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

[justtrish]

I hope I can state a theory based on what little evidence we have thus far, as it relates to the comment about the sheriff saying "they are trying to take my wife and daughter." I am wondering if there is a chance that the judge was having an affair with the wife of the sheriff. Or maybe even more innocently, perhaps there was trouble in the family and the judge was intervening as a friend. Sometimes, when 2 families are close and something goes awry, perhaps the mom and daughter may reach out to the "uncle" to help out in the situation. I guess I am just trying to say there are a LOT of reasons outside of what many are hinting at that could have been why the judge had the daughters phone number.

We know that the sheriff was having some type of issue in the months prior to the shooting. He didn't plan to seek reelection and it's been said he was going to retire. We know he had this deposition on that Monday before the shooting.

So I think it's possible something was going on with him that caused his family to reach out to Judge Mullins to try to help him or to make him aware of how bad it was. Maybe they were working with him to try to get the sheriff some help for something?? Losing weight and not sleeping along with paranoia could be drugs or some other addiction? That could lead someone to not run again and to retire. Maybe the family was reaching out to Mullins and not the other way around?

 

[acehard]

that is the 100K question I think. Who is they and what were they doing or what did the sheriff THINK they were doing??

Aliens

 

[Soulmagent]

I disagree currently about the extreme emotional defense bit.

But I would like to get your thoughts on the bit Stines said about "they are trying to abduct kidnap my wife and kid" business and how that factors in to the idea that his motive (whether he was correct or not) seems to be about his daughter. Because that has me stymied and I cannot for the life of me figure out what MS may have meant by making that statement upon turning himself in.

I dont disagree , I think some peoples emotional breaks look different . We have not even heard from MS .
It goes to motive . Was he motivated to murder was the motivation a thing that should be considering at sentencing ?
The grand jury happening will be way more important to be prepared for and I think this Lawyer has a very rough draft of the day the murder happened so far.
But the phone of the lunch

 

[Soulmagent]

My interpretation was that the daughter told LE what the phone calls between her and the judge were about.

Then she could be compelled to testify .

 

[Vaderman]

Stines could have manually dialed his daughters phone number. JMO

This was where my mind went when reading about placing the calls. That he manually typed in the number and when (and possibly what?) it popped up as a saved contact on the Judge's phone, the murder commenced.

 

[cocomod]

I honestly don’t know why, but from the very beginning, This case has been giving me vibes of Aaron Harper and Jack Cooper. Best friends for life that ended in murder

As I stated before... That case ruined 2 families. So.very.sad! (see story here:

)


However, now I am wondering since the "kidnap" statement... Did he actually think that the judge was maybe helping his wife and daughter "get away" from him? Possibly the judge was helping the wife to leave... Maybe there was trouble in their marriage and the daughter reached out to the judge for help... His being quiet/troubled for some time before this hints to me that there was possibly several issues at play here.

 

[tlcya]

As I stated before... That case ruined 2 families. So.very.sad!

However, now I am wondering since the "kidnap" statement... Did he actually think that the judge was maybe helping his wife and daughter "get away" from him? Possibly the judge was helping the wife to leave... Maybe there was trouble in their marriage and the daughter reached out to the judge for help... His being quiet/troubled for some time before this hints to me that there was possibly several issues at play here.

yep, seems entirely possible to me.

 

[Seattle1]

about 46:00 is the statement "They were trying to kidnap my wife and kid"
Sorry I was watching the live video and the previous timestamp was as I was watching it.

From lead investigator Clayton Stamper, KSP, he personally observed Stines as mostly calm and that he requested Stamper treat him fair. Stamper testified he later heard from others that when Stines was in custody, he also stated "they're trying to kidnap my wife and kid."

IMO, context matters. Present tense would appear as if Stines thought his wife and kid were under threat, and I'm assuming he believed Mullins was behind the threat. I dunno -- seems to me Stines was suffering from paranoia and had been for at least a month. JMO

 

[Parsnip]

Posting this link primarily for the courtroom photos from the hearing today:

Former Kentucky sheriff Shawn 'Mickey' Stines attends preliminary hearing

Kentucky sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines, accused of killing Judge Kevin Mullins, attends a preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court.

www.courier-journal.com

 

[PrairieWind]

Then she could be compelled to testify .

That isn't entirely true. She is a minor if what i understand is correct. So it would really depend on who wants to compel her, for what, and how/when.

 

[Soulmagent]

Then she could be compelled to testify .

I will find it shocking if she does not end up on the stand. She would be a witness to whatever state of mind he was in , the only way I see her not being called is if the defense does not call her.

Is all the talk of the weight loss and drug use stemming from somewhere ?

