WHITESBURG, Ky. – They had a long-standing friendship and worked together at the county courthouse. Both were well-known officials in a community where everyone seems to be connected.

So, what led Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines to enter a private room in the courthouse with a gun and kill District Judge Kevin Mullins?

This shocking act is unprecedented in a town that can go several years without a homicide. The shooting on Thursday afternoon has left a significant void in the judicial system, as Mullins was the only judge in the county, and the sheriff now faces a first-degree murder charge and is in jail in Leslie County after surrendering at the crime scene.

Whitesburg, which had a population of nearly 1,800 in 2020, features a closely-knit community. Letcher County Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler stepped back from the case largely due to his familial relationship with Mullins; the two had been married to sisters, and Butler mentioned that his daughters referred to Mullins as “unkie.”

Butler understands that rumors can spread quickly in such a tight community. In a video he shared on social media Friday morning, he urged locals to refrain from spreading gossip and asked them to respect the situation.

“If you’re just looking to gossip or stir trouble, please exclude me from those discussions and just don’t engage in them,” Butler stated. “It’s important to be respectful.”

No clear motive has emerged. The Kentucky State Police did not provide details immediately after the shooting, which occurred just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, and no press conference was held on Friday. Stines’ initial court appearance is expected next week, but the sparse arrest citation contains little information. As of Saturday morning, Stines had not appointed an attorney to represent him.

For now, the residents of Whitesburg, Letcher County, and the surrounding areas can only ponder what happened.

Mullins had no disciplinary record with the Kentucky Bar Association and was known for his efforts to assist drug offenders in finding treatment instead of prison time.

Stines had countless friends throughout the town, having been a familiar face for many years as a bailiff in Mullins’ court before becoming sheriff in 2018. Earlier this year, he stated he had no intention of running for a second term.

Patty Wood, a legal assistant at a nearby law office, recounted how her husband, former District Judge James Wood, mentored Stines during his time as a bailiff over 15 years ago. “He was a very affectionate person; there was always a hug when we met,” Wood recalled. “He would say, ‘Do you need anything? Just call me if you need help.’”

When Wood learned of the courthouse shooting on Thursday, she immediately walked with attorney Jennifer Taylor to the scene, where a crowd had gathered, shocked by the event.

“They said Kevin had been shot, and Mickey was the shooter, and my heart just sank,” Wood remarked. “It was the last scenario I could have imagined happening.”

For Wood, the incident seems incomprehensible, and she isn’t alone in her confusion.

Bill and Josephine Richardson, longtime residents of Whitesburg since they helped establish the renowned Appalshop art center in 1969, expressed disbelief. They had known both men, but felt closer to Stines, who was well-liked in the community and had recently pushed for a petition to permit alcohol sales throughout the county, assuring that it would not personally benefit him in his final year as sheriff.

The Richardsons shared that two people had told them Stines “had not been himself” that week.

Although they have witnessed many incidents over the years, they never encountered a situation quite like what unfolded on Thursday. Josephine received a call from their son, who lives in Somerset, just minutes after the shooting, warning them to avoid downtown.

The scene was bustling with police officers, ambulances, and curious onlookers, while the nearby high school was placed under lockdown. Various media outlets, including LEX-18 and The New York Times, flooded the area to cover the event.

Laci Wright, an employee at Coal City Coffee nearby, observed the chaos as it occurred.

“I saw three ambulances pass by, followed by fire trucks and police vehicles. The traffic was backed up all the way to the end of the street,” she recounted.

The sheriff is currently a defendant in a separate federal lawsuit, and was questioned for several hours on Monday. He has been accused of inadequately training and overseeing a deputy who allegedly exchanged favorable treatment for sexual favors from a woman under house arrest who wished to avoid returning to the Letcher County jail, all of which occurred in Mullins’ office, which lacked surveillance cameras at that time.

The deputy in question, Ben Fields, was terminated from his position and later found guilty of multiple state offenses, serving less than a year in jail before being released on probation this past summer. Stines has not been accused of exchanging sexual favors for preferential treatment, and Mullins has faced no charges or allegations of wrongdoing.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the aforementioned case told The Courier Journal, part of the YSL News Network, that they were taken aback by the shooting and are uncertain if it is connected to the events of Thursday.

“Everyone has their own perspective,” Josephine Richardson shared.

Jackie Steele, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Perry County and several other Eastern Kentucky areas, will be overseeing the case in conjunction with Attorney General Russell Coleman instead of the Letcher County Commonwealth’s Attorney. Butler expressed his admiration for Steele in a social media post, referring to him as “perhaps the most capable prosecutor in the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

Wood remains in close contact with Stines’ family, having seen his wife and daughter on Friday. “They are a wonderful family,” she commented, but acknowledged, “right now, they are struggling.”

Wood is one of many in Letcher County and surrounding areas awaiting further information.

Meanwhile, Butler cautioned that speculation could worsen an already tense situation.

“Now is not the time for rumors. This is not the moment to speak ill of others,” he advised the public. ” We must work together and show respect as we mourn, striving to enhance the safety of our community and ensuring similar incidents do not happen again.”

Contact Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.