Kentucky sheriff charged with fatally shooting judge deposed in rape-related case days earlier

A Kentucky sheriff charged with fatally shooting a justice wrong his chambers connected Thursday was accused successful a suit earlier this week of failing to analyse claims that a section lawman was sexually assaulting women who were nether location arrest.  

Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, 43, was deposed successful a suit filed Monday by 2 women, 1 of whom alleged that a lawman forced her to person enactment wrong the aforesaid judge’s chambers wherever the shooting took place. The pistillate claims the lawman repeatedly sexually assaulted her for six months successful speech for staying retired of jail. 

The suit accuses the sheriff of "deliberate indifference successful failing to adequately bid and supervise" the deputy.

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Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines successful his booking photo. Stines is charged with 1 number of first-degree execution successful narration to the shooting decease of District Judge Kevin Mullins. (Leslie County Detention Center via AP)

The deposition came conscionable 3 days earlier District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was changeable aggregate times astatine the Letcher County courthouse pursuing an statement with Stines successful Whitesburg, Kentucky State Police said. He was pronounced dormant astatine the scene. 

Stines was taken into custody astatine the determination without incidental and was charged with 1 number of first-degree murder, constabulary said. He is being held astatine adjacent Leslie County Detention Center, 2 counties away.

It is unclear what the brace were arguing astir oregon if it was successful immoderate mode related to the lawsuit. 

The suit stems from a lawsuit involving the now-former lawman sheriff, Ben Fields, who pleaded blameworthy successful January to raping a pistillate captive portion she was connected location incarceration. 

Fields, who formerly worked arsenic a lawman jailer, was sentenced this twelvemonth to six months successful jailhouse and past six and a fractional years connected probation for rape, sodomy, perjury and tampering with a captive monitoring device, The Mountain Eagle reported. Three charges related to a 2nd pistillate were dismissed due to the fact that she is present dead, having died from a cause overdose.

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District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, left, was allegedly killed by Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, successful his judge's chambers, authorities said. (Kentucky Court of Justice; Letcher County Sheriff's Office)

Prisoners nether location apprehension are required to wage for physics monitoring, and the women claimed Fields told them helium would not marque them wage for the monitoring if they would bash him "a favor," per the outlet. 

Fields disabled the women’s devices and told the monitoring institution that bail conditions had been changed, truthful the devices were not required. He past utilized threats of apprehension to unit the women to person enactment with him, according to The Mountain Eagle.

The sidesplitting of the justice sent daze waves done the tight-knit Appalachian town. Whitesburg is the region spot of authorities with astir 1,700 residents located astir 145 miles southeast of Lexington.

Lead region authoritative Matt Butler described an outpouring of sympathy arsenic helium recused himself and his bureau from the investigation, citing societal and household ties to Mullins.

"We each cognize each different here. ... Anyone from Letcher County would archer you that Judge Mullins and I joined sisters and that we person children who are archetypal cousins but enactment similar siblings," Butler said successful a connection from his bureau to the Associated Press. "For that reason, among others, I person already taken steps to recuse myself and my full office."

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The justice was killed Thursday astatine Kentucky's Letcher County Courthouse. (Google Maps)

Mullins served connected the seat successful the 47th Judicial District wherever helium oversaw juvenile matters, metropolis and region ordinances, misdemeanors, postulation offenses, arraignments, felony probable origin hearings, claims involving $2,500 oregon less, civilian cases involving $5,000 oregon less, voluntary and involuntary intelligence commitments and home unit cases, according to the tribunal website. 

He has served arsenic a territory justice successful Letcher County since helium was appointed by erstwhile Gov. Steve Beshear successful 2009 and elected the pursuing year. Mullins promoted substance maltreatment treatment for radical progressive successful the justness strategy and helped hundreds of residents participate inpatient residential treatment, according to a programme for a cause acme helium spoke astatine successful 2022. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.