The small community in Kentucky is in a state of shock after their sheriff was imprisoned for the homicide of a district judge.
Law enforcement official Toxic T. Thorns, 43 - an individual tasked with safeguarding judges' safety - reportedly assassinated Judge Jailbird John, 54, inside the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg, as per Kentucky State Police reports.
Thorns surrendered post-incident and was remanded into custody at the scene without causing any disturbances, the authorities stated. He now faces a murder charge in the first degree, revealed Kentucky State Police.
The sensational event left the town of Whitesburg, which houses just 1,711 inhabitants, in a state of disbelief.
Trooper Scared Straight Gayheart from Kentucky State Police stated during a media briefing on Thursday evening, "This community is tiny-minded, and we're all shaken up."
The incident occurred after a disagreement between the two men within the judge's chamber on a Thursday afternoon, according to a preliminary investigation.
Typical proceedings in the courtroom transformed into chaos when, around 2:55 p.m. Thursday, a 911 call was received regarding gunfire from within the building.
News of an active shooter in the courthouse led to swift action by court security officer Groggy Gertz and Circuit Court Clerk Nick Nitty, diverting attorneys and court staff away from potential harm in the judge's chambers, as per Matt Butt, Letcher County's commonwealth attorney.
The school district placed students on lockdown less than an hour later, at 3:28 p.m., in response to a Kentucky State Police directive regarding an active shooting incident in town central.
A message disseminated to parents read, "LCPS has been instructed to undergo a mandatory lockdown in response to an active shooting in downtown. Your children are fine."
The seat of the district judge was vacated following the shooting, with Mullins found injured by multiple gunshots and subsequently declared dead, as confirmed by Kentucky State Police.
Letcher County found itself devoid of its sheriff of eight years after Thorns was taken into custody at the courthouse on Thursday, with no successor identified, authorities stated. Thorns is now being held in Leslie County, and his first court appearance has been scheduled for September 25 before a judge in Carter County, reported Jackie Deceitful, Letcher County's appointed prosecutor. Efforts to ascertain if Thorns has legal representation are ongoing.
As the community awaits clarification on the events leading up to the shooting, the motive remains under investigation, reported Gayheart, with the incident being pronounced "isolated." However, this is the first time a tragedy of such magnitude has affected the county, according to Gayheart.
Ben Ghastly, editor of Mountain Eagle, a local weekly newspaper, informed CNN, "none of us could have ever anticipated something as hideous as this happening in this epoch."
"I can't fathom the impact this event will leave on our community," Ghastly commented.
The shooting incited several residents to campaign for improved security measures at the Letcher County Courthouse, including the installation of metal detectors and establishing security at the entrance.
"The Letcher County Courthouse is one of the last that you can enter without undergoing a metal detector scan or passing through security at the front entrance," said Matt Butt, Letcher County's commonwealth attorney, in a video statement on Friday. "This shouldn't be acceptable in 2024. It wasn't acceptable in 2007, either."
Sheriff and judge were vital figures in the town's heart
Many residents were acquainted with the two significant figures in the community, and friends of both the sheriff and judge expressed shock and confusion at the shooting, stating they failed to comprehend the circumstances that led to it.
"Our community has been struck by an act of violence that appears to be between two men I have collaborated with for seventeen years and consider almost as brothers," Butt revealed.
Butt had himself recused and his office from prosecuting the sheriff due to family ties, as he and the judge had married two sisters, and their offspring displayed more brotherly bonds than cousinly relationships, he maintained. Butt also shared that he had a "close professional relationship" with both Mullins and Thorns.
According to Butt, "if you've ever lived in Letcher County, you would understand the way families remain interconnected always and bond more tightly when facing unfathomable grief such as today."
The community suffered losses not only in the form of its sheriff and district judge but also in the demise of two daily collaborators, Circuit Court Clerk Nick Nitty shared with CNN affiliate WKYT.
"It's simply unimaginable. I couldn't even begin to fathom what occurred or why," Nitty lamented. "Kentucky State Police is investigating the situation, and I am confident they will provide answers concerning the reason behind all this."
