(NewsNation) — A longtime judge in a rural county courtroom that deals with mostly minor crimes, Kevin Mullins was killed by the sheriff of the county they both served, according to the Kentucky State Police.
Here is what we know.
What was Mullins’ background?
Kevin R. Mullins, 54, had been a District Judge in Letcher County, Ky., for 15 years. Before that, he was a prosecutor in Letcher County, starting in 2001. The official title is assistant commonwealth’s attorney.
He was a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.
As a district judge of the 47th Judicial District, Mullins handled juvenile cases, misdemeanors, issues involving city and county ordinances, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, small claims, civil cases involved $5,000 or less, mental commitments and cases involving domestic violence.
How was Mullins killed?
Stines allegedly walked into the judge’s outer office, then told court employees and others gathered there that he needed to speak with Mullins alone, according to The Mountain Eagle.
Shortly after the two walked into the judge’s chambers, shots were heard. Then Stines walked out with his hands up and surrendered to police officers.
State police say measures were made to attempt to save Mullins’ life but none were successful. No other injuries were reported, according to NewsNation affiliate WJHL.
Who is Mickey Stines?
Shawn M. “Mickey” Stines, 43, the sheriff in Letcher County, was first elected in 2018, then reelected in 2022. His department was hit with a scandal in 2022 when a former deputy, Ben Fields, pleaded guilty to raping two women who were on home arrest, according to The Mountain Eagle.
In a pending civil suit against the former deputy, the home monitoring service that employed him and Sheriff Stines, the women say that Stines did not sufficiently train and supervise Fields. In August, Fields was sentenced to serve six months in the same jail where he used to work.
The judge in that case was not Mullins, but rather a judge from nearby Pike County.
When did Mullins become a judge?
Mullins was appointed in 2009 by then-Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Ky.) and was elected in his own right a year later, according to The Mountain Eagle. He has been reelected ever since.
Mullins’ death was confirmed by the current governor, Andy Beshear, son of Steve Beshear.
Beshear posted on social platform X that there is “far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
Where did Kevin Mullins die?
Letcher County, Ky., is deep in the hills of the eastern corner of the state, bordering Virginia and sandwiched between Tennessee and West Virginia. It has a population of around 21,000.
The county seat is Whitesburg, which has a population of fewer than 2,000.
