Kentucky - Judge killed, sheriff arrested in Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024 # 3

[Angelcat13]

I can't find the post right now but I believe it was within the last month and it had to do with Stines becoming very "paranoid" after his deposition. There have been several posts throughout this thread wondering why Stines may have been paranoid. His paranoia seems to have been about him being extremely fearful about his safety and the safety of his family. Some have questioned/doubted how he, as the Sheriff, could be so paranoid about this since he is a high-ranking law enforcement official in the town.

I can speak from personal experience that paranoia for your own safety and/or the safety of your loved ones can be extremely mind-altering - especially when you fear that the very people you are supposed to trust and that are supposed to uphold the law ("Protect & Serve") are the people you are afraid of - especially if you have proof or reason to believe that there is a network of dangerous corruption. Imagine living every moment with an intense fear of the people your are surrounded by, not knowing who you can trust and who may be in on the conspiracy/danger. You can't sleep or eat and that leads to more paranoia and unclear thinking. It could be that something that came out in the deposition may have reinforced Stines' fear that he didn't know who may be involved, who could be trusted and may be extremely dangerous if they were afraid of being exposed for something that could have cost them their job, their reputation, their family and even their freedom. It becomes like a scratched record (if anyone remembers these!) and just keeps repeating over and over again until nothing seems real or safe.

Unless you have been in this situation you have no idea what lengths you may go to protect yourself and your family, especially if the person(s) you are afraid of is in a position of power and has repeatedly said to you and shown you that others in power are on their side, too. It's very easy to say, "go to the police, the prosecutor, etc", but if the person you are terrified of is one of those very people you have no idea where to turn.

Remember Skidmore, MO?

Ken McElroy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Luna20]

The court room ,is not just a place. It is the place and in no way should anyone give up our rights to be held a PUBLIC trial. Sometimes these old skool rights matter.

That was my point to Op. “Best place” is what I was referring to because there is ‘no other place’ to hold a trial. These are rules of order that have been in place for centuries for a reason.

 

[Luna20]

Imo, Answers given at dispositions can lead to legal action, depending. Sheriff was up to no good and thought the judge was gonna be a good ol boy like him, but the judge had no interest in playing good ol boy and the sheriff shot him. I'm sure the sheriff was under mental distress, brought on by his own actions, no one elses. Mickey was floundering as a sheriff and since he couldn't even keep a single deputy from using the court house for rendezvous with criminals he met through court... No one could say that about the judge, oh well, except someone who was already a victim of fields, and considering fields was far more friendly and personal with the sheriff that the judge, it is hard to believe, since nothing else has come out.

Sure the judge could be corrupt but nothing really substantial has come out, and fingers clearly point to the corrupted parties. Poor judge.

Can you please post the link to this info?

“but the judge had no interest in playing good ol boy”

“A single deputy from using the courthouse for rendezvous”

 

[Soulmagent]

That was my point to Op. “Best place” is what I was referring to because there is ‘no other place’ to hold a trial. These are rules of order that have been in place for centuries for a reason.

but I just knew someone was going to post something like Professional juries or something that lets us know they really don't care or respect the legal rights all defendants have to have so that we keep our courts as fair as we can..

 

[OldAce]

I can't find the post right now but I believe it was within the last month and it had to do with Stines becoming very "paranoid" after his deposition. There have been several posts throughout this thread wondering why Stines may have been paranoid. His paranoia seems to have been about him being extremely fearful about his safety and the safety of his family. Some have questioned/doubted how he, as the Sheriff, could be so paranoid about this since he is a high-ranking law enforcement official in the town.

I can speak from personal experience that paranoia for your own safety and/or the safety of your loved ones can be extremely mind-altering - especially when you fear that the very people you are supposed to trust and that are supposed to uphold the law ("Protect & Serve") are the people you are afraid of - especially if you have proof or reason to believe that there is a network of dangerous corruption. Imagine living every moment with an intense fear of the people your are surrounded by, not knowing who you can trust and who may be in on the conspiracy/danger. You can't sleep or eat and that leads to more paranoia and unclear thinking. It could be that something that came out in the deposition may have reinforced Stines' fear that he didn't know who may be involved, who could be trusted and may be extremely dangerous if they were afraid of being exposed for something that could have cost them their job, their reputation, their family and even their freedom. It becomes like a scratched record (if anyone remembers these!) and just keeps repeating over and over again until nothing seems real or safe.

