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Kentucky Sheriff Shoots and Kills Judge in Courthouse Chambers · Murder Files Unsealed

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  Speaker 1: A small, close knit community in southeastern Kentucky is grappling
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  with the aftermath of the arrest of their sheriff, who
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  is accused of fatally shooting a prominent district judge in
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  his chambers on Thursday. This incident has led residents to
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  question the motivations behind the shooting and has raised concerns
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  regarding the adequacy of security measures at the courthouse. Lecher
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  County Sheriff Sean M. Steines, forty three, who was tasked
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  with insuring the safety of judges, allegedly shot district Judge
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  Kevin Mullins, fifty four at the courthouse in Whitesburg. As
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  reported by the Kentucky State Police. Following the incident, Steines
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  surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody at the
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  scene without resistance. He is currently facing a charge of
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  first degree murder. According to state Police. The event has
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  sent ripples of shock throughout the small town of why Witzburg,
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  which has a population of just one thousand, seven hundred
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  eleven residents. This community is small in nature, and we're
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  all shaken, stated Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart during
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  a news conference on Thursday evening. The confrontation reportedly stemmed
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  from an argument between the two men inside the judge's
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  chambers earlier that afternoon. As indicated by preliminary investigations, what
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  began as a routine day in court quickly escalated into
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  chaos when shortly before three pm on Thursday, police received
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  a nine to one one call reporting gunfire within the building.
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  According to Gayheart, in response to the alarming reports of
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  an active shooter, court security Officer Wallace Kinser and Circuit
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  court clerk Mike Watts acted swiftly guiding attorneys and court
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  personnel away from the potential threat that was unfolding in
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  the chain. As noted by Matt Butler, the Commonwealth's attorney
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  for Lecher County, an atmosphere of fear enveloped the county
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  as students in Lecher County Public schools were placed on
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  lockdown shortly before three point thirty pm. A message sent
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  to parents stated, following a communication from the Kentucky State Police,
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  LCC was mandated to initiate a lockdown due to an
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  active shooting incident in downtown. Your children are safe. The
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  district was left without its judge, who had served for
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  fifteen years. After Mullins was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds
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  and subsequently pronounced dead, according to the Kentucky State Police. Additionally,
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  Lecher County found itself without its sheriff, who had held
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  the position for eight years, after Stein's was apprehended at
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  the courthouse on Thursday. Authorities have not clarified who will
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  succeed him. He is currently incarcerated in Leslie County, with
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  his initial court appearance set for September twenty fifth before
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  a judge in Carter County. As stated by Jackie Steele,
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  the Commonwealth's attorney assigned to the case, CNN is in
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  the process of confirming whether Stein's has legal representation as
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  residents await further information regarding the dispute that precipitated the gunfire.
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  The motive is still under investigation. Gayheart noted that the
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  incident was isolated, but emphasized that this marks the first
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  occurrence of a tragedy of this magnitude in the county.
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  Ben Gish, editor of the local weekly newspaper, Mountain Eagle,
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  remarked to CNN, none of us could have envisioned such
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  an event occurring in this day and age. I cannot
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  fathom the lasting impact this will have on our community.
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  Gish added, the incident has led certain residents to seek clarity,
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  while others have begun to call for improved safety measures
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  at the Lecher County Courthouse. This includes the installation of
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  a metal detector and enhanced security at the entrance. Matt Butler,
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  the Commonwealth's attorney for Lecher County, expressed in a video
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  statement on Friday, the Lecher County Courthouse is among the
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  few remaining that allows entry without a metal detector or
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  security personnel at the front door. This situation is intolerable
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  in twenty twenty four, just as it was when I
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  began my tenure in two thousand seven. Sheriff deposed in
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  lawsuit days before shooting. Earlier this week, Steins provided testimony
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  in an ongoing federal lawsuit concerning a former deputy who
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  allegedly coerced a woman into engaging in sexual acts within
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  Mullen's chambers in twenty twenty one. The lawsuit was initiated
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  in twenty twenty two by Sabrina Adkins and Jennifer Hill
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  against Steins and Deputy Ben Field. The plaintiffs assert that
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  Fields promised to keep Adkins out of jail and allow
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  her to remain on home release, while also waiving the
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  fees associated with an ankle monitor in exchange for sexual favors.
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  Fields faced multiple felony charges and a misdemeanor, including rape
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  and tampering with a monitoring device, and he received a
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  suspended jail sentence as part of a plea agreement earlier
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  this year, as reported by The Mountain Eagle newspaper. Following
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  Hill's death, the criminal charges against Fields related to her
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  were dismissed. However, her estate continues to pursue the lawsuit
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  against both Fields and Steins, as indicated by court records.
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  The lawsuit claims that sheriff Steins did not conduct an
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  adequate investigation.