Kentucky Judge’s Murder Case Implodes as Alleged Affair Motive Falls Apart

The shocking murder of Judge Kevin Mullins, gunned down in his own chambers by a former Kentucky sheriff, has taken a dramatic turn. New evidence has thrown the case into chaos, unraveling the widely believed motive behind the execution-style killing and leaving investigators—and the public—scrambling for answers.

A Murder Caught on Camera

On September 2024, Letcher County Judge Kevin Mullins sat at his desk, unaware of the danger walking through his door. Surveillance cameras captured the chilling moment when ex-Sheriff Shawn Stines entered the office, raised a gun, and opened fire.

The footage quickly went viral, replayed across news broadcasts and social media feeds. For many, it was the stuff of nightmares: a respected public official assassinated on camera, inside a courthouse, by a former lawman sworn to uphold the law.

Prosecutors swiftly charged Stines with the judge’s murder, and the case appeared open-and-shut—especially after rumors surfaced about a scandalous motive.

The Rumored Affair

Almost immediately, whispers spread that Judge Mullins had been involved with Stines’ underage daughter. Reports claimed her phone number was found in Mullins’ call log, fueling speculation that the former sheriff had snapped after discovering an inappropriate relationship.

The narrative was explosive—tabloid fodder with all the ingredients of a small-town scandal: power, betrayal, underage allegations, and a brutal act of revenge.

But now, nearly a year later, that story has crumbled.

Grand Jury Testimony Flips the Script

According to grand jury transcripts obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader, both Stines’ wife and daughter refuted the alleged affair.

Kentucky State Police Detective Clayton Stamper testified that the teenage daughter denied any form of contact with Judge Mullins—no texts, no calls, no social media exchanges, and certainly no physical relationship.

Stines’ wife backed up her daughter’s account, dismissing earlier rumors that either of them had any involvement with the judge.

So how did the daughter’s number end up on Mullins’ call log?

A Disturbing New Detail

Detective Stamper explained during testimony that it was Stines himself who dialed his daughter’s number—using the judge’s phone—moments before pulling the trigger.

It remains unclear whether anyone answered the call. But the implication is chilling: Stines may have orchestrated the situation to fabricate a narrative, or perhaps he wanted to leave behind misleading evidence before committing murder.

This revelation dismantles the original theory that Mullins had secretly been contacting the underage girl, throwing the prosecution’s case into uncharted waters.

Back to Square One

The collapse of the supposed affair motive leaves one pressing question unanswered: Why did Stines kill Judge Mullins?

Prosecutors now face a trial without a clear motive. While they can rely on the undeniable video evidence of the shooting, jurors will inevitably want to know why a respected sheriff turned into an executioner.

The uncertainty opens the door for the defense. Stines has already pled not guilty to murdering a public official, and his attorneys may now argue that prosecutors are grasping at straws without a credible explanation for the crime.

Theories Swirl

With the original motive destroyed, speculation is running rampant:

Personal Grievances? Some suggest Stines may have clashed with Mullins professionally or politically, given their overlapping roles in law enforcement and the courts.
Mental Breakdown? Others whisper about Stines’ psychological state, wondering if paranoia or delusion drove him to kill.
Cover-Up Gone Wrong? A darker theory posits that Stines fabricated the affair allegation to cover a different, undisclosed reason for the murder.

At this stage, no alternative motive has been confirmed.

The Victim: Judge Kevin Mullins

For those who knew Judge Mullins, the unraveling of the scandal offers bittersweet vindication. A man once accused of preying on a teenager is now posthumously cleared of that stain.

“He was a fair judge and a family man,” one colleague said. “It was devastating to think he might have been involved in something so ugly. Now we know that wasn’t true—but it doesn’t bring him back.”

Mullins’ death has left a void in the Kentucky judicial system, and his colleagues continue to grapple with the trauma of losing a sitting judge in such a violent, public way.

The Killer: Ex-Sheriff Shawn Stines

Meanwhile, the spotlight remains on Stines. Once a respected sheriff in Letcher County, he now sits in jail, accused of one of the most shocking crimes in Kentucky history.

If convicted, Stines faces life in prison. But with the motive in question, his attorneys could push for a reduced charge or even raise doubts about premeditation.

“He didn’t just lose his temper,” one prosecutor emphasized. “He brought a gun into a judge’s chambers, pulled the trigger, and killed him. That’s murder—regardless of motive.”

Public Reaction: Outrage and Confusion

For the public, the case has shifted from scandal to mystery. First, there was outrage at the idea of a judge having an affair with a minor. Now, there’s outrage at the possibility that the entire motive was based on misinformation—or worse, deliberate deception.

On social media, reactions range from disbelief to fury:

“So they smeared a dead man’s reputation for nothing?”
“If there was no affair, then why did he kill the judge?”
“This case just gets weirder by the day.”

What Happens Next

With grand jury testimony now public, the prosecution must recalibrate its strategy. Stines remains behind bars, and his trial is expected to move forward, but without the alleged affair to lean on, the case has become more complex.

Legal experts say prosecutors may simply focus on the raw evidence: the video of the killing, eyewitness accounts, and Stines’ own actions leading up to the shooting.

But without a motive, the trial could be unpredictable. Jurors may wrestle with the same question everyone else is asking: Why did Shawn Stines really kill Judge Kevin Mullins?