December 2023

• Shawn Mickey Stine’s last visit to his primary care physician, Dr. McDougal, was prior to a later visit prompted by escalating concerns from family and coworkers.

September 16, 2024, Three Days Before the Shooting

• Sheriff Stines participated in a deposition related to a federal lawsuit alleging that a former deputy had coerced women into sexual acts within the courthouse. During the deposition, Stines appeared agitated, taking multiple breaks and exhibiting unusual behavior.

September 18, 2024

• Family members and coworkers express concern over Stines’ escalating stress, lack of sleep, weight loss, paranoia, and erratic behavior.
• Stines is urged to seek immediate medical attention regarding stress, loss of sleep, and 40-lb intentional weight loss, but denied depression, anxiety, psychosis, suicidal or homicidal thoughts; BP “good”; routine med refills.
• He is diagnosed with an acute stress reaction.

September 19, 2024

• 12:00 PM: Judge Mullins and Sheriff Stines, long-time colleagues and friends, had lunch together at a local restaurant. Mullins made a comment to Stines about meeting later in private in his chambers.
• 2:38 PM: Stines enters the courthouse front door.
• 2:39 PM: Sheriff Stines entered Judge Mullins’ chambers for a private conversation.
• 2:40 PM: Four people inside are told to leave; they go into the adjacent jury room.
• 2:42 PM: Stines checks doors, including the jury-room door and a rear door toward the juvenile-services area.
• 2:48 PM: Stines looks at his own phone.
• 2:50 PM: Sheriff Shawn Stines exchanges cell phones with Judge Kevin Mullins.
• 2:51 PM: Stines tried to call his daughter from the judge’s phone.
• 2:51:38 PM: Stines stood up from his chair and took the gun out of his pocket.
• 2:51:40 PM: Judge Mullins attempted to stand up, but Stines ordered him to sit back down.
• 2:51:49 PM: Stines locked the chamber door from the inside while still holding a gun.
• 2:52:14 PM: After the first series of shots, Mullins tried to take cover behind his desk. Stines fired multiple rounds. Source
• 2:52:33 PM: Stines exited the chambers and shortly after surrendered to authorities without incident. Officers heard Stines say, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.” Source
• 2:55 PM: Kentucky State Police Post 13, Hazard, received a 911 call from the Letcher County Courthouse in reference to shots fired inside the building. Several law enforcement agencies and emergency medical services responded and located District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, of Jackhorn, with multiple gunshot wounds. Lifesaving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful. Mullins was pronounced deceased on scene by the Letcher County Coroner’s Office. Source
• 3:00 PM: First on scene, Whitesburg PD Officers Hunsucker and Clemons entered the lobby to formulate a plan when Stines came in behind them, stated words to the effect of “there’s nobody else, it was me,” placed his pistol on a table, and was handcuffed. Deputy Bormann reported passing Stines outside moments earlier; Stines had a blank look and did not respond to questions.
• 4:20 PM: Stines was transported to jail for processing. He was arrested and booked in the Leslie County Detention Center. The preliminary investigation indicated that Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, of McRoberts, fatally shot Mullins following an argument inside the courthouse. Source
• 5:20 PM: Special prosecutors announced that the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office would collaborate with Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele as special prosecutors. Source
• 5:30 PM: Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed on X that a district judge in Letcher County was fatally shot in his chambers. Source
• 8:00 PM: KSP announced Stines faced a murder charge.

September 19, 2024, Witness Observations

• Multiple witnesses reported Stines was not acting like himself, distant, mentally preoccupied, and exhibiting paranoia and confusion.
• Kentucky State Police interviews corroborated these observations.

September 20, 2024

• 8:00 AM: Letcher County court issued an emergency closing order after the courthouse was deemed non-operational for holding court, operating court offices, and other essential functions. Source
• 10:30 AM: Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler recused himself. Source
• Attorney Daniel Dotson was interviewed by KSP and said Stines was “losing it” and “could not take the pressure.”
• Dotson reported concerns significant enough to contact the Kentucky Bar Association and described Stines as paranoid and possibly criminally insane.
• Whitesburg Police Chief Tyrone Fields independently reported similar concerns.