Unless you have been in this situation you have no idea what lengths you may go to protect yourself and your family, especially if the person(s) you are afraid of is in a position of power and has repeatedly said to you and shown you that others in power are on their side, too. It's very easy to say, "go to the police, the prosecutor, etc", but if the person you are terrified of is one of those very people you have no idea where to turn.

Remember Skidmore, MO?

Ken McElroy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bingo.....

 

[scapa]

I can't find the post right now but I believe it was within the last month and it had to do with Stines becoming very "paranoid" after his deposition. There have been several posts throughout this thread wondering why Stines may have been paranoid. His paranoia seems to have been about him being extremely fearful about his safety and the safety of his family. Some have questioned/doubted how he, as the Sheriff, could be so paranoid about this since he is a high-ranking law enforcement official in the town.

I can speak from personal experience that paranoia for your own safety and/or the safety of your loved ones can be extremely mind-altering - especially when you fear that the very people you are supposed to trust and that are supposed to uphold the law ("Protect & Serve") are the people you are afraid of - especially if you have proof or reason to believe that there is a network of dangerous corruption. Imagine living every moment with an intense fear of the people your are surrounded by, not knowing who you can trust and who may be in on the conspiracy/danger. You can't sleep or eat and that leads to more paranoia and unclear thinking. It could be that something that came out in the deposition may have reinforced Stines' fear that he didn't know who may be involved, who could be trusted and may be extremely dangerous if they were afraid of being exposed for something that could have cost them their job, their reputation, their family and even their freedom. It becomes like a scratched record (if anyone remembers these!) and just keeps repeating over and over again until nothing seems real or safe.

Unless you have been in this situation you have no idea what lengths you may go to protect yourself and your family, especially if the person(s) you are afraid of is in a position of power and has repeatedly said to you and shown you that others in power are on their side, too. It's very easy to say, "go to the police, the prosecutor, etc", but if the person you are terrified of is one of those very people you have no idea where to turn.

Remember Skidmore, MO?

Ken McElroy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lots to digest here. Is your idea that Stines had strong evidence to believe that his victim was the Town Bully, controlling a powerful network of interests hostile to Stines and his family, or that the sheriff's non-evidenced paranoid beliefs had driven him to this (erroneous) conclusion?

The judge and Stines had worked together closely for years, in a small town where IMO privacy/ secrecy must have been at a premium. It's hard for me to imagine that Stines, as longtime former bailiff and now sheriff, was not at least in the loop of powerful interests, or at least aware enough of them to know when he was under threat (if he was). What had changed, beyond the upcoming civil litigation, since it seems that the depositions themselves offer little info as to motive?

Full transcript of Stines deposition reveals little about motive for shooting - The Mountain Eagle

An attorney in the federal lawsuit against former Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines told the plaintiffs’ lawyer Bethany Baxter that Stines has had “California encephalitis” and “some issues” when he is under stress. The remark was made by attorney Jonathan Shaw in a deposition filed in federal court...

www.themountaineagle.com

Such a tricky case to make sense of, given the audacity of the crime and the network of relationships involved.

 

[tlcya]

But despite rumors of what might have been discussed in the depositions, testimony from Stines, Fields, and plaintiff Sabrina Adkins and evidence presented during their depositions contain nothing to substantiate rumors and speculation about why Stines shot Mullins.

While the depositions include details of juvenile sex jokes and photoshopped photos in a work-related Facebook Messenger group among Stines and his deputies that would no doubt be embarrassing, none implicate him or Mullins in any illegal acts.
Full transcript of Stines deposition reveals little about motive for shooting - The Mountain Eagle

Stines attorney in the civil suit claims he suffered from California Encephalitis in his youth and that approximately 10 percent of those infected suffer long-term effects including seizures, confusion, irritability, anxiety, and aggression. I am trying to find medical articles that support his claim because if true, the stress of the civil suit could be tied to his apparent mental break.

