Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins fatally shot in courthouse, sheriff arrested, state police say
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A Kentucky sheriff was arrested Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of a district judge inside a courthouse, Kentucky State Police said.
District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines shot Mullins after an argument in the judge’s chambers, according to state police.
Stines has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, state police added. CNN is investigating whether Stines has retained an attorney.
“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray that there is a path to a better future,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Facebook post.
The shooting happened at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky, Kentucky State Trooper Matt Gayheart said at a news conference Thursday evening.
Although other people were in the building at the time, no one else was in the judge’s chambers and no other injuries were reported.
Stines surrendered to authorities after the shooting and was arrested at the scene without incident. He is cooperating with authorities, Gayheart said. It is not yet known who will take over as county sheriff following his arrest.
There are cameras inside the building and all witnesses will be questioned, the police officer added.
“This community is small by nature, and we are all shaken,” Gayheart said of the shooting.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said Thursday that his office will work with Jackie Steele, commonwealth’s attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit, as special prosecutors on the case.
“We will investigate thoroughly and seek justice,” Coleman said.
Following the shooting, circuit and district courts, as well as the circuit court clerk’s office, will be closed until operations can resume, Kentucky court officials said Thursday.
The Kentucky District Court is aware of the “tragic” incident in Letcher County, the court said in a statement on Facebook.
“We are currently in contact with law enforcement, including the Kentucky State Police, and offer our full support during this difficult time,” the statement said.
In a statement, Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter said he was “shocked” by Mullins’ killing and that the court was “shaken.”
“My prayers are with his family and the Letcher County community as they work through and grieve this tragic loss,” VanMeter said.
Matt Butler, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Letcher County, will recuse himself from prosecuting the sheriff because his wife is the sister of Mullins’ wife, Butler said in a statement Thursday night.
“We all know each other here. For example, anyone from Letcher County would tell you that Judge Mullins and I married two sisters and we have children who are first cousins but act like siblings,” Butler said.
“Pray for Judge Mullins’ family and for my children. Ian and Ivy have cried and cried and begged to see their uncle,” he added. “My community is completely devastated.”
Butler said the prosecution will be conducted by the attorney general’s staff and Jackie Steele, the district attorney for Laurel and Knox counties.
What We Know About Mullins and Stines
Mullins has served as a district judge in Kentucky’s 47th District Court in Letcher County since being appointed by former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009, according to the Associated Press. He was elected a year later, then reelected in 2014 and again in 2022.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Mullins served as an assistant district attorney in Letcher County, focusing primarily on drug offenses, according to CNN affiliate WKYT. He was admitted to the bar in 1995.
According to the nonprofit SOAR, the district judge began promoting drug treatment to people involved in the justice system in 2010. Hundreds of people have been sent to inpatient drug treatment centers with his help, the Associated Press reported.
Addiction Recovery Care, which offers residential and outpatient drug and alcohol treatment in eastern and central Kentucky, began working closely with Mullins in 2018 to provide expedited access to treatment through a community liaison at the courthouse, according to SOAR. The program has been adopted in at least 50 Kentucky counties, the AP reported. He was also a founding member of an opioid recovery support team.
Stines was first elected sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Earlier this month, the sheriff highlighted the agency’s work, including recent drug seizures.
“Thank you to the great citizens of Letcher County, for allowing us to serve you and providing us with information to help us catch fugitives and help us get drugs off our streets,” Stines wrote in a Facebook post on Sept. 4.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
