate, additional shots before walking out of Chambers-- Stines intended for Mullins to be dead.
• Stines actions were hardly what's expected from a man under the oath of the elected County Sheriff -- instead he seemed immature, impulsive, irresponsible, and a sense of entitlement. IMO, Stines was like a time bomb, waiting to go off.
• And the arrogance of Stines to request to be treated fair!
• Mullins deserved to be treated fair too. He deserved far better than he received from both the Sheriff, and his friend! MOO

I agree with this but I can’t help but wonder if Stines fired those extra shots just to ensure that Mullins would never be able to reveal things that might negatively affect him. JMO

 

[MassGuy]

I agree with this but I can’t help but wonder if Stines fired those extra shots just to ensure that Mullins would never be able to reveal things that might negatively affect him. JMO

I think he fired those shots simply to finish what he started. The intent was to kill him, and he wanted to make sure it was done. I think he saw movement as he was leaving, and thought that maybe the judge was still alive.

 

[MollyDDD]

Bbm.
I agree.
Once the gun was pointed at him, I think Mullins was in mortal fear deep down inside.
My opinion was that he didn't expect this to happen !
Blindsided.
I do wonder about the motive and I guess we'll have to wait ; but I'm surprised they showed the actual shooting video.
I'd have thought only the jury would see that ?
Omo.

Yeah, why and who would want to make that public?

 

[Seattle1]

I agree with this but I can’t help but wonder if Stines fired those extra shots just to ensure that Mullins would never be able to reveal things that might negatively affect him. JMO

I don't doubt Stines intended to kill Mullins. As far as keeping Stines secret quiet, in town like Whitesburg, KY, if Mullins knew, chances are good somebody else in town new the secret too. JMO

 

[al66pine]

Judge's Desk Movement?

I've also got to ask what is up with that desk? It moves around almost like it is on wheels.

@rebelchild Like on casters. I see what you mean.

Vid clip* w Vinnie at 15:45 shows the floor pretty clearly. Imo looks like typical speckled vinyl composition tiles** (often used in commercial application) which are slick. Furniture on it moves easily. More easily than on deep pile carpet.
The judge's desk, w a shallow center (maybe) & no drawers on both sides, seems lightweight.

I'm not surprised that In lurching around during the shooting, the judge's actions moved the desk a couple times.

ETA: At ~15:45 vid mark, from what I see of judge's CHAIR, looks like it is not on casters, but not sure.

______________________
* The Shooting Of Judge Kevin Mullins | Vinnie Politan Investigates
** Kinda like this. Standard Excelon Imperial Texture Vinyl Composition Tile Flooring

 

[MollyDDD]

now I’m even more confused and curious about possible narratives and reasons that explain the series of events as we know them…

but with family in direct path of Milton I’m going to have to check in sporadically over the next few days

I hope they’re safe and will be okay.

 

[sunspun]

Judge's Desk Movement?

@rebelchild Like on casters. I see what you mean.

Vid clip* w Vinnie at 15:45 shows the floor pretty clearly. Imo looks like typical speckled vinyl composition tiles** (often used in commercial application) which are slick. Furniture on it moves easily. More easily than on deep pile carpet.
The judge's desk, w a shallow center (maybe) & no drawers on both sides, seems lightweight.

I'm not surprised that In lurching around during the shooting, the judge's actions moved the desk a couple times.

ETA: At ~15:45 vid mark, from what I see of judge's CHAIR, looks like it is not on casters, but not sure.

______________________
* The Shooting Of Judge Kevin Mullins | Vinnie Politan Investigates
** Kinda like this. Standard Excelon Imperial Texture Vinyl Composition Tile Flooring

Possibly he was kicking it himself on purpose, desperately trying to create something of a barrier between him and Stines.

 

[MollyDDD]

I don't doubt Stines intended to kill Mullins. As far as keeping Stines secret quiet, in town like Whitesburg, KY, if Mullins knew, chances are good somebody else in town knew the secret too. JMO

True that.

 

[Chimera]

Yeah, why and who would want to make that public?

Agreed.

They might have a difficult time even if they move to a new venue for the trial.
How will they find a jury who hasn't heard about this case and/or watched the video ?

Possibly he was kicking it himself on purpose, desperately trying to create something of a barrier between him and Stines.

Could Mullins have shoved the desk wildly at Stines and pinned him and then made his escape ?
I've probably watched too many movies.
Omo.

 

[Angelcat13]

now I’m even more confused and curious about possible narratives and reasons that explain the series of events as we know them…

but with family in direct path of Milton I’m going to have to check in sporadically over the next few days

Hoping your family and everyone else down there stays safe.

 

[MollyDDD]

I've wondered if I've taken the reports of the daughters phone being called from the judges phone out of context.

Maybe he was just calling her to say good bye? Because he knew what he was going to do. Or for whatever reason he wanted the judge to talk to the daughter, maybe to say something about the kidnapping claims or he wanted her to convince to judge of something?

I spent a ton of time researching the mountain eagle and past articles and the town definitely has lot of interesting folks, a slightly shifty legal/police system with a ton of nepotism within those systems. Judge Mullins often went against the da, especially when they tried to offer lighter sentences for SA, though he often went lighter on offenders with drug problems. Not even the
Sheriff comes off as shifty in the past articles... But a couple things did stand out to me, that deputies have been accused by many different people about stopping them or picking them up in their department vehicles to otherwise harass them if they thought they were a threat to their good ol boy system. Just my opinion from reading.

