Former Kentucky Sheriff Charged in Judge’s Killing May Get Evaluated for Insanity Defense

Former Kentucky Sheriff Charged in Judge’s Killing May Get Evaluated for Insanity Defense
Former Letcher County Ky. Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines looks over at the prosecutors during a hearing at the Morgan County Courthouse in West Liberty, Ky., on Oct. 1, 2024. Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Prosecutors have requested a mental evaluation for a former Kentucky sheriff charged with gunning down a judge in a courthouse last year after his attorneys said they will argue he was emotionally disturbed at the time of the shooting.

The killing rocked the small Appalachian community of Whitesburg, where residents knew Shawn “Mickey” Stines to be longtime friends with District Judge Kevin Mullins. Prosecutors have presented a video in court of a man police identified as Stines pulling out a handgun and shooting Mullins at his desk on Sept. 19.