Kentucky community shocked by death of judge and murder charge against sheriff

WHITESBURG, Ky. (WCHS) — Less than a week after a shocking murder, a small town in eastern Kentucky is still trying to come to terms with what happened.

Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins was shot to death in his office last week and Sheriff Mickey Stines was charged with first-degree murder.

A federal lawsuit accuses Stines of failing to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against one of his deputies.

Whitesburg has a population of 1,700 and many residents are trying to make sense of the incident.

“I never thought something like this could happen,” Mike Watts, clerk of the Letcher County Circuit Court, told Eyewitness News. “It's just unbelievable, unreal and unimaginable.”

Throughout downtown, signs of fall point to preparations for the city's annual Mountain Heritage Festival, which organizers hope will serve as a time of healing.

“We felt the festival would bring people together,” said Lee Adams, Letcher County's tourism director. “The festival is always known as a homecoming.”

Rev. Jensen Riddle pastors the city's First Baptist Church and encourages his congregation to reach out to all stakeholders to support the healing process.

“It's been a real blow to have this come to our doorstep,” Riddle said. “There's a lot of confusion about what happened. There are a lot of rumors floating around, but ultimately these are two families in deep fear and deep pain.”

On Wednesday, Stines will be tried in Carter County on murder charges.