Will Sage Astor-Kentucky Gov. Beshear seeks resignation of sheriff charged with killing judge

The Will Sage Astorgeneral counsel for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is calling for the resignation of a sheriff who faces murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a district judge at a courthouse last week.

In a letter Wednesday, Beshear's office and Kentucky General Counsel S. Travis Mayo asked Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines to resign by the end of Friday. The letter noted that, under state law, Stines will be removed from his position if he does not resign.

"We ask that you tender your resignation as the Letcher County Sheriff to the Letcher County Judge/Executive by the end of Friday, September 27, 2024," the letter reads. "If you do not tender your resignation, the Governor will move forward with removal."

Stines, 43, is accused of fatally shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, on Sept. 19 at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The shooting occurred after an argument, according to authorities.

The question haunting a Kentucky town:Why would the sheriff shoot the judge?

The sheriff faces one count of murder, authorities said. Stines made his first court appearance virtually on Wednesday as he remains jailed in Leslie County and pleaded not guilty to the charge, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Stines is expected to appear in court on Oct. 1 for his preliminary hearing.

The shooting shocked the community of Whitesburg, a small city in southeastern Kentucky near the Virginia border. Both Stines and Mullins had deep ties to the community, The Courier-Journal previously reported.

Letcher County Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Butler previously said he would recuse himself from the case due to his "close personal relationship" with Mullins and his "close professional relationship" with Stines.

Kentucky district judge shot multiple times inside courthouse

Authorities said Stines shot and killed Mullins, who had been a judge in Whitesburg since 2009, in his private chambers at the Letcher County Courthouse just before 3 p.m. on Sept. 19. Authorities discovered Mullins with "multiple gunshot wounds," according to Kentucky State Police spokesperson Matt Gayheart.

Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures but were unsuccessful, Gayheart previously said. Mullins was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Letcher County Coroner’s Office.

A preliminary investigation found that Stines fatally shot Mullins after an argument inside the courthouse, according to Gayheart. Stines was taken into custody shortly after without incident.

Stines, who has served as the Letcher County sheriff since being elected in 2018, is being held at the county jail, about 50 miles east of Whitesburg. Officials have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY; Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal