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

[Seattle1]

I’m not really concerned with motives as I don’t think the sheriff, who should be well acquainted with that concept of innocence/guilt, should know that vigilante justice is wrong, thinks he can overcome what he does on that video. I could be wrong but I think it’s over for the sheriff.

I think Stines believes he can prove something about his actions to save himself from being put to death but he has to know he will never see freedom again, and accepted this when he stood up, aimed, and pulled the trigger. JMO

 

[Dotta]

Right? I pictured the judges chamber to be dark wood, book shelves, Tiffany lamps. Not a janitorial closet.

Hehehe
Great expectations vs. the prose of life.

JMO

 

[New Penny]

I am listening again to the hearing and this is the exchange where the wife and daughter being kidnapped comes up.

First the witness talks about the sheriffs demeanor when he saw him after the shooting. He said he was calm, but he was kinda afraid... he said "treat me fair".

Defense attorney: Did he say something about protecting his family?

Witness: I wasn't present, but one of the other officers that was there when he was taken into custody told him Stines said "they're trying to kidnap my wife and kid"

Okay, so total speculation here: maybe wife and daughter of the sheriff were contemplating a way out of a less than ideal home environment (me, trying to be nice) and the judge was facilitating that? Hence the “their trying to kidnap my wife and daughter”?

 

[MassGuy]

Okay, so total speculation here: maybe wife and daughter of the sheriff were contemplating a way out of a less than ideal home environment (me, trying to be nice) and the judge was facilitating that? Hence the “their trying to kidnap my wife and daughter”?

Logically, that does make sense, and I've thought about a scenario like that myself. The counterpoint is that they seem to be standing by him, which I wouldn't expect if that scenario was true.

 

[Vaderman]

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

I thought that may have been a possibility, too.

I wonder why they presented the video in court edited as they did rather than in its entirety.

 

[MTW2011]

I am thinking the same.

The recent weight loss makes me think that some stress was happening (physical and/or emotional).

I'm wondering if a recent drug addiction contributed to the rapid weight loss and problems for his family.
His wife may have been trying to leave the marriage.

It's hard to escape a marriage if the controlling partner is LE.
IMHO Wife would have to escalate above his head to a judge to ensure her (and kid's) safety.
He's now proven to be capable of murder. Some men view their wives/children as property. They become enraged when their control is challenged and partners try to leave. They view themselves as victims and blame others so he feels like his property is being taken away from him unfairly, like a kidnapping.

This is an interesting perspective - thank you for adding it.

Do you think his wife and daughter would’ve sat behind him in court today if this were the case though? If it relates to his wife trying to leave him or something, im not sure they’d show up to still support him? But everybody’s different. A few local groups I’m a part of have shared that they were there sitting behind him today.

This is just a screen grab from the livestream but those 3 look like the photos of him with his wife, son, and daughter that I’ve seen shared. JMO

 

[MassGuy]

I thought that may have been a possibility, too.

I wonder why they presented the video in court edited as they did rather than in its entirety.

No reason to. All they were trying to show was that Stines was in fact the person who murdered the judge.

The whole video would be played at trial, and likely the grand jury before that.

 

[MTW2011]

The complaint (and amended complaint) in the lawsuit where 2 individuals were suing him (Stines) & one of his deputies is a really wild read. I’m attaching two portions of it, but this document can be found on PACER or Court listener by searching the Case number of 7:22-cv-00007-REW-EBA

“During these meetings Defendant Fields' behavior escalated from flirtatious comments to forcible kissing, to oral sex, to intercourse with Sabrina, all of which
occurred at the Letcher County Courthouse after hours, in Judge Mullins' Chambers (hereinafter the "sexual abuse").” -and-

“Upon information and belief Defendant Fields and other Letcher County Deputy
Sheriffs were aware of these allegations related to Sabrina in early December 2021. Upon information and belief Defendant Stines knew or should have known about these allegations related to Sabrina on or before early December 2021.”

I haven’t a clue how these allegations could be connecting to the “kidnap” comment shared in the hearing today though. JMOO.

 

[jbc]

Southern rural vigilante justice? Is that what this is?
Does the sheriff believe that his community will rally around him?

I was nearly killed in a very small rural community of a Southern state in a location where the assailant knew nobody would know or care. When the car of the assailant was identified, the sheriff's office wished me good recovery in the ICU I was being treated in, and eventual safe trip out of the state back home. No prosecution.
As a Northerner, I am deeply suspicious of the rural South and people like that KY Sherriff.
Perhaps a terrible thing may have happened to a family member of the KY Sherriff, but no pity from me since he appointed himself executioner. I don't care how bad.

I'm betting that the rural KY community will rally around the Sherriff once we know more.
It's how it works down there, from my experience.

 

[Seattle1]

I thought that may have been a possibility, too.

I wonder why they presented the video in court edited as they did rather than in its entirety.

Many reasons -- the intent here was just find cause to bind the matter over to a Grand Jury for Indictment where we many see revised and/or additional charges against Stines. The Court also does not want to prejudice the jury pool by releasing more than necessary for probable cause. The rest of the decisions moving forward will be made in secret until trial (i.e., secret grand jury). JMO

 

[m00c0w]

I find it incredibly hard to believe that the daughter being called on both phones is unrelated to the motive of the shooting. What that motive is, I'm still uncertain. There are many possibilities. I do think, however, it pretty clearly rules out all the theories about the deposition and lawsuit.

I do think it's interesting that the judge now has a camera in his office, which was not there when it was being used for the activities described in the lawsuit...

JMO

 

[al66pine]

Pic of Stines' Daughter?

View attachment 534691
Shawn “Mickey” Stines had a preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024

View attachment 534692
Supporters of Shawn “Mickey” Stines sat behind him at his preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024
10/1/2024

sbm @arielilane As always, thanks for link w pix.

In ^ pic of Stines' dau & wife, the dau looks sooo much different from the soc. media vid I saw several days ago, w Stines in car (or pickup?) w dau. in backseat, when they were singing & clowning around w "I Shot the Sheriff."

IDK how old the vid was, but the waaay different look (imo) made me wonder if it is the same teen.

 

[Seattle1]

Southern rural vigilante justice? Is that what this is?
Does the sheriff believe that his community will rally around him?

I was nearly killed in a very small rural community of a Southern state in a location where the assailant knew nobody would know or care. When the car of the assailant was identified, the sheriff's office wished me good recovery in the ICU I was being treated in, and eventual safe trip out of the state back home. No prosecution.
As a Northerner, I am deeply suspicious of the rural South and people like that KY Sherriff.
Perhaps a terrible thing may have happened to a family member of the KY Sherriff, but no pity from me since he appointed himself executioner. I don't care how bad.

I'm betting that the rural KY community will rally around the Sherriff once we know more.
It's how it works down there, from my experience.

@jbc , Thanks for sharing your experience.

I must say that I've been taken aback at the amount of support I've seen online for Stines where viewers do not voice a belief that Stines is innocent but instead voice their support that he was somehow "justified" in shooting a sitting Judge in his Chambers eight times!

Huh?

Here, the term "justified" has nothing to do with a legal shooting. Seems to me there are a few non-negotiables in KY that can get you killed, and if you're from the area, you know these rules. It's like they are in the water you drink every day --so there's no excuse.

Just my observation.

 

[Seattle1]

Pic of Stines' Daughter?

sbm @arielilane As always, thanks for link w pix.

In ^ pic of Stines' dau & wife, the dau looks sooo much different from the soc. media vid I saw several days ago, w Stines in car (or pickup?) w dau. in backseat, when they were singing & clowning around w "I Shot the Sheriff."

IDK how old the vid was, but the waaay different look (imo) made me wonder if it is the same teen.

I read a comment earlier today that the Inside Edition car pic/video battle of the songs was 8 years ago!

 

[al66pine]

I read a comment earlier today that the Inside Edition car pic/video battle of the songs was 8 years ago!

Thx so much, @Seattle1.

Eight years ago.
Well, no wonder she looked so different today.

(I remember song from 1970's w Bob Marley, before Eric Clapton did a cover.)

 

[fred&edna]

I think the Sheriff had his daughters phone; had reviewed it in detail, and may have set this up to prove actually the numbers (if fake) were the ones being used. So get the judges phone press "Eliza", and daughters phone rings. Then bango...

But, wouldn't LE have his daughter's phone now (and undergoing forensic exam with the other phones)? Stamper stated on the stand they didn't have daughter's phone. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the theory of Stines having daughter's phone.

 

[KonaHonu]

I read a comment earlier today that the Inside Edition car pic/video battle of the songs was 8 years ago!

I had a link to it but it has been made private. The repost I saw was from July 6, 2018 but the original video could have been from 8 years ago.

 

[MassGuy]

But, wouldn't LE have his daughter's phone now (and undergoing forensic exam with the other phones)? Stamper stated on the stand they didn't have daughter's phone. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the theory of Stines having daughter's phone.

It makes zero sense. They have 3 phones in custody (sheriff, judge, and a sheriff’s department employee I believe).

Both the sheriff and judge called the daughter’s phone number. Yes, you can verify communication through phone carriers and those phones themselves, but you’d also want the daughter’s phone to see if there are any other evidentiary communications.

Text messages can be deleted for instance, but they may still exist on another device.

 

[Seattle1]

But, wouldn't LE have his daughter's phone now (and undergoing forensic exam with the other phones)? Stamper stated on the stand they didn't have daughter's phone. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the theory of Stines having daughter's phone.

You heard right!

 

[Kemug]

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.

Maybe as an upholder of the law, he somehow saw it as his right to dispense justice.