The shocking moment a Kentucky judge was allegedly murdered by his sheriff pal was revealed in court as testimony offered some insight into the the brutal slaying.
Surveillance footage of a man identified as Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines allegedly shooting District Judge Mullins several times in his chambers elicited emotional reactions from the courtroom as prosecutors played the video during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the Courier Journal reported.
The sheriff reportedly came out of the courtroom with his hands up after the shooting, asking police to “treat me fair” upon being taken into custody, a Kentucky detective testified, adding that Stines allegedly told police, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.”
Stines, 43, was decades-long friends with Mullins, 54, and even had lunch with him on Sept. 19 — hours before he’s accused of shooting the judge eight times inside the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg, where Mullins served for 15 years.
Detective Clayton Stamper testified that one witness who attended the lunch said they saw Mullins ask Stines if they needed to meet privately, though the context wasn’t provided, the outlet reported.
He added that surveillance footage from inside the chambers — not shown in court — captured the sheriff using his and Mullins’ phones to make multiple calls to his daughter just before approaching the judge and shooting him dead.
Stampers confirmed that police found Stines’ daughter’s phone number saved in the judge’s phone, according to the Courier Journal, adding that the case remains under investigation as police attempt to interview additional witnesses and examine both cellphones.
Though defense attorney Jeremy Bartley declined to discuss a motive for the shooting, cops reportedly suggested last week the murder was being investigated as a possible sex scandal.
Authorities did not elaborate on the sex scandal in question. However, the sheriff had days been deposed in a lawsuit filed by two women, one of whom alleged that a deputy forced her to have sex inside Mullins’ chambers for six months in exchange for staying out of jail.
The lawsuit accuses the sheriff of “deliberate indifference in failing to adequately train and supervise” the deputy, Ben Fields, who pleaded guilty to raping the female prisoner while she was on home incarceration.
Fields was sentenced this year to six months in jail and then six and a half years on probation for rape, sodomy, perjury and tampering with a prisoner monitoring device, The Mountain Eagle reported. Three charges related to a second woman were dismissed because she is now dead.
Stines fired Fields, who succeeded him as Mullins’ bailiff, for “conduct unbecoming” after the lawsuit was filed in 2022, The Courier Journal reported at the time.
Stines announced Monday that he was retiring from his position as sheriff after Gov. Andy Beshear called for his resignation.
The case will now move to the grand jury for indictment.
Stines pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is being held at Leslie County Jail.
