Judge Cohron, who is a special judge assigned to Kendrick’s cases in Bullitt County, is also special judge over another high-profile case involving the Letcher County Sheriff who was captured on video shooting and killing Judge Mullins. Here’s the excerpt from the latest news article that caught our attention where we learned the Sheriff wants Judge Cohron removed from his case. Funny, we want the judge removed from Kendrick’s cases too.
Stamper testified that Stines allegedly then said, “He made a statement like, they’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid, or something like that, to one of the officers, so they take him in custody at that time, he’s handcuffed.”
“Since his death, Mullins has been accused of exploiting women in the justice system. Stines is listed among the witnesses who will testify in a civil trial for a woman accusing one of Stines’ former deputies of coercing a woman to have sex with him in Mullins’ chambers. Mullins was not named in the suit, and the suit did not claim he knew what the deputy was allegedly doing. But according to a court filing from a lawyer representing the current Letcher County sheriff and the deputy in their official capacities, the woman who filed the suit told a Kentucky State Police detective that the deputy, Ben Fields, along with “Judge Mullins and other ‘higher ups’ would engage in sexual activities with individuals [brought] before Judge Mullins in criminal matters.“ The woman said “she had seen videos of Judge Mullins engaging in these activities.”
Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article314391886.html#storylink=cpy
Related case: Cohron Appointed to Case Involving KY Sheriff Accused of Murdering Judge in Chambers
2024-09-20 | KSP trooper: Argument preceded judge’s courthouse shooting death
2024-09-25 | Letcher County sheriff pleads not guilty to judge’s murder
2024-12-19 | Cohron named special judge in Letcher sheriff murder case
2025-09-03 | Mental evaluation, bond, dismissal | Sides spar in former Letcher Co. sheriff trial
2025-09-04 | Former Letcher Co. sheriff’s attorneys oppose 2nd mental health evaluation
2025-09-04 | Sheriff’s Daughter Says She Never Knew Slain Judge — Earlier, Police Noted Her Number in His Phone
2025-12-04 | Judge upholds indictment of Kentucky sheriff accused of killing judge — OKs bond hearing
2025-12-18 | Status hearing for former Letcher Co. sheriff postponed
2025-12-21 | KY sheriff who killed judge to testify for woman accusing deputy of sexual misconduct (LONG GRAPHIC VIDEO)
2025-12-30 | Attorneys seek judge’s recusal in former sheriff’s murder case
2026-01-20 | Court issues order on special judge in murder case against former sheriff
2026-01-27 | KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT REMANDS JUDGE DISQUALIFICATION MOTION IN MICKEY STINES CASE BACK TO LOWER COURTS
✔ Known facts (court and official reporting)
- The sheriff allegedly shot Judge Mullins in the judge’s chambers on September 19, 2024; the shooting was captured on courthouse surveillance.
- Stines was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty.
- Law enforcement has not publicly announced an official motive tied to a specific dispute or crime motive — authorities only said an argument occurred before the shooting.
🔍 Speculation / theories that have circulated
These are not proven facts, but they’ve been reported or widely discussed in media and public forums:
1. Mental health / emotional disturbance
- The defense has indicated Stines may have been suffering from extreme emotional disturbance and mental instability at the time, potentially supporting a defense of insanity or “heat of passion.”
- Some public reporting referenced claims that Stines appeared paranoid or withdrawn in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
2. Unverified rumors tying the judge to sexual misconduct
- There have been unverified allegations in some reports and online discussions that Mullins was involved in a sex-for-favors scheme — claims that women on house arrest had sex in exchange for leniency and that the courthouse was a place where some exploitative acts occurred.
- These are serious allegations that have circulated widely, but there’s no indication they’ve been proven in criminal court or directly linked to Stines’ actions.
3. Local rumors about personal connections
- Rumors circulated online that Mullins had inappropriate relations with the sheriff’s daughter, but his daughter has publicly denied any personal relationship with the judge.
4. Broader context of courthouse abuse lawsuits
- The sheriff had been deposed shortly before the shooting in a civil lawsuit alleging failures to supervise a deputy who sexually abused a woman while she was on home incarceration. That lawsuit involved incidents in the same courthouse rather than an action by the judge himself.
🧠 What isn’t established
- There is currently no official finding that Mullins engaged in criminal behavior or that any alleged misconduct was directly connected to the motive for his killing.
- Law enforcement has not publicly confirmed that the argument before the shooting was about any specific allegation or event.
🧩 Summary
In short:
- Officially: Authorities have not disclosed a clear motive, beyond an argument preceding the shooting.
- In defense filings and court context: Mental health and emotional disturbance are being raised as potential factors.
- In media and public speculation: There are broader allegations of sex-for-favors schemes, courtroom abuses, and personal rumors — but these remain unverified and unrelated to any formal charges against Mullins.