The former brother-in-law of a Kentucky judge who was allegedly shot dead in his office by a sheriff’s deputy has spoken out about how “kind” he was to his children, who are now grieving the death of their uncle.
Letcher County District Attorney Matt Butler remembers Kevin Mullins, who was shot and killed Thursday, as “hilarious” to be around.
“I always thought he was a really funny guy,” Butler said in an 11-minute video posted to Facebook. “He was fun to be around off the court, too.”
The former brother-in-law recalls how Mullins had “infinite patience” when it came to children.
‘[My children] lost their uncle. My beautiful nieces lost their father,’ he said.
Mullins, 54, was killed around 3 p.m. Thursday on the second floor of the Letcher County Courthouse after an alleged altercation with Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, who allegedly shot the judge multiple times.
District Judge Kevin Mullins has died at the age of 54 after reportedly being shot. He was shot and killed Thursday by Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43
Letcher County District Attorney Matt Butler remembers Kevin Mullins as someone with “infinite patience” and who was always “kind.”
“There was a shot fired on the second floor,” the 911 dispatcher told police. “362 should be headed to the Letcher County Courthouse.”
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but video footage from the judge’s office shows the two men looking at each other’s 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 courthouse.
“Everyone in our courthouse should feel safe at work. I know that is not the case right now.”
The shooting forced the closure of the government building and nearby schools.
Despite the devastating news, Butler remembers the old days when he and Mullins would argue legal points “on the other side of the courtroom,” in the days before Mullins was a district judge.
“He was an assistant commonwealth attorney when I was the public defender. We had fierce litigation,” Butler recalled. “I had respect for him. We fought hard for our respected litigants in court and tried cases against each other before he became a judge.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but video footage from the judge’s office shows the two men looked at each other’s phones before Stines (pictured) opened fire
Butler said the courthouse is “one of the last places you can walk into without a metal detector or security at the front door.”
“We never had any disagreements outside of the courtroom, we always got along well.”
The Commonwealth’s Attorney and Attorney General’s Office “withdrew” 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 present in the courtroom at the time of the shooting and is expected to be called as a witness.
The State Attorney’s Office will take over the case, while the Kentucky State Police will conduct the investigation.
Stines has been charged with first-degree murder and turned himself in to police without incident.
Residents of the small, sleepy town were shocked by the deadly shooting, with County Clerk Mike Watts also saying the couple had planned to have lunch together hours before the shooting.
The pair were friends, Watts said, and when he went to get papers Watts had signed earlier that day and Stines was there, he didn’t think much of it. He said the only thing strange was that Stines was quieter than usual, he said. KCRA.
“It’s just so sad. I just hate it,” he said of the shooting. “They’re both friends of mine. I worked with them for years.”
Like Watts, many were shocked to learn that Stines may have been behind the deadly shooting. He is known around town as a “family man.”
“I know Mickey’s character. And I know there had to be something that did it,” Patty Wood, the widow of U.S. District Judge Jim Wood — Mullin’s predecessor — told the outlet. “You couldn’t find a better person on the planet than Mickey Stines. I don’t know what happened.
“I just can’t believe he just went in there and shot him for no reason.”
Jennifer L. Taylor, a Whitesburg attorney, said Stines was preparing for retirement and might go to law school.
She said the officer “took his time” to listen to people. Others recalled the sheriff’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
Stines, however, was questioned Monday in a lawsuit filed by two women. One woman, Sabrina Adkins, accused Ben Fields, a sheriff’s deputy, of forcing her to have sex in Mullins’ rooms for six months to avoid jail time because she couldn’t afford to buy an ankle monitor.
The women accuse the sheriff’s office of “willful indifference by failing to adequately train and supervise Stines.”
According to KCRA, former deputy district attorney Ben Fields previously confessed to raping a female inmate while she was under house arrest.
Stines has been 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 for a moment before they go to the judge’s office.
After a brief conversation, Stines got up to lock the door, at which point both men grabbed their cell phones and passed them to each other, The Mountain Eagle reported.
Stines, a father of two, then allegedly pulled out his gun, walked around the judge’s desk and shot him repeatedly as Mullins fell to the ground.
“We know there was an altercation between the two of them leading up to it, but what exactly happened before the shots were fired, we’re still trying to figure out,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart.
Mullins was appointed to the state’s 47th District judgeship in 2009 under former Governor Steve Beshear.
Mullins was appointed judge in the state’s 47th District in 2009 under former Governor Steve Beshear
According to a Letcher County website, he oversaw juvenile cases, municipal and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic violations, citations, probation hearings, claims of $2,500 or less, civil cases of $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitments, and domestic violence cases.
Mullins also received recognition for his efforts to treat people with drug addiction rather than incarcerate them. In 2010, he started a program that allowed inmates with substance abuse disorders to enroll in inpatient treatment as a condition of parole.
He previously served as an assistant district attorney for nine and a half years, where he primarily focused on drug-related crimes.
Stines was elected sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Kentucky State Police, who are investigating the matter, for comment.