 

[arielilane]

Shawn “Mickey” Stines had a preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024




Supporters of Shawn “Mickey” Stines sat behind him at his preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024




Commonwealth Attorney Jackie Steele asked questions of KSP Detective Clayton Stamper at Shawn “Mickey” Stines preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024


Photo of judge supporter (one person shown) not shown below, too large of a photo.

Supporters of District Judge Kevin Mullins, killed in September, sat behind the Commonwealth Attorney at Shane “Mickey” Stines preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024




KSP Detective Clayton Stamper was the only one who testified at Shawn “Mickey” Stines preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024


Additional photos at link:

Former Kentucky sheriff Shawn 'Mickey' Stines attends preliminary hearing

Kentucky sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines, accused of killing Judge Kevin Mullins, attends a preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court.

www.courier-journal.com

10/1/2024

 

[Dotta]

This was where my mind went when reading about placing the calls. That he manually typed in the number and when (and possibly what?) it popped up as a saved contact on the Judge's phone, the murder commenced.

Could it be
that she didn't answer Dad's call
but answered a call from Judge's phone?

Was it said during the proceedings?

JMO

 

[arielilane]

The preliminary hearing also introduced new information on events leading up to the fatal incident, including details of a luncheon attended by both men before the shooting occurred, as well as phone calls placed just before investigators allege Stines pulled the trigger.


When asked by defense attorney Jeremy Bartley whether Stines said anything about "protecting his family" when he was taken into custody, Stamper said Stines allegedly made a comment that, "They're trying to kidnap my wife and kid."


Later that day, Stines and Mullins were seen on video inside the judge's chambers, investigators said. In his testimony, Stamper said Stines subsequently made phone calls from his own phone as well as Mullins'. Those calls, Stamper testified, were to Stines' daughter. The video shown at the hearing did not include audio.

The phones have been sent to forensic teams for examination, Stamper said, though Stines' daughter’s phone has not been examined. The daughter has been interviewed by authorities, Stamper said.

What happened at the latest hearing for the Letcher County judge shooting

Police and prosecutors shared what took place before Sheriff Shawn 'Mickey' Stines allegedly shot and killed Judge Kevin Mullins.

www.courier-journal.com

10/1/2024

 

[Elley Mae]

I think there are so many reasons that the daughter & judge could have had each other's phone numbers. Way more innocent reasons than nefarious ones. (Emergency contact, babysitting, school/team sponsorships, families were supposedly friends so even just that, etc.)

I think MS decided something was fishy & let himself stew for awhile until he created something in his mind. It festered & he decided an execution was in order.

I was also kind of astonished to hear that LE had not yet questioned the daughter without a parent (her mom) present.

Imo.

Yeah but you’d think that with the close relationship between stines and mullins that stines would have known that, and it would not have been an issue.

Jmo

 

[Seattle1]

Stines said they are trying to kidnap both his wife and kid. He didn't say "he" but rather "they".

Who is "they" and why was both his wife and kid the alleged targets. If Stines felt that more than one person was a threat to his wife and kid why did he only shoot the judge and immediately surrender?

Something just isn't adding up here. JMO.

If a perceived threat to his family, I'd say it appears as if Stines thinks Mullins is behind the source of the threat. But I can't see Mullins threatening Stines to his face because these men have too much history whereas somebody trying covertly to get Stines to comply with something or someone to benefit or protect Mullins might be looked at differently by Stines. I'm beginning to think there could be some dirty deals happening in the county and the rich are protecting the rich. JMO

 

[legalmomma]

Curious how the deposition given to Stines Sept 16th, the Monday before the shooting, might relate? Did Stines receive info in the depo that led to his suspicions, which in turn led to the murder of the Judge in whose chambers the illicit sex acts were performed by the court officer/deputy charged and convicted in that case? hmmm

https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article292923989.html

 

[LadyL]

He did say it's his understanding one of them mentioned hearing someone say help or help me.. but it didn't sound like Judge Mullins.

It sounds like he was hesitant at first to comment on things he had no direct connection to, but then the attorney reminded him it was a preliminary hearing and hearsay was allowed. It is his job as the lead to know the ins and outs of what was going on so for him to struggle so much with stating things that were known to this point did seem odd. Maybe it was just being leery not to misstate things he didn't hear himself or see himself?

[bbm]

that's really sad
it probably was the judge but didn't sound like him because he'd been shot!

 

[mickey2942]

What I find interesting about this particular shooting, is that most courthouses now, if not all, make people go through metal detectors. The security guards won't let people in the courthouse with weapons.

But, the Sheriff doesn't have to go through any security. He is allowed in the area with his weapons.

That is why I think that a lot of places that screen for weapons, are not actually targeting the most likely threats, in a work place environment. The threat will be internal, rather than external.

 

[PrairieWind]

I would caution folks to put too much emphasis on the "kidnap" statement and trying to parse the words. It was as I understand, double hearsay at least, so perhaps not too reliable as to whether those were the actual words used.