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

[legalmomma]

"When he was taken into custody I was told by one of the other officers there that he said They are trying to kidnap my wife and kid"

 

[nao]

Moo...could be to do with drugs and/or ?....moo

 

[vls12345]

Yeah, nah. In my opinion, people who shoot someone eight times don't get a pass because they had an emotion. Especially people who know the law and represent the law and carry a service weapon.

MOO

And, it wasn't like he stood up & just unloaded his weapon. He moved around both sides of the desk as Judge Mullins tried to duck away. So he was hunting his prey, imo.

As I said, this was a straight-up execution. Imo.

 

[MassGuy]

I think manslaughter is already being mentioned because the defense knows the video will be unbeatable. Even tho lawyers can be quite creative with explanations I think this is over for Stines.

Yes. There’s no question that Stines committed the killing, so all they can do now is try and mitigate the punishment for it. It’s the difference between life in prison and a couple decades.

 

[vls12345]

Would MS have been tested for drugs/alcohol/etc. when he was arrested?

 

[tlcya]

Basically, he doesn't want to comment.

yep confirmed judge had Stines daughter's number in phone as we saw officer testifying to in the hearing. Didn't confirm or deny anything else. refused to confirm or deny what the nature of any relationship might be if one does exist. Simply referred to having questions just as the public does as to the reasons for that. Also refused to discuss if the daughter is a minor and says you can figure that out without my help basically.

(FYI she is reported to be 17 but I don't have a link handy so IMO MOO). Age of consent is 16 in KY but does have a qualifier that it is not cool if the adult involved is more than 10 years older than the young person.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Yes. There’s no question that Stines committed the killing, so all they can do now is try and mitigate the punishment for it. It’s the difference between life and prison and a couple decades.

And to be fair we don't really know that his motive was from any sort of logical point of view. There is a possibility there are non-criminal reasons that the judges phone number might be on his daughters phone without the Sheriff's prior knowledge.

Edit- correction; that his daughter's phone # was on the judges phone...

 

[Moonstrawbs]

And, it wasn't just like he stood up & unloaded his weapon. He moved around both sides of the desk as Judge Mullins tried to duck away. So he was hunting his prey, imo.

As I said, this was a straight-up execution. Imo.

He's very calm about it as well in my opinion, look at how he moved the chair out of his way. I don't know what I expected but that wasn't it. Jmo.

 

[tlcya]

"When he was taken into custody I was told by one of the other officers there that he said They are trying to kidnap my wife and kid"

so now two versions of this statement being reported. first was "he took my wife and kid". now "they are trying to kidnap my wife and kid" who stated this, was it in the hearing? Wondering if I fast forwarded past it. TIA

 

[MassGuy]

yep confirmed judge had Stines daughter's number in phone as we saw officer testifying to in the hearing. Didn't confirm or deny anything else. refused to confirm or deny what the nature of any relationship might be if one does exist. Simply referred to having questions just as the public does as to the reasons for that. Also refused to discuss if the daughter is a minor and says you can figure that out without my help basically.

(FYI she is reported to be 17 but I don't have a link handy so IMO MOO). Age of consent is 16 in KY but does have a qualifier that it is not cool if the adult involved is more than 10 years older than the young person.

His non-answer was an answer. If the daughter wasn’t part of the motive, I believe he would have firmly shot it down. He did not.

 

[Leilei]

Yes. There’s no question that Stines committed the killing, so all they can do now is try and mitigate the punishment for it. It’s the difference between life and prison and a couple decades.

Didn't realize that KY's death penalty was suspended in 2009.

Capital punishment in Kentucky - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[iamshadow21]

Yes. There’s no question that Stines committed the killing, so all they can do now is try and mitigate the punishment for it. It’s the difference between life and prison and a couple decades.

Kentucky technically still has the DP on the books, though it's been well over a decade since they executed anybody.

This part is of interest in this case:

The offender's act of killing was intentional and the victim was a state or local public official or police officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff engaged at the time of the act in the lawful performance of his duties;

MOO

 

[Leilei]

Would MS have been tested for drugs/alcohol/etc. when he was arrested?

Good question. I'm curious about that, too.

 

[arielilane]

Former Letcher Co. sheriff appears in court

Mickey Stines is charged with the murder of Kevin Mullins.

www.wymt.com

So defendant is not wearing any handcuffs or any shackles??? Is that correct?
I'm not clear on whether he's wearing any restraints. TIA


There's a new sheriff in town.

New Letcher Co. sheriff named

Billy Jones is in the position effective Tuesday.

www.wymt.com

 

[nerosleuth]

WYMT-TV has reported that a new sheriff for Letcher County was sworn in while Stines was having his preliminary hearing this afternoon.

Source:

New Letcher Co. Sheriff Named

 

[whitelilac]

His non-answer was an answer. If the daughter wasn’t part of the motive, I believe he would have firmly shot it down. He did not.

Yes, this. I agree.

 

[Leilei]

Former Letcher Co. sheriff appears in court

Mickey Stines is charged with the murder of Kevin Mullins.

www.wymt.com

So defendant is not wearing any handcuffs or any shackles??? Is that correct?
I'm not clear on whether he's wearing any restraints. TIA


There's a new sheriff in town.

New Letcher Co. sheriff named

Billy Jones is in the position effective Tuesday.

www.wymt.com

His wrists were shackled, not sure about his legs. IMO.

 

[Born2BWild]

Per Stamper, Stines only said "treat me fair".
I heard something about "they're trying to kidnap my wife and kid", what on earth???

Thank you! No one on STS brought up that the Sheriff said he was afraid or feared that “they’re trying to kidnap my wife and daughter”. Holy Mary!

Also Joel (from STS) repeated that the Sheriff has not seen his wife nor daughter. A week or so ago, Joel said he’d heard that the Sheriff refused to see them when they came to the jail. This is odd.

And lastly, the denial of sexual abuse involving his daughter was posted by the Sheriff’s wife’s sister-in-law, not his wife, on a page the relative created to raise money for his wife and daughter to live off of.

 

[tlcya]

His non-answer was an answer. If the daughter wasn’t part of the motive, I believe he would have firmly shot it down. He did not.

I don't know what his client has or hasn't told him. JMO This was a prelim hearing. The questions he asked lead me to believe that is what he was fishing for, confirmation that some sort of reason for the murder exists and the daughter is it. But that may just be because that is what Stines has suggested to him or the evidence thus far has suggested. I don't know that anything inappropriate has happened.

Also, how would a possible inappropriate relationship with Stines daughter factor in with his comment about "they" trying to abduct his wife and kid?? Who is they and where are they trying to abduct them to??

 

[vls12345]

Former Letcher Co. sheriff appears in court

Mickey Stines is charged with the murder of Kevin Mullins.

www.wymt.com

So defendant is not wearing any handcuffs or any shackles??? Is that correct?
I'm not clear on whether he's wearing any restraints. TIA


There's a new sheriff in town.

New Letcher Co. sheriff named

Billy Jones is in the position effective Tuesday.

www.wymt.com

At some point during the footage before the hearing started, it looked like MS did indeed have on handcuffs during the hearing. When he was being taken back out after the hearing, I thought I could hear chains clanking so I am guessing that he also had ankle cuffs that were dragging/clanking on the floor. All moo.