Shocking video capturing the alleged murder of a Kentucky judge by a sheriff's buddy has been reviewed in court

The shocking moment a Kentucky judge was allegedly murdered by his sheriff friend was revealed in court as witness statements offered a glimpse into the brutal killing.

The Courier Journal reported that surveillance footage of a man identified as Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines allegedly shooting District Judge Mullins multiple times in his chambers drew emotional reactions in the courtroom when prosecutors played the video during a preliminary hearing.

The sheriff reportedly came out of the courtroom after the shooting with his hands raised and urged police to “treat me fairly” in detaining me, a Kentucky detective testified, adding that Stines allegedly told police, “You're trying “To kidnap me.” Wife and child.”

Stines, 43, was friends with Mullins, 54, for decades and even had lunch with him on Sept. 19, hours before he was charged with eight counts of murder at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg, where Mullins served for 15 years Judge to have shot.

Detective Clayton Stamper testified that a witness who attended the lunch said he saw Mullins ask Stines if they needed to meet privately, although the context was not provided, the outlet reported.

He added that surveillance footage from inside the chambers – which was not shown in court – showed the sheriff using his and Mullins' phones to make multiple calls to his daughter before approaching the judge and shooting him.

According to the Courier Journal, Stampers confirmed that police found Stines' daughter's phone number stored in the judge's phone, adding that the case remains under investigation as police attempt to interview more witnesses and examine both cellphones.

Although defense attorney Jeremy Bartley declined to give a motive for the shooting, police were reported to have indicated last week that the murder was being investigated as a possible sex scandal.

Authorities did not provide any further details about the sex scandal in question. However, the sheriff had already been deposed days earlier in a lawsuit filed by two women, one of whom alleged that an officer forced her to have sex in Mullins' chambers for six months in exchange for her not going to prison.

The lawsuit accuses the sheriff of “deliberate indifference by failing to adequately train and supervise Deputy Ben Fields,” who pleaded guilty to raping the female prisoner while she was in home confinement.

Fields was sentenced this year to six months in prison and then six and a half years of probation for rape, sodomy, perjury and tampering with a prisoner monitoring device, The Mountain Eagle reported. Three charges related to a second woman were dismissed because she is now dead.

Stines fired Fields, who succeeded him as Mullins's bailiff, for “inappropriate conduct” after the lawsuit was filed in 2022, the Courier Journal reported at the time.

Stines announced Monday that he would resign as sheriff after Gov. Andy Beshear called for his resignation.

The case will now be sent to the grand jury for indictment.

Stines has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is being held in the Leslie County Jail.