The lawyer of the Kentucky sheriff who allegedly shot his judge pal dead called the slaying a crime of passion that was carried out as his client was experiencing an “extreme emotional disturbance.”

Jeremy Bartley, defense attorney for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, said the fatal shooting wasn’t planned and his client’s charges should be reduced from murder to manslaughter. 

“It was not something that was planned and occurred in the heat of passion,” Bartley told People. 

“For us, the highest level of culpability should be manslaughter based on the partial defense of extreme emotional disturbance.”

Stines, 43, is accused of shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, several times in his chambers — hours after the decades-long friends had lunch — in an incident captured on chilling surveillance footage.

The footage showed Stines with Mullins in his chambers inside the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg on Sept. 19 having what appeared to be a heated exchange before the sheriff pulled out his gun and pointed it at the jurist’s head. 

Mullins, who was sitting behind his desk, raised his hands in fear and attempted to turn away just moments before Stines allegedly fired eight rounds at him, the footage shows.

The video showed Mullins hiding under his desk as the shots were fired.  

The sheriff then approached the judge — who was under his desk — and allegedly shot him twice at close range before leaving the chambers where Mullins served for 15 years, the disturbing footage shows.

Additional footage from inside the chambers — not shown in court or released — captured the sheriff using his and Mullins’ phone to make multiple calls to his daughter just before the cold-blooded slaying, Kentucky Detective Clayton Stamper testified.

Stamper confirmed that police found Stines’ daughter’s phone number saved in the judge’s phone.

The sheriff surrendered immediately after the shooting, asking police to “treat me fair” upon being taken into custody.

Stines then told police, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid,” Stamper said.

Initial footage from the execution was played by prosecutors during a hearing last week, where a judge moved the case to the grand jury for indictment. 

While a motive still isn’t clear, authorities previously suggested the murder was being investigated as a possible sex scandal but didn’t elaborate.

The case remains under investigation as police interview additional witnesses and examine both cell phones.

Stines pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is being held at the Leslie County Jail.

GRANT COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – The people of Grant County are dealing with the sudden loss of those three first responders.

Tuesday morning, Grant County Judge-Executive Chuck Dills ordered all county flags to be flown at half-staff in their honor.

Dills told WKYT that this tragedy is one of those losses you don’t plan for. He went on to say the accident is just devastating for the entire county.

He didn’t know the three first responders but saw them in passing. Dills says the Air Evac Lifeteam frequently flies out of the helipad in Williamstown, which is next to Saint Elizabeth Hospital Healthcare.

“It’s devastating and heartbreaking and it was just the… Evac is such an asset first responders to our community and region and the response and helps the community our condolences goes out to the family and evacs team of their loss,” Dill said.

Dry Ridge Constable and Firefighter Michael Neidigh knew the three crew members Bethany Aicken, Gale Alleman and James Welsh. He met them on the scene of several 911 calls.

“Great and professional, down to earth and laid back and willing to help you out the best they can,” Neidigh said. “All they did was care about their job. They loved their job.”

Neidigh and other Dry Ridge citizens are still trying to process what happened.

“It was just a freak accident. It was just crazy to hear when I got the phone call about it… I didn’t know how to respond to it. I was a little shocked,” Neidigh said.

A few miles away in downtown Williamstown, the county seat, you will notice there’s no shortage of honor.

“We can look back in our past and that blessing of the past reaches out to touch our future,” Neidigh said.

Inside the Kentucky Y’all Icebox, this ice cream shop puts an emphasis on honor. Monday through Friday, they express their appreciation for their community heroes, and on Fridays, they celebrate first responders.

“It keeps our community safe to appreciate them, and it sets an example for the younger generation about who to look up to,” said shop owner Rachel Morse.

Morse knows a scoop of ice cream won’t take away the pain the city is feeling right now, but she knows there’s something she can do to help the entire first responder community.

“I think after tragedies, you think about who can I bless?” Morse said. “How can I move forward differently than yesterday?”

So now Morse will expand her love for community heroes. She will begin to offer discounts to the families of first responders.

She knows it’s not a big deal but it’s her way of showing honor.

“It’s one way. One small way,” Morse said.

We have a statement from the Saint Elizabeth Grant Hospital:

We are heartbroken by the news of the tragic helicopter crash last night involving Air Evac Lifeteam 133. based adjacent to St. Elizabeth Grant Hospital, Air Evac Lifeteam 133 has been a critical extension of our emergency services since 2016. The flight crew members were well known to our Grant County team and others in our system, and their work has been invaluable to the entire community. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and friends of the three heroic flight crew members who lost their lives last night in service to their community.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.

The three people killed in a medical helicopter crash in Kentucky have been identified.

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The Kentucky State Police released the names of the three people who died in the medical helicopter crash in Owen County Kentucky, our news partner’s WCPO-9 TV reported.

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The Owen County Coroner pronounced Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken, and James Welsh dead at the site of the crash near Kentucky Highway 22 East.

Alleman, Aicken, and Welsh were crew members from the Air Evac Lifeteam base 133 in Grant County, Kentucky, according to a statement from the air medical service company.

The crash occurred Monday Evening around 6 p.m., the FAA told WCPO-9 TV. The Bell 206 helicopter was on its way to pick up a patient.

Air Evac Lifeteam said it is working with the FAA and the NTSB during their investigation of the crash.

NTSB investigators will be on scene Tuesday afternoon, according to an NTSB spokesperson.

“A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the accident,” an NTSB statement read. “The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash, along with any contributing factors, will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.”

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story

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