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(This story has been updated to include new information.)

WEST LIBERTY, Ky. – While former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines was in court Tuesday, attendees of a hearing into the killing of District Judge Kevin Mullins saw footage of the shooting and heard testimony about the motive.

The video clip was less than a minute long and contained no sound. It shows a man police have identified as Stines shooting the judge behind his desk several times and then leaving the scene.

Supporters of the judge wept in court as the video was shown.

Stines, who first pleaded not guilty last week, was charged with the murder of Mullins, who was shot to death Sept. 19 in his private quarters at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg.

Kentucky State Police Detective Clayton Stamper testified that the full video shows Stines using his own phone to make multiple calls and then using the judge's phone to make one call. The shooting followed.

In his testimony, Stamper said the calls were directed to Stines' daughter. The phones were sent to forensic teams for examination, Stamper said, but his daughter's phone was not examined. Stamper confirmed that Stines' daughter's phone number was stored in the judge's phone and was called before the shooting.

The two men had gone to lunch with several other people earlier in the day, Stamper said. The detective said a witness said Mullins once asked Stines if they needed to meet privately, although the context was unclear. Stamper said witnesses are still being interviewed.

Stamper added that Stines was “mostly calm” when interviewed after his detention, although he did not offer a motive.

“Basically he just said, 'Treat me fairly,'” the detective said.

Asked by defense attorney Jeremy Bartley whether Stines said anything about “protecting his family” when he was taken into custody, Stamper said Stines allegedly said, “They're trying to kidnap my wife and child.”

After the hearing, Bartley said more information would be released as the investigation continued. He declined to speculate on a motive for the shooting outside of speculation discussed in court.

“I left today's hearing with many unanswered questions,” he said, emphasizing that Tuesday's discussion was only a preliminary hearing with a view to moving forward with the case. “We hoped it would shed more light on the previous events.”

In his first court appearance after being hired by Stines last week, Bartley said he had not seen the longer video but said he believed the moments before the shooting were “just as important as the part we saw.” have”. The full version should be viewed when the case goes to district court, he said.

Stines was assisted by a public defender in the video arraignment last week when Judge Rupert Wilhoit and Commonwealth's Attorney Jackie Steele – who is prosecuting the case along with Attorney General Russell Coleman – asked him to retain an attorney.

Stines announced Monday that he is resigning from his position as sheriff. Gov. Andy Beshear called on Stines to resign last week in a letter he sent to the then-sheriff at the Leslie County Jail.

The shooting at the center of the case occurred on September 19 just before 3 p.m. Stines, who surrendered at the scene, was accused of shooting Mullins in his private quarters while other court employees were in the building. The two men were friends, residents say, and Stines worked as a bailiff at the Mullins courthouse for several years before being elected sheriff in 2018.

After the hearing concluded, Wilhoit allowed the case to be sent to a grand jury. Stines' next court date has not been announced.

More: “We're really hurting”: Judge's murder and sheriff behind bars shake Whitesburg

Reporter Rachel Smith contributed. Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected].

On By John Fenwick

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