 

[Angelcat13]

Lots to digest here. Is your idea that Stines had strong evidence to believe that his victim was the Town Bully, controlling a powerful network of interests hostile to Stines and his family, or that the sheriff's non-evidenced paranoid beliefs had driven him to this (erroneous) conclusion?

The judge and Stines had worked together closely for years, in a small town where IMO privacy/ secrecy must have been at a premium. It's hard for me to imagine that Stines, as longtime former bailiff and now sheriff, was not at least in the loop of powerful interests, or at least aware enough of them to know when he was under threat (if he was). What had changed, beyond the upcoming civil litigation, since it seems that the depositions themselves offer little info as to motive?

Full transcript of Stines deposition reveals little about motive for shooting - The Mountain Eagle

An attorney in the federal lawsuit against former Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines told the plaintiffs’ lawyer Bethany Baxter that Stines has had “California encephalitis” and “some issues” when he is under stress. The remark was made by attorney Jonathan Shaw in a deposition filed in federal court...

www.themountaineagle.com

Such a tricky case to make sense of, given the audacity of the crime and the network of relationships involved.

I can’t say what happened in the case of Stines, but I can say that in my situation things were OK - until they weren’t. As long as things were “normal” there was no need for this person to exert control. But when he felt that he couldn’t control me/things and his fear of things unraveling started to take place he made sure to make it very clear who he was, WHO HE KNEW and that he had the power to destroy my life. And it wasn’t just that he SAID he could get away with things, he DID - even at higher levels of law enforcement. This just reinforced my fear and my feeling that I couldn’t trust anyone. You can only live with this level of fear/paranoia before it affects everything you think, feel, believe, do, etc.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924484356480831896

 

[sunspun]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924484356480831896

I can't access DM here, can anyone say what the "bad news" was?

 

[Maat99]

I can't access DM here, can anyone say what the "bad news" was?

Opinions from attorneys that his insanity defense is unlikely to succeed. They believe that the videos show that he knew what he did was wrong ergo no insanity defense.

 

[vls12345]

I can't access DM here, can anyone say what the "bad news" was?

But two former prosecutors believe a jury is unlikely to believe he was insane as he appeared to know right from wrong when he pulled the trigger.

Georgia legal expert Phil Holloway pointed to Kentucky State Police bodycam footage of Stines being arrested minutes after the shooting.

Stines was terrified of being transported to the Leslie County Jail, an hour's drive away, and begged to be locked up in the one next door instead.

Holloway said Stines' fear that he would be killed, however paranoid or delusional, showed he knew that murder was wrong.

'If they know right from wrong, they can still be convicted even if they have a mental health issue,' he told Fox News.

'He knows that killing is wrong because he's asking the police to not kill him.'

'The video shows he knows what he's doing is wrong. If you don't know what you're doing is wrong, you don't usher everybody else out of the room, and you don't go ahead and make sure the door is closed,' he said.

'Those are all things that show that he has an ability to make cognizant decisions.'

Bad news for Kentucky sheriff who shot judge dead in his chambers

Sheriff Shawn 'Mickey' Stines gunned down his friend of 30 years, Judge Kevin Mullins, inside a county courthouse on September 19.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[crcgirl]

I can't access DM here, can anyone say what the "bad news" was?

The DM post just said that an insanity defense may be difficult as Stines knew murder was wrong regardless whether he was suffering from paranoia.

 

[TristanP]

Stines attorney in the civil suit claims he suffered from California Encephalitis in his youth and that approximately 10 percent of those infected suffer long-term effects including seizures, confusion, irritability, anxiety, and aggression. I am trying to find medical articles that support his claim because if true, the stress of the civil suit could be tied to his apparent mental break.

No jury is going to buy that he functioned as a law enforcement officer all these years and then some random childhood disease caused him to snap and kill a man.

It's a far better defense that his law enforcement career caused him irritability, anxiety, and aggression.

 

[sunspun]

No jury is going to buy that he functioned as a law enforcement officer all these years and then some random childhood disease caused him to snap and kill a man.

It's a far better defense that his law enforcement career caused him irritability, anxiety, and aggression.

