Ky. sheriff faces death penalty on murder charge for allegedly killing longtime judge pal in his chambers
A grand jury has indicted a rural Kentucky sheriff who gunned down his longtime judge pal in his chambers during a heated exchange — in a vicious murder that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
Thursday’s decision comes more than two months after Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, 43, was captured on chilling surveillance footage allegedly pulling out a gun and pointing it at District Judge Kevin Mullins’s head moments before ruthlessly firing eight rounds at him.
Mullins, 54, died in the chambers where he served for 15 years.
Stines, who surrendered immediately after the shooting, asking police to “treat me fair,” now faces one count of murder of a public official — a charge that could land him on death row, if convicted.
The men, who were friends for 30 years, had lunch together hours before Stines allegedly pulled out his gun inside the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg on Sept. 19.
The alarming footage showed Mullins, who was sitting behind his desk, raising his hands in fear and attempting to turn away moments before Stines fired off shots.
Mullins was hiding under his desk when the sheriff approached him and allegedly shot him twice at close range before leaving the chambers, the disturbing footage shows.
Additional footage from inside the chambers — not shown in court or released — captured the sheriff using his and Mullins’ phone to make multiple calls to his daughter just before the cold-blooded slaying, Kentucky Detective Clayton Stamper testified last month.
Stamper confirmed that police found Stines’ daughter’s phone number saved in the judge’s phone
Following his surrender, Stines told police, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.”
While a motive still isn’t clear, defense attorney Jeremy Bartley previously called the slaying a crime of passion that was carried out as his client was experiencing an “extreme emotional disturbance.”
Authorities also suggested the murder was being investigated as a possible sex scandal but have yet to elaborate.
Stines, who retired from his position less than two weeks after the shooting, has since been held at Leslie County Jail.
The gun-wielding sheriff will be arraigned on Monday.
