Alleged Courthouse Brothel, Family Threats Drove Former Sheriff to Murder Judge [WATCH]

A former Kentucky sheriff has been indicted for the September 2024 shooting of District Court Judge Kevin Mullins inside his courthouse chambers, a crime that unfolded against a backdrop of sexual abuse allegations involving the courthouse itself, as reported by  Fox News.

The shooting shocked the small community of Letcher County and drew national attention due to its alleged ties to an ongoing civil case.

Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines was indicted in November 2024 by a grand jury on a single count of murder for the shooting death of Judge Mullins.

According to surveillance footage and witness accounts, Stines entered the judge’s chambers on September 19 and asked others in the room to leave.

After a private conversation and an unanswered phone call to his daughter made from Mullins’ phone, Stines allegedly drew his weapon and shot the judge at close range.

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The incident occurred just days after Stines was deposed in a civil lawsuit filed by Sabrina Adkins. The lawsuit alleges that Adkins was sexually exploited by former Letcher County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Fields while she was under home incarceration.

Adkins claims she was coerced into providing sexual favors in exchange for leniency with her ankle monitor requirements. She also alleges that the abuse occurred inside Judge Mullins’ chambers.

Fields, who was supervised by Stines at the time, was named as a defendant in the suit, along with Stines for allegedly failing to properly train or supervise Fields.

In September 2022, Fields was indicted on multiple charges, including rape, sodomy, tampering with a monitoring device, and perjury. He pleaded guilty in January 2024 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

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Adkins’ attorney, Ned Pillersdorf, said multiple women were exploited in similar fashion. Pillersdorf told Fox News Digital:

“They were running a brothel out of that courthouse.”

Following the lawsuit’s filing, a security camera was installed inside Mullins’ chambers, an unusual measure that Stines’ defense team says added to his stress and paranoia.

Stines’ attorney, Jeremy Bartley, says his client became increasingly paranoid leading up to the shooting, fearing threats against his family due to what he knew about courthouse misconduct.

On the day of the shooting, Stines appeared agitated at lunch with courthouse colleagues and later ran errands with a friend, delivering food to a disabled resident.

His friend, Michael Clark, later told investigators that Stines was visibly paranoid and unsettled throughout the day.

Later that afternoon, Stines returned to the courthouse and entered Mullins’ chambers, where the fatal encounter occurred. Kentucky State Police took Stines into custody without incident. He has since remained cooperative, according to authorities.

Stines’ legal team has notified the court that they plan to pursue an insanity defense, citing “extreme emotional disturbance” and intent to provide expert testimony about his mental condition.

The civil lawsuit involving Adkins remains ongoing. Prosecutors in the murder case have not commented publicly on the developments.

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