Whitesburg is a small town. It’s the kind of place where everybody knows your name, your business, and probably your grandmother’s maiden name. So, when the local sheriff, Shawn Mickey Stines, allegedly walked into the chambers of District Judge Kevin Mullins and pulled the trigger, it didn't just break the law. It broke the community.
Honestly, the details are still surfacing as we head into 2026, and they are messier than anyone first thought. We aren't just talking about a "workplace shooting." This is a story of long-term friendships, deep-seated local scandals, and a mental health collapse that attorneys are now fighting over in court.
You’ve likely seen the headlines, but the "why" is where things get complicated.
The Afternoon That Changed Everything
It was September 19, 2024. A Thursday.
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Earlier that day, Stines and Mullins actually ate lunch together. They were friends. They had worked together for years. Stines had even served as a court security officer before he was ever elected sheriff in 2018. Basically, they were part of the same legal machinery that ran Letcher County.
Then, around 3:00 p.m., Stines walked into the judge’s chambers. He asked the other employees to leave. He wanted to talk to Mullins alone.
What followed was captured on a surveillance camera that has since been described in horrifying detail during court hearings. There was no audio, but the video showed Stines checking multiple doors to make sure they were closed. Then, there was a phone exchange. Stines reportedly used his own phone to try and call his daughter, then he used the judge’s phone to do the same.
Why?
The prosecution says the daughter’s number was saved in the judge’s contacts.
Moments later, the video shows Stines standing up, pulling a handgun, and firing. Mullins tried to hide under his desk. Stines didn't stop. He fired multiple rounds, walked around the desk, and kept firing. When it was over, he walked out of the courthouse with his hands up.
"There's nobody else, it was me," he told responding officers.
The Mental Health Defense: "Active State of Psychosis"
Fast forward to the current legal battle in 2026. Shawn Mickey Stines isn't just fighting a murder charge; his legal team is leaning hard into an insanity defense.
They claim he was in an "active state of psychosis" at the time. Court documents filed recently revealed that in the days after the shooting, Stines was so combative and out of it that jail staff had to use pepper spray on him. He reportedly had a "blank look" and didn't even seem to understand what he was being charged with.
His defense attorney, Jeremy Bartley, has argued that this wasn't some calculated hit. He calls it "extreme emotional disturbance." Essentially, the argument is that Stines "lacked the capacity to intend" to kill his friend.
But the prosecution isn't buying it. They point to the surveillance video—the way he checked the doors, the way he cleared the room—as evidence of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
A Town’s Dark Secrets Come to Light
You can’t talk about Shawn Mickey Stines without talking about the "sextortion" scandal that was already brewing in Letcher County.
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Just days before the shooting, Stines had given a deposition in a civil lawsuit. That suit involved a former deputy, Ben Fields, who was eventually sent to prison for raping an inmate. The victim in that case claimed the abuse happened in a restroom... inside Judge Mullins’ chambers.
Since the shooting, even darker allegations have surfaced. A woman named Tya Adams went on record claiming Mullins ran a scheme where he demanded sexual favors from women in exchange for legal leniency. She described "sex parties" involving local officials.
While police haven't officially linked the shooting to these scandals, the timing is impossible to ignore. Was Stines trying to protect someone? Was he a part of it? Or did the weight of the town's secrets finally cause him to snap?
Where the Case Stands in 2026
Right now, the legal system is tangled in motions. Here is the current reality of the Shawn Mickey Stines case:
- The Murder Trial: Stines is charged with first-degree murder and murder of a public official. Prosecutors are pushing for a change of venue, arguing he's too well-known in Letcher County to get an impartial jury.
- The Civil Lawsuit: Judge Mullins’ widow, Kimberly Mullins, is suing Stines and several sheriff’s office employees. She claims they should have seen the "violently paranoid" warning signs and protected her husband.
- The Judge Recusal: As of early 2026, Stines' lawyers are trying to get the current presiding judge, Chris Cohron, removed. They found video of Cohron and Mullins sitting together at a meeting just a week before the shooting. They say it looks like a conflict of interest.
- The Sealed Evaluation: There is a psychiatric report from the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center that the defense wants unsealed. They claim it contains findings that contradict the "official" narrative of what happened that day.
The Impact on Letcher County
This isn't just a true crime story for the people in Whitesburg. It’s a tragedy that gutted their local government. When your sheriff kills your judge, who do you trust?
The courthouse, once a place of order, became a crime scene. The sheriff's office had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
If you’re following this case, the next big thing to watch for is the ruling on the change of venue. If the trial stays in Letcher County, it will be one of the most tense legal proceedings in Kentucky history. If it moves, it might finally allow the community a bit of room to breathe.
Moving Forward: What to Watch For
If you are looking for clarity in the Shawn Mickey Stines case, don't expect it soon. The intersection of mental health law and public office is a messy one.
- Monitor the Venue Change: Keep an eye on whether the trial is moved to a different county. This will signal how much the court fears local bias.
- Follow the Phone Evidence: Digital forensics on both Stines' and Mullins' phones are likely to be the "smoking gun" regarding the motive.
- Mental Health Rulings: If the judge allows the "extreme emotional disturbance" defense, Stines could potentially avoid the death penalty or a life sentence, even if he's convicted.
The reality is that Shawn Mickey Stines has admitted to the physical act of shooting. The only question left for the jury is what was happening inside his head when he pulled the trigger. Was it a cold-blooded execution, or the final break of a man pushed to the edge by a system he was supposed to protect?
The answer to that will determine the rest of his life.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
You should check the Letcher County Circuit Court docket or local Kentucky news outlets like the Lexington Herald-Leader for the specific dates of the upcoming venue hearing. Given the 2026 updates regarding Judge Cohron's potential recusal, the timeline for the actual trial may shift significantly depending on whether a new judge is appointed.