Kentucky sheriff who shot best friend judge in his chambers now facing death penalty

A erstwhile Kentucky sheriff is facing the decease punishment aft helium was charged implicit the slaying of a judge gunned down successful his courthouse chambers two months ago. 

Shawn 'Mickey' Stines was indicted connected 1 number of execution of a nationalist authoritative by a Letcher County expansive assemblage successful a execution that shocked the tiny Appalachian community.

Stines had been the sheriff of the southeastern Kentucky region erstwhile authorities accidental helium walked into District Judge Kevin Mullins' chambers successful Whitesburg, spoke with the justice and past opened occurrence 8 times, sidesplitting him connected September 19.

Mullins, 54, who held the judgeship for 15 years, died astatine the scene, and Stines surrendered without incident. 

Stines pleaded not blameworthy to execution and has been held successful different Kentucky region jail.

Stines, 43, stepped down arsenic sheriff more than a week aft the shooting and his replacement, Billy Jones, was sworn successful connected October 1. Jones was a erstwhile assets serviceman astatine a precocious schoolhouse successful Letcher County.

Police person fixed no motive for the shooting involving 2 salient members of the region bordering Virginia. Whitesburg is 150 miles southeast of Lexington, Kentucky.

Defense lawyer Jeremy Bartley had earlier called the slaying a transgression of passion  carried retired arsenic his lawsuit was experiencing an 'extreme affectional disturbance.'

Authorities besides suggested the execution was being investigated arsenic a imaginable enactment ungraded but person truthful acold not elaborated. 

Video showing the justice being gunned down was played astatine a tribunal proceeding past month. 

The video, with nary audio, showed a antheral identified by constabulary arsenic Stines pulling retired a weapon and shooting the justice arsenic helium sat astatine his desk. 

The antheral walked astir the desk, pointed the weapon astatine the justice - who had fallen to the level - and fired again. Some radical successful the courtroom assemblage sobbed arsenic the video was played.

Mullins died from aggregate gunshot wounds, a Kentucky State Police detective said astatine the hearing.

The detective testified that Stines tried calling his girl whose fig person been saved connected Mullins´ telephone conscionable earlier the shooting. 

After helium surrendered, Stines told police, 'They're trying to kidnap my woman and kid.' 

Investigators recovered nary limb connected Mullins oregon successful his chambers, the detective said.

Police allege Stines walked into the judge's outer office, told tribunal employees helium needed to talk to Mullins alone, past proceeded to sprout him erstwhile they entered the interior office.

Stines past walked retired with his hands raised and surrendered to officers, who placed him successful handcuffs. He is said to have told officers to 'treat maine fair' as helium was arrested.

As DailyMail.com exclusively reported successful September, the sheriff and judge, who were longtime friends, shared an extracurricular array astatine the fashionable Streetside Grill & Bar connected Main Street for luncheon lone a fewer 100 yards from the courthouse, just hours earlier the shooting. 

The brace were lunchtime regulars unneurotic astatine the sports barroom and connected that fateful Thursday ordered their accustomed – some having the $13.99 wings with salad.

Stines' defence squad said they near the proceeding with much questions than answers and said they were conducting their ain 'parallel investigation.'

He volition beryllium arraigned connected Monday.