Well it certainly has the makings of an interesting movie. IMO

 

[MollyDDD]

Agreed.

They might have a difficult time even if they move to a new venue for the trial.
How will they find a jury who hasn't heard about this case and/or watched the video ?




Could Mullins have shoved the desk wildly at Stines and pinned him and then made his escape ?
I've probably watched too many movies.
Omo.

lol, only in the movies.

 

[MassGuy]

Agreed.

They might have a difficult time even if they move to a new venue for the trial.
How will they find a jury who hasn't heard about this case and/or watched the video ?




Could Mullins have shoved the desk wildly at Stines and pinned him and then made his escape ?
I've probably watched too many movies.
Omo.

His instinct was either to duck and cover, or he was too injured at that point to even try something like that.

That woman on the Court TV broadcast suggested what you’re suggesting, but I still think he’d be a dead man.

I think he was probably mortally wounded with that initial volley of shots anyway.

 

[Friday Fan]

I've wondered if I've taken the reports of the daughters phone being called from the judges phone out of context.

Maybe he was just calling her to say good bye? Because he knew what he was going to do. Or for whatever reason he wanted the judge to talk to the daughter, maybe to say something about the kidnapping claims or he wanted her to convince to judge of something?

I spent a ton of time researching the mountain eagle and past articles and the town definitely has lot of interesting folks, a slightly shifty legal/police system with a ton of nepotism within those systems. Judge Mullins often went against the da, especially when they tried to offer lighter sentences for SA, though he often went lighter on offenders with drug problems. Not even the
Sheriff comes off as shifty in the past articles... But a couple things did stand out to me, that deputies have been accused by many different people about stopping them or picking them up in their department vehicles to otherwise harass them if they thought they were a threat to their good ol boy system. Just my opinion from reading.

I don't think people call family members to say good bye like this. Now they do in the movies.....
Stines was a on mission. He was in a "zone". Calling a family member to "say good bye" would have broken that trance. Of course he called her, but I don't think anything "touchy feely" was behind those calls.

MOO I feel like the purpose of the calls was for a "justification" about what he intending to do..MOO

 

[al66pine]

Protective Vest?

.... Was MS wearing a Kevlar vest? Was he prepared for a confrontation with le? Moo.

sbm. @Parsnip. Hi, again.

1. From what I could see, no vest, nothing apparent imo.
Seems his shirt was a polo-style of thin knit fabric. It fit rather snugly around upper torso but more loosely at waist, w shoulder seam being kinda sloppy or low.
If he had been wearing a Kevlar or other vest, imo, we'd see outlines of it under the shirt, possibly even see the vest's seams underneath his shirt.

Maybe some else notices indications of a vest. Anyone? ICBWrong.

Starting at ~15:24 mark.
The Shooting Of Judge Kevin Mullins | Vinnie Politan Investigates

2. "prepared for a confrontation with le"
No opinion on whether he had prepared for that.

ETA: What's the black item on right side of waist?
I can't tell much about it. Item looks too chunky to be a phone or cuffs.

An extra magazine? Pretty common for LEO's to carry an EXTRA MAG.
Sometimes more than one.

If one of the BACKPACKS was Stines, he MAY have loaded it w more ammo, additional firearms, & other weapons.
Not saying he did. IDK.

 

[Friday Fan]

Protective Vest?

sbm. @Parsnip. Hi, again.

1. From what I could see, no vest, nothing apparent imo.
Seems his shirt was a polo-style of thin knit fabric. It fit rather snugly around upper torso but more loosely at waist, w shoulder seam being kinda sloppy or low.
If he had been wearing a Kevlar or other vest, imo, we'd see outlines of it under the shirt, possibly even see the vest's seams underneath his shirt.

Maybe some else notices indications of a vest. Anyone? ICBWrong.

Starting at ~15:24 mark.
The Shooting Of Judge Kevin Mullins | Vinnie Politan Investigates

2. "prepared for a confrontation with le"
No opinion on whether he had prepared for.

I did see something under his shirt, just has he is leaving and then returns. But that "something" could have been just Stines himself. (He is a large guy)

ETA: I think the something I see is just Stines.

 

[KonaHonu]

Yeah, why and who would want to make that public?

I think without the video, probable cause may have been harder to establish. The sheriff did not really confess. They probably had very little evidence other than his presence at the scene. I mean, yes, it was probably pretty obvious the sheriff shot the judge and that should be enough for probable cause. But it's not. The sheriff is the chief LEO for the county. He could have been doing his job. I'm not defending him. I'm just saying that he is in the special place of being authorized to kill people if they are committing a crime and resisting arrest.

Without the video, what would be the actual evidence that this was not a case of justifiable homicide by a LEO? The video was necessary to make it a slam dunk. The mere fact that 2 men went into a room and one ended up dead at the hands of the other does not necessarily meet the bar for probable cause for charging murder, especially when the killer is a sheriff who may quite literally has not only the authority but also the obligation to take the law into his own hands.
The prosecutors wanted him to stay in jail so they had to get that murder charge.

I think this is very personal and the sheriff was in the wrong. But his position as sheriff puts him in a special position so the prosecutor had to make it a slam dunk.

All MHO.