Kentucky sheriff killed judge in his chambers following argument, police say. Here’s what we know

(CNN) — Investigators are trying to determine why a Kentucky sheriff allegedly shot and killed a district judge after they argued inside the judge’s chambers, according to Kentucky State Police.

District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was found around 3 p.m. Thursday with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart said at a Thursday evening news conference.

Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, — whose role made him responsible for judges’ personal security — shot Mullins after an argument inside the judge’s chambers, a preliminary police investigation revealed. Stines is now facing a first-degree murder charge, state police said. CNN is trying to determine whether Stines has an attorney.

Stines turned himself in after the shooting and was arrested at the scene without incident on Thursday, authorities said. He is cooperating with authorities, Gayheart said. It is unclear who will take over as the county sheriff following the arrest of Stines, who had been sheriff for about eight years.

There are cameras inside the building and all witnesses will be interviewed, he said.

“This community is small in nature, and we’re all shook,” Gayheart said.

The killing came less than two weeks after southeast Kentucky was rocked by a shooting at an interstate that wounded five people in Laurel County. And just three days ago, a Russell County deputy was killed in the line of duty, officials said.

“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post.

While other people were in the building when Mullins was shot, no one else was inside the judge’s chambers and no other injuries were reported. There’s no threat to the public, Gayheart added.

Law enforcement has yet to release details about the argument that led up to the shots, and the motive remains under investigation, Gayheart said, adding the incident was “isolated.”

Stines is jailed in nearby Leslie County. It is not clear when Stines will have his first court appearance because arraignments for crimes committed in Letcher County would normally be handled by Mullins, said Jackie Steele, the Commonwealth’s Attorney assigned to the case.

“The last word I got from the Court system was that they were looking for a judge to take the case and that the arraignment will be next week, but the date and time is unknown at this time,” Steele told CNN by email Friday.

In Kentucky, sheriffs are responsible for security at courthouses – including the personal security of judges – according to Jerry Wagner, a retired sheriff who is now the executive director of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association.

“We have 120 sheriffs that work on a daily basis with our judges. We work more closely with them than any other elected officials,” Wagner told CNN Friday.

“No one saw this coming,” Wagner added. “I don’t know how you prepare for this.”

Here’s what we know about the two men, the killing and the investigation so far.

What we know about Mullins and Stines

Mullins, a resident of Jackhorn, served as a district judge for Kentucky’s 47th District Court in Letcher County since being appointed in 2009 by former Gov. Steve Beshear, the current executive’s father, according to the Associated Press. He was elected a year later, then re-elected in 2014, 2018 and again in 2022.

Before his judicial appointment, Mullins served as assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Letcher County and primarily focused on drug-related offenses, according to CNN affiliate WKYT. He was admitted to the bar in 1995.

Mullins was known for promoting substance abuse treatment for people involved in the justice system and helped hundreds of residents enter inpatient residential treatment, citing a program for a drug summit he spoke at in 2022, the Associated Press reported.

He also helped develop a program called Addiction Recovery Care to offer peer support services in the courthouse, the AP said. 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.

Stines, a resident of McRoberts, was first elected as sheriff in 2018 and then re-elected in 2022. Earlier this month, the sheriff highlighted the agency’s work, including recent drug busts.

“Thank you to the awesome citizens of Letcher County, for allowing us to serve you and providing us with information to help catch fugitives and assisting us with getting drugs off our streets,” Stines wrote in a Facebook post on September 4.

An argument inside the judge’s chambers

An investigation into how the fatal shooting unfolded – and what the argument between the two men was about – is underway, state police said Thursday.

“We know that it was an argument between the two that led up – but what exactly transpired prior to the shots being fired, those are still things that we’re trying to get answers to,” Gayheart said.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman indicated Thursday his office will work with Steele as special prosecutors on the case.

“We will fully investigate and pursue justice,” Coleman said.

Mullins’ body will be sent to the medical examiner’s office, according to Gayheart.

Killing shakes small Kentucky community

Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter was “shocked” by Mullins’ killing and the court was left “shaken,” he said in a statement.

“My prayers are with his family and the Letcher County community as they try to process and mourn this tragic loss,” VanMeter said.

Matt Butler, commonwealth’s attorney for Letcher County, will be recusing himself from the sheriff’s prosecution because his wife is the sister of Mullins’ wife, Butler said in a statement Thursday evening.

He described the sheriff and the judge as “two men that I have worked with for seventeen years and loved like brothers.”

“We all know each other here. For example, anyone from Letcher County would tell you that Judge Mullins and I married a pair of sisters and that we have children who are first cousins but act like siblings,” Butler said.

“Please pray for Judge Mullins’ family and my children. Ian and Ivy have cried and cried and begged to see their uncle,” he added. “My community is completely devastated.”

As a result of the shooting, circuit and district courts, as well as the office of the circuit court clerk will be closed until operations can resume, Kentucky Courts officials said Thursday. Letcher County schools and the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College were also placed on a brief lockdown after the shooting, according to the Associated Press.