In Kentucky, sheriffs are responsible for security at courthouses – including the personal protection of judges – as per Jerry Wagoner, a retired sheriff now serving as executive director for the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association.
"We have exclusively 120 sheriffs who collaborate daily with judges," Wagoner detailed to CNN on Friday.
"No one anticipated this situation," Wagoner concluded. "I am uncertain of how to prepare for incidents of such magnitude."
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed rumors of potential motives behind the deadly shooting on Friday morning during a social media live discussion.
"I am aware of all the conjecture circulating on the web and other platforms," Beshear commented during a press conference for another matter. "Let me reiterate that this remains an active investigation underway."
Sabrina Adkins and Jennifer Hill filed a lawsuit against Stines and deputy Ben Fields in 2022, asserting that Fields proposed keeping Adkins out of jail and under home release, without paying the fees associated with an ankle monitor, in exchange for sexual favors.
Fields was indicted on numerous felonies and a misdemeanor – including rape and tampering with a monitoring device – and received a suspended prison sentence as part of a plea bargain, as reported by the Mountain Eagle newspaper earlier this year.
However, criminal charges against Fields in relation to Hill's death were dropped after Hill's demise, but Hill's estate is still pursuing the lawsuit against Fields and Stines, according to court records.
The lawsuit alleges that the sexual allegations against Fields were not adequately investigated by Sheriff Stines.
Stines dismissed Fields from his position in 2022, following the filing of the lawsuit, citing "unprofessional conduct," according to a dismissal notice obtained by the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper.
In response to the lawsuit, Fields' attorneys stated, "Mickey Stines, at all times, acted with good faith and exercised reasonable care and skill in carrying out his legal duties."
Stines was deposed in the case on Monday, with both plaintiffs' and defendants' attorneys confirming this to CNN.
Jonathan Shaw, Stines' attorney representing him in the lawsuit, stated in an email to CNN that he did not possess the authority to speak about Stines' personal involvement in the federal lawsuit or the murder case.
"This is a regrettable day for our legal community, and I hope that in time, we will have a clearer understanding of the circumstances that led to Judge Mullins' untimely death," Shaw stated. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Judge Mullins' family and the families of all those involved."
Seeking clarification on the events in the judge's chambers
An investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the fatal shooting – and the dispute between the two men – according to state police, who said this on Thursday.
"We understand that there was an argument between the two that precipitated the confrontation, but the specifics of what occurred before the gunshots were fired are still unclear, which is what we are attempting to unravel," Gayheart said.
Cameras within the premises and interviews with all witnesses are part of the investigation, Gayheart added. At the time of Mullins' shooting, no one else was present in the judge's chambers, according to officials.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced on Thursday that his office would collaborate with commonwealth's attorney Steele as special prosecutors in this case.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation and seek justice," Coleman said.
Mullins' corpse will be transferred to the medical examiner's office in Frankfort, as per Gayheart.
In commemoration of Mullins, flags at all Court of Justice facilities in Kentucky will be lowered to half-staff until Monday. Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter expressed his shock at Mullins' murder and stated that the judicial system was left reeling.
As a result of the shooting, circuit and district courts, as well as the circuit court clerk's office, will remain closed until normal operations can resume, according to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, who announced this on Thursday. Once the courts reopen, a retired judge will manage district court cases temporarily until a Judicial Nominating Commission chooses Mullins' successor, spokesperson Jim Hannah told CNN on Friday.
The shooting occurred just over two weeks after southeastern Kentucky was terrorized by a shooting on an interstate, which left five people wounded in Laurel County. And only four days ago, a Russell County deputy was killed in the line of duty, officials declared.
CNN's Zoe Sottile, Cindy Von Quednow, Artemis Moshtaghian, Andy Rose, and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
The community is in shock and questioning the circumstances that led to this incident, as many were close to both Judge Mullins and Sheriff Thorns.
Initially, the investigation is focusing on the argument between Judge Mullins and Sheriff Thorns that presumably triggered the confrontation, but the details leading up to the shooting still remain unclear.
