WHITESBURG, Ky. — A former Letcher County Sheriff was indicted by a grand jury Thursday for the murder of a district court judge.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and Commonwealth's Attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit Jackie Steel said Shawn "Mickey" Stines, 43, shot and killed District Judge Kevin Mullins multiple times following an argument inside the courthouse.
Stines was indicted on one count of murder - public official. His arraignment is set for Monday, Nov. 25 at 12 p.m.
The shooting occurred at the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg on Sept. 19. The Appalachian town in southeastern Kentucky is 146 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of Lexington, Kentucky.
Mullins served as a district judge in Letcher County since he was appointed by former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009 and elected the following year.
Mullins was known for promoting substance abuse treatment for people involved in the justice system and helped hundreds of residents enter inpatient residential treatment, according to a program for a drug summit he spoke at in 2022. He also helped develop a program called Addiction Recovery Care to offer peer support services in the courthouse. The program was adopted in at least 50 counties in Kentucky.
Mullins also served as a founding member of the Responsive Effort to Support Treatment in Opioid Recovery Efforts Leadership Team.