September 25, 2024

• Stines pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center.
• While housed at Leslie County Detention Center, Stines underwent multiple mental health evaluations through Kentucky River Community Care. Findings included active psychosis, disorientation, paranoia, and a lack of understanding of surroundings or charges.
• Jail administered Risperidone and Seroquel.

September 26, 2024

• Gov. Andy Beshear demanded that Stines tender his resignation by the close of business on September 27, 2024.

September 30, 2024

• 6:00 PM: In a statement released by his attorney, Shawn “Mickey” Stines announced that he would retire, effective Monday. Source

October 2024

• Prosecutors began preparing a case, while Stines’ defense indicated plans to use extreme emotional disturbance as a defense.
• Allegations surfaced that Stines may have been triggered by Judge Mullins contacting his daughter.

November 21, 2024

• A grand jury formally indicted Stines for the murder of a public official. Source | Source
• Lila and Caroline Stines denied any relationship or contact with Judge Mullins. Detectives said no evidence, including calls, texts, or social media, supported the rumors.
• Colleagues and family said Stines had not been acting like himself for about 1.5 to 2 weeks. Stress was reportedly tied to an ongoing civil lawsuit involving the Sheriff’s Office. No interview with Stines was obtained because he invoked his right to counsel.
• KSP Detective Clayton Stamper testified that his investigation revealed Stines was in his sane mind, that medical records revealed no hallucinations, psychosis, or mental health issues, and that the Ben Fields civil case was not related in any way to the shooting.

November 25, 2024

• 1:00 PM: Stines’ arraignment hearing at the Morgan County Judicial Center.

December 11, 2024

• The Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court appointed Circuit Court Judge Christopher T. Cohron as special judge and Cortney Shewmaker as special clerk in Letcher County for the purposes of the Stines trial.

January 2025

• Status hearing held. Defense requests a mental health evaluation.
• Stines is declared indigent and assigned a public defender.

March 4, 2025

• Counsel alerted the court that they were preparing an insanity defense.
• A judge ordered Stines to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center to assess his mental health and determine if he met the criteria for insanity under Kentucky law.

May 27, 2025

• An email from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office confirmed the unrecorded grand jury appearance was for subpoena purposes only.
• Defense asserted that the requested records were still not produced to the grand jury.

June 4, 2025

• Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines asked the court to dismiss the indictment, alleging that the Commonwealth withheld key information and that there was an intentional failure to record the grand jury proceedings.

August 5, 2025

• The defense asked that a psychological report on Stines be unsealed before the hearing so it could use portions of the report at the hearing.

August 15, 2025

• 1:00 PM: Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines was due in court for a hearing.
• Attorneys filed a motion seeking to unseal his psych evaluation, stating that it was relevant to issues anticipated at the upcoming evidentiary hearing.

September 2, 2025

• Defense filed a Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss Indictment.
• Arguments included prosecutorial misconduct, presentation of false and misleading testimony, withholding of requested mental health and jail records, and a request for dismissal with prejudice or, alternatively, an evidentiary hearing.

Ongoing

• Prosecutors state they have voluminous evidence, including surveillance footage, phone data, and witness testimony.
• Trial proceedings are pending. If convicted, Stines could face life in prison or the death penalty.

Full Name: Shawn Mickey Stines

Born: 1981

Birthplace: Whitesburg, Kentucky

Hometown: Raised in Fleming-Neon, Kentucky

Current Residence: McRoberts, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in Letcher County

Marital Status: Married to Caroline Stines, née Gibson

1999: Graduated from Fleming-Neon High School.

2000, Age 19: Moved to McRoberts, Kentucky, with his girlfriend, later wife, Caroline Gibson.

Education: Attended Southeast Community College, with 26 credit hours completed in basic courses.

