Kentucky Judge Shot and Killed in Chambers; Sheriff Arrested

A tragic incident occurred at the Letcher County Courthouse in Kentucky, where District Judge Kevin Mullins was fatally shot in his office. According to reports from The Mountain Eagle, Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines is accused of carrying out the shooting.

Although the coroner confirmed a fatality, the victim was not immediately identified. However, Governor Andy Beshear later confirmed that a judge in Letcher County had been shot and killed in chambers on Thursday afternoon.

Wow.

The local paper in the small Eastern Kentucky community of Letcher County reports the local sheriff allegedly walked into the county courthouse today, shot and killed the district judge, and then walked out and surrendered.

Here is The Mountain Eagle’s report on its… pic.twitter.com/1dhk49di6R

— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) September 19, 2024

Judge Kevin Mullins was appointed by then-Governor Steve Beshear in 2009, following nearly a decade as an assistant commonwealth attorney. As a prosecutor, he focused on drug-related crimes, and as a judge, he gained recognition for his efforts to address drug addiction, creating a program in 2010 that allowed inmates struggling with substance use disorders to seek inpatient treatment as part of their pretrial release conditions.

Sheriff Mickey Stines, who was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, is at the center of the investigation.

Attorney General Russell Coleman announced via social media that his office would work with the 27th Judicial Circuit’s commonwealth attorney, Jackie Steele, to serve as special prosecutors in the case.

Via WKYT