A Kentucky lawman stepped down Monday as sheriff of the county where he's accused of walking into a judge's chambers and killing him in a shooting that stunned their Appalachian community.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines' departure from the Letcher County sheriff position after a long career in law enforcement was described as a retirement by one of his attorneys, Kerri Bartley. His decision was not the result of any ultimatum or a concession to prosecutors' allegations, she said.
“Rather, Sheriff Stines has made this decision to allow for a successor to continue to protect his beloved constituents while he addresses the legal process ahead of him,” Bartley said in a statement.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had called on Stines to resign and threatened to begin a removal process if he declined to do so.
“Every Kentucky county needs an active and a working sheriff,” the Democratic governor told reporters last week. “One of the most important roles of state government is to provide safety to our people. And right now, Letcher County doesn’t have an active and a working sheriff.”
The Letcher County judge-executive will be responsible for appointing a new sheriff, Beshear said.
Stines, 43, recently pleaded not guilty to murder and is scheduled to be in court for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. The preliminary investigation indicated Stines shot District Judge Kevin Mullins multiple times following an argument inside the courthouse, according to Kentucky State Police.
No details about a possible motive have been offered by police.
Mullins, 54, who held the judgeship for 15 years, died at the scene, and Stines surrendered. If convicted, he could serve 20 years to life in prison. Since he’s accused of killing a public official, he could potentially face the death penalty. Stines is being held in another Kentucky county.
The Kentucky attorney general’s office is collaborating with a special prosecutor in the case.
The fatal shooting stunned the tight-knit town of Whitesburg, the Letcher County seat, with a population of about 1,700 near the Virginia border in southeastern Kentucky. At the judge's funeral in a high school gym, he was remembered for his public service.
Those who know both the sheriff and the judge have had nothing but praise for them, recalling how Mullins helped people with substance abuse disorder get treatment and how Stines led efforts to combat the opioid crisis. They worked together for years and were friends.
Stines' attorney said Monday that the now-former sheriff wanted to thank his staff, past and present, along with others who worked with him during his more than 22 years of service.
“He asks for your thoughts and prayers of support for him and his family; and asks that their privacy be respected during the judicial process,” his attorney said.
In this image from video provided by WYMT-TV, Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines speaks during an interview in Whitesburg, Ky., on Aug. 14, 2024. (WYMT-TV via AP)
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Vance Joseph's defense is playing so well that even without its leading tackler, the Denver Broncos held Aaron Rodgers without a touchdown pass. Only five other times has the four-time MVP been held without a TD throw in a home game where he took every offensive snap.
The Broncos also sacked the notoriously difficult-to-sack quarterback five times in their 10-9 triumph at the stormy Meadowlands that completed a two-game sweep of their Eastern road trip and evened their record at 2-2.
“Our defense played amazing,” Bo Nix said after throwing for just 60 yards but also his first touchdown pass of his career.
The Broncos surrendered just one touchdown and three field goals on their 10-day road trip leading into a stretch in which they'll play three of four at home.
“I'll tell you what, we've got some grit and we're a tough football team,” Nix said.
Even without defensive captain Alex Singleton, whose season is over after tearing an ACL at Tampa last week.
“Yeah, it was huge to go on the road, get two tough wins against two really good football teams, two tough defenses, two tough offenses, you can’t say enough about our defense on this winning stretch,” Nix said.
A year after allowing Breece Hall to rush for 177 yards on 22 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown that put the Jets ahead for good on their way to a 31-21 win in Denver, the Broncos shut down New York's star running back.
Hall managed just 4 yards on 10 carries on Sunday, with a long run of 3 yards.
The Broncos held the Jets to 4 of 17 on third down a week after limiting the Buccaneers to 3 of 11. For the season, Denver is yielding a stellar 28.3% conversion rate.
“They’re going to continue to give us the ball back. Now, we’ve got to find ways to score, more than just a few points,” Nix said.
The five sacks included one by John Franklin-Myers, who also had a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in his return to the Meadowlands following his offseason trade to Denver.
Replacing Singleton, who was placed on season-ending IR, inside linebacker Justin Strnad recorded his first career sack on the game's first snap.
Cody Barton called Denver's defense and led the team in tackles with 10.
“Those guys stepped up,” coach Sean Payton said Monday. “It's always difficult when you lose someone who's been as productive and certainly one of the team leaders. I was proud of the way those young guys played.”
Ben Kotwica's special teams, especially the coverage units. K Wil Lutz missed his first field-goal attempt this year in the waning minutes after making his first 10 tries, and it would have been a killer had Greg Zuerlein not followed suit, also missing from 50 yards.
“Honestly, you just got to put your hope in the defense,” Nix said. “It’s a scary sight with (Rodgers) with the ball at the end, but our defense came out today and won the game.”
The ground game finally got going and that saved the day for Denver. But the Broncos are going to need some big leaps in the passing game.
Javonte Williams finally broke out in a big way in the sloppy field conditions Sunday. He ran for 77 yards on 16 carries, and Jaleel McLaughlin followed suit with nine runs for 46 yards.
TE Greg Dulich caught zero passes and had just one pass thrown his way on the two-game swing out East. That means he has just five catches for 28 yards so far.
RB Tyler Badie (back), who collapsed on the sideline after taking a helmet to his back, flew home commercially Sunday night after being released from the hospital. “We're still evaluating him, he's doing better,” Payton said.
5 — TDs allowed by Denver through four games, the fewest in that span since 2009.
10 — different Broncos have recorded at least half a sack.
The Broncos host the Raiders, who have beaten them eight consecutive times. Take away games against each other and since 2020 the Raiders are 24-35 and the Broncos are 25-33.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
This story has been corrected to show Aaron Rodgers hasn't thrown a TD pass in a home game six times in his career.
Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) sacks New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts after sacking New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts after throwing his first touchdown pass against the New York Jets during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is sacked by the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