Professional Background

• 2001: Began law enforcement career as a patrol officer with Fleming-Neon Police Department for 7 months, then was laid off due to budget cuts.
• 2002: Served as court security officer and deputy with the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriffs Steve Banks and Danny Webb.
• Never completed the full 20-week law enforcement academy; was grandfathered in as CSO.
• 2003: Served continuously as a CSO, or bailiff, in District Court, primarily under Judge James T. Wood and later Judge Kevin Mullins.
• 2004: Worked as a home incarceration officer for East Kentucky Correctional Services, known as EKCS.
• Was recommended for the job by Judge James Wood and County Attorney Harold Bolling.
• Received initial equipment training from Patty Stockham in Pikeville, Kentucky.
• Was paid as contract labor at $3.00 per person monitored per day and $25 per hookup.
• At times, earned over $30,000 per year from EKCS.
• Maintained verbal permission for outside employment from Sheriff Webb.
• Occasionally used county-owned vehicles and equipment, including a duty belt, firearm, and cruiser, while performing private EKCS work or working security at a local hospital.
• Testified to collecting payments in cash and issuing hand-written receipts.
• 2018: Ran for Sheriff of Letcher County as part of a longtime personal aspiration to hold the position and won the election in November 2018.
• 2019 to 2024: Elected Sheriff of Letcher County. Took office in January 2019 following the 2018 election victory.

Personnel Actions and Legal Involvement

• 2022: Involved in the handling and termination of Ben Fields, a deputy accused of sexual misconduct.
• Reported the allegations to the Kentucky State Police, the Commonwealth’s Attorney, and the County Attorney.
• Denied knowledge of prior misconduct by Fields during his employment at the Letcher County Jail.
• Fields’ hiring was based on a recommendation from Stines, who described him as nice, polite, professional, and dependable.
• Later became a defendant in civil litigation involving Sabrina Adkins and the estate of Jennifer Hill, arising from allegations of misconduct in the sheriff’s office.
• The September 16, 2024, deposition was part of that lawsuit.

Stines is known to be a family man, with reports indicating he was close with his children and worked hard to address the drug crisis in his community. He had expressed interest in retiring from law enforcement and possibly pursuing a law degree.

Career in Law Enforcement: Stines served as the elected sheriff of Letcher County, where he worked closely with the judiciary, including District Judge Kevin Mullins. During his tenure, Stines became a familiar figure in the local justice system, though his department became entangled in controversy. Source

2018: He was first elected sheriff and re-elected in 2022. During his tenure, Stines was known for efforts to combat the opioid crisis and assist people struggling with substance abuse.

2019: Stines was sued by a former Letcher County Deputy Sheriff claiming retaliation for campaigning against him during the election. Source

2022: A federal lawsuit filed before the shooting alleged that a former deputy under Stines’ command coerced women into sex acts within the courthouse.

Controversies and Lawsuits

• A woman sued both Sheriff Stines and Fields in 2022. Sabrina Adkins alleged that Ben Fields met her in a district judge’s chambers late at night six times in 2021 and forced her to engage in unwanted sexual acts in exchange for favorable treatment when she could not afford ankle monitoring and home confinement.
• The suit says Fields made flirtatious comments about her looks and told her he was confident they could work something out.
• Between late June and December, Fields allegedly met her at the courthouse at night or in the early morning about six times.
• Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was named as a defendant in the suit for allegedly failing to properly train Fields. Stines said in an interview that Fields was a veteran deputy and had not been the subject of previous complaints.

Stines was named in the federal lawsuit Adkins et al v. Ben Fields et al, Case 7:22-cv-00007, regarding allegations of sexual misconduct by Deputy Ben Fields. Stines referred the matter to the Kentucky State Police.

• Stines was deposed on September 16, 2024, in connection with the lawsuit.
• During deposition, he admitted he was not formally trained in certain academy protocols due to job role exemptions.
• He had used county equipment, including a cruiser, a gun, and a duty belt, for secondary jobs.
• There was no formal documentation for several secondary job approvals.
• He recommended Ben Fields for sheriff’s deputy and EKCS employment based on personal opinion and Fields’ family connections.

Grand Jury Timeline. What Jurors Were Told Source

September 19, 2024

• 3:00 PM: Detective Clayton Stamper is notified by KSP Sergeant Joel Abner to respond to the Letcher County Courthouse.
• Stamper is in Hazard at the time and is informed that Judge Kevin Mullins has been shot.
• While en route, Stamper learns Judge Mullins is deceased, and one male suspect is already in custody.

