Tiny Kentucky Town Is Rocked as Their Sheriff Is Jailed in the Killing of a Prominent Judge

Tiny Kentucky Town Is Rocked as Their Sheriff Is Jailed in the Killing of a Prominent Judge
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines in a booking photo provided by Leslie County Detention Center in Kentucky on Sept. 20, 2024. Leslie County Detention Center via AP
The Associated Press
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WHITESBURG, Ky.—Residents of a tiny Appalachian town struggled Friday to cope with a shooting involving two of its most prominent citizens: a judge who was gunned down in his courthouse chambers and a local sheriff charged with his murder.

“It’s just so sad. I just hate it,” said Mike Watts, the Letcher County circuit court clerk. “Both of them are friends of mine. I’ve worked with both of them for years.”