The former brother-in-law of a Kentucky judge who was shot dead by a sheriff in his chambers has spoken out about how “kind” he was to his children, who are now mourning their uncle.
Letcher County Attorney Matt Butler recalls Kevin Mullins, who was shot and killed Thursday, as a “fun” person.
“I always thought he was very witty,” Butler said in an 11-minute video on Facebook. “He was fun to be around off the court.”
The former brother-in-law recalls how Mullins had “endless patience” when it came to children.
“My children lost their uncle. My beautiful nieces lost their father,” she said.
Mullins, 54, was killed on the second floor of the Letcher County Courthouse around 3 p.m. Thursday after an alleged argument with Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, who allegedly shot the judge multiple times.
District Judge Kevin Mullins has died at the age of 54 after allegedly being shot Thursday by Letcher County Sheriff Shawn ‘Mickey’ Stines, 43.
Matt Butler, a Letcher County attorney, remembers Kevin Mullins as having “endless patience” and always being “kind.”
“There were shots fired on the second floor,” the 911 operator told police. “362 is to head to the Letcher County Courthouse.”
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but video from the judge’s office shows the two men looking at their phones before Stines opened fire, sources said. The mountain eagle.
Butler said the courthouse is “one of the last places you can walk into without a metal detector or security at the front door.”
“This is unacceptable in 2024, it was unacceptable when I started in 2007,” Butler said in the video. “We deserve better. We should have a safer court.”
“Everyone who works in our courthouse should feel safe in their jobs. I know that is not the case right now.”
The shooting prompted a lockdown of the government building and nearby schools.
Despite the devastating news, Butler remembers the old days when he and Mullins would argue legal issues “on opposite sides of the courtroom” before Mullins was a district judge.
“He was the deputy commonwealth’s attorney when I was the public defender. We had very intense litigation,” Butler recalled. “I respected him. We fought hard for our respected parts in court and took cases against each other before he was the judge.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but video from the judge’s office shows the two men looking at their phones before Stines (pictured) opened fire.
Butler said the courthouse is “one of the last ones you can walk into without a metal detector or security at the front door.”
“We have never had any disagreements outside of court, we have always gotten along.”
The attorney and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office have “recused” the case because of Butler’s “close personal relationships” with Mullins, as is customary. Butler also had a close relationship with Stines.
Additionally, one of Butler’s employees was in the courtroom at the time of the shooting and is expected to be called as a witness.
The Attorney General’s Office will handle the case, while the Kentucky State Police will investigate.
Stines was charged with first-degree murder and turned himself in to police without incident.
Residents of the small, quiet town were left shaken by the deadly shooting, including County Clerk Mike Watts, who said the couple had planned to have lunch together just hours before the shooting occurred.
Watts said the two were friends and that when he went to have Watts sign some paperwork earlier that day and Stines was there, he didn’t think much of it. The only thing that was strange was that Stines was quieter than usual, he said. KCRA.
“It’s very sad. I hate it,” he said of the shooting. “They’re both friends of mine. I’ve worked with both of them for years.”
Like Watts, many were shocked to hear that Stines is potentially responsible for the deadly shooting, as he is known around town as a “family man.”
“I know Mickey’s character and I know something had to have done that,” Patty Wood, the widow of U.S. District Judge Jim Wood (Mullins’ predecessor), told the outlet. “You can’t find a better person on the face of the earth than Mickey Stines. I don’t know what happened.
“I can’t believe he just walked in and shot her for no reason.”
Whitesburg attorney Jennifer L. Taylor said Stines was preparing to retire and had mentioned he might go to law school.
He said the officer “took his time” to listen to people. Others recalled how the sheriff worked hard to combat the opioid crisis.
But Stines was questioned Monday in a lawsuit filed by two women. One of them, Sabrina Adkins, accused Ben Fields, an agent, of forcing her to have sex in Mullins’ office for six months to avoid prison because she couldn’t afford an ankle monitor.
The women accuse the Sheriff’s Office of having a “deliberate indifference in failing to adequately train and supervise” Stines.
Former Rep. Ben Fields previously pleaded guilty to raping a female inmate while under house arrest, according to KCRA.
Stines was charged with first-degree murder and turned himself in to police without incident.
Stines fired Fields.
Video footage of the shooting, which has not been released publicly, reportedly shows Stines entering the courtroom and asking to speak to Mullins privately before heading to the judge’s office.
After a brief conversation, Stines allegedly got up to close the door and each man pulled out his cell phone and handed it to the other, The Mountain Eagle reported.
Stines, a father of two, allegedly pulled out his gun, walked around the judge’s desk and shot him repeatedly as Mullins fell to the ground.
“We know what followed was an argument between the two, but what exactly occurred before the shots were fired, those are things we’re still trying to answer,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart.
Mullins was appointed to serve as a judge in the state’s 47th District under former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009.
Mullins was appointed to serve as a judge in the state’s 47th District under former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009.
He oversaw juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic violations, arraignments, felony probable cause hearings, claims involving $2,500 or less, civil cases involving $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitments and domestic violence cases, according to a Letcher County website.
Mullins also gained recognition for his efforts to treat those with drug addiction rather than incarcerate them, starting a program in 2010 that allowed inmates with substance abuse disorders to enroll in inpatient treatment as a condition of pretrial release.
He previously served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for nine and a half years, focusing on drug-related crimes.
Meanwhile, Stines was elected sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
DailyMail.com has contacted Kentucky State Police, which is investigating, for comment.
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