Arrival at the Courthouse

• Stamper arrives to find multiple detectives already on scene and Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines seated just inside the front doors of the courthouse, in custody.
• Investigators divide tasks, including conducting interviews and collecting evidence.
• Stamper attempts to speak with Stines. Stines refuses to give a statement.

Initial Witness Accounts, First Responding Officers

• Officers Hunsucker and Clemons of the Whitesburg Police Department reported that they entered the courthouse and formulated a plan to locate a shooter.
• Sheriff Stines walked in behind them and stated words to the effect of, “There’s nobody else. It was me.”
• Stines removed his pistol and placed it on a table near the entrance.
• He made a statement that “they’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.”
• Deputy Bormann reported encountering Stines walking away from the courthouse. Stines had a blank look and did not respond when asked what was going on.

Discovery of the Victim

• Officers entered Judge Mullins’ chambers and found him on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds while still wearing his judicial robe.

Surveillance Footage Review

• 2:38 PM: Sheriff Stines enters the courthouse through the front door.
• 2:40 PM: Stines enters Judge Mullins’ chambers. Four courthouse personnel are present, and Stines asks all four individuals to leave so he can speak with the judge.
• 2:42 PM to 2:45 PM: Stines stands and checks multiple doors, including the jury room door and another door leading to an area used for juvenile court functions.
• 2:48 PM: Stines is seen looking at his own cell phone.
• 2:50 PM: Stines borrows Judge Mullins’ phone and uses it to call his daughter, Lila.
• 2:51 PM: Stines removes his firearm from its holster and locks the jury room door.

The Shooting. Video Exhibit Shown to the Grand Jury

• The grand jury views a 24-second video clip from inside the chambers.
• The footage shows Stines fires two initial shots, Judge Mullins falls to the floor, Stines walks around the desk and fires an additional shot, and as Stines exits, he reaches under the desk and fires six more shots.
• Stamper testifies that Stines was fired from three different physical positions inside the room.
• Judge Mullins does not survive the gunshot wounds.

Post-Shooting Movements

• Surveillance shows Stines exits the courthouse, walks past responding law enforcement officers, does not answer when asked where the shooter is, turns around, walks back toward the courthouse, re-enters, and surrenders to law enforcement.
• Footage contains no audio.

Community Rumors Addressed

• Stamper testifies he is aware of community speculation involving Judge Mullins and Stines’ daughter, Lila.
• Lila denied any contact with Judge Mullins and denied any relationship.
• Stine’s wife, Caroline, denied any relationship with Judge Mullins and denied knowledge of any relationship involving her daughter.
• Phone records showed no communication between Judge Mullins’ phone and Lila’s phone, except one call on September 19, 2024, when Stines used the judge’s phone to call his daughter.

Behavior Prior to the Shooting

• Witnesses reported Stines was not acting like himself for approximately one and a half to two weeks before the shooting.
• Family members and courthouse staff expressed concern.
• No formal intervention or legal request for assistance was made.

Medical Records Presented

• Stamper testified he reviewed a snippet of medical records from Dr. McDougal dated September 18, 2024.
• The record stated the patient denied depression, anxiety, psychosis, suicidal or homicidal thoughts; friends were concerned about stress and lack of sleep; significant weight loss was reported.
• Stamper testified that the medical records did not change his investigation and that he saw no documented hallucinations or psychosis.
• Grand Jury Conclusion: Stamper stated there is no recorded statement from Stines explaining the motive because Stines refused to speak with investigators. Stamper confirmed he was seeking one count of murder for the unlawful shooting of Judge Kevin Mullins.

On September 19, 2024, District Court Judge Kevin R. Mullins was shot and killed at the Letcher County Courthouse in Letcher County, Kentucky. Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines was arrested in connection with the shooting.

Former Kentucky sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines was in court for a preliminary hearing. A video of him shooting Letcher County Judge Kevin Mullins in the county courthouse was played during the hearing.

Former sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines will move forward to trial after the court saw new footage of him fatally shooting Judge Kevin Mullins in chambers. The probable cause hearing also revealed that Stines’ daughter may be involved.

Shawn Mickey Stines with his daughter.