Yeah, I've wondered how well, or how badly, he actually did in his role as Sheriff, and how much he liked it, or didn't. Sometimes I think maybe he had come to thoroughly hate being the sheriff. Maybe in his allegedly unwell mind, this was a way out of his obligations. You have to admit, it surely did remove most of the duties and responsibilities he had in his life before the shooting. Overnight! Just like that. But nah, it couldn't have been so bad he decided he'd prefer life in prison, could it have been?

 

[OldAce]

Yeah, I've wondered how well, or how badly, he actually did in his role as Sheriff, and how much he liked it, or didn't. Sometimes I think maybe he had come to thoroughly hate being the sheriff. Maybe in his allegedly unwell mind, this was a way out of his obligations. You have to admit, it surely did remove most of the duties and responsibilities he had in his life before the shooting. Overnight! Just like that. But nah, it couldn't have been so bad he decided he'd prefer life in prison, could it have been?

"Sometimes I think maybe he had come to thoroughly hate being the sheriff. Maybe in his mind, things were so firmly entrenched this was a way out of his obligations.

Of whatever he had become aware of/ verified that was abhorrent to him?

 

[tlcya]

But despite rumors of what might have been discussed in the depositions, testimony from Stines, Fields, and plaintiff Sabrina Adkins and evidence presented during their depositions contain nothing to substantiate rumors and speculation about why Stines shot Mullins.

While the depositions include details of juvenile sex jokes and photoshopped photos in a work-related Facebook Messenger group among Stines and his deputies that would no doubt be embarrassing, none implicate him or Mullins in any illegal acts.
Full transcript of Stines deposition reveals little about motive for shooting - The Mountain Eagle

So despite the BBM somehow Stines omnisciently learned or verified something abhorrent to him during the depositions but not another soul picked up on it? And it was so abhorrent it caused him to shoot a sitting (liberally and figuratively) judge. But his attorney is going with the insanity defense and says Mickey's fear was irrational. Got it.

The insistence that somehow the victim in this case did something to deserve it is astounding in this particular case. JMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

But despite rumors of what might have been discussed in the depositions, testimony from Stines, Fields, and plaintiff Sabrina Adkins and evidence presented during their depositions contain nothing to substantiate rumors and speculation about why Stines shot Mullins.

While the depositions include details of juvenile sex jokes and photoshopped photos in a work-related Facebook Messenger group among Stines and his deputies that would no doubt be embarrassing, none implicate him or Mullins in any illegal acts.
Full transcript of Stines deposition reveals little about motive for shooting - The Mountain Eagle

So despite the BBM somehow Stines omnisciently learned or verified something abhorrent to him during the depositions but not another soul picked up on it? And it was so abhorrent it caused him to shoot a sitting (liberally and figuratively) judge. But his attorney is going with the insanity defense and says Mickey's fear was irrational. Got it.

The insistence that somehow the victim in this case did something to deserve it is astounding in this particular case. JMO

None of us have any idea what was really going on in that county but for some wild reason, real or imagined, Stines took out his hatred/anger on Mullins. I'd like to know what he says his reason was, for doing what he did. Not what social media rumors & wild speculators say.

 

[tlcya]

None of us have any idea what was really going on in that county but for some wild reason, real or imagined, Stines took out his hatred/anger on Mullins. I'd like to know what he says his reason was, for doing what he did. Not what social media rumors & wild speculators say.

agree. I think what troubles me most is that we've heard zip nada zero about what Stines claims was his reasoning and the initial rumored reason even all these months later not one single shred of evidence to support it. Quite the opposite, we've heard from all sides now that that WASN'T the case. So yeah, I'd very much like to understand what was going on in Stines' mind that created this tragedy.

 

[vls12345]

Maybe Stines is just your standard injustice collector & jerk. With the stress of the depositions, admitting dereliction over not properly training his deputies, potential marital issues (based only on the rumor that maybe his wife had kicked him out of the house the night before), some throwaway comment by the judge might have been enough to push Stines over the edge & Judge Mullins was the unfortunate recipient of Stines' ongoing simmering that finally boiled over.

Just a random thought.