LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The daughter of a former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing a small-town judge is speaking out against what she calls harmful “gossip” circulating online about her father.
Lila Stines, the 18-year-old daughter of former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, posted a TikTok video last week criticizing internet users for spreading rumors after her father’s arrest for the 2024 courthouse shooting that left District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, dead.
“On September 19th, a little over a year ago, a lot of people’s lives changed forever, including mine,” she said in the viral video. “I’m not going to go into detail, I will not be talking about it, but I just have one question — do you all not have anything better to do than to sit and gossip?”
Authorities say Stines, 44, was caught on security video storming into Judge Mullins’ chambers and fatally shooting him in an ambush that shook the Appalachian community. He has been charged with murder and remains in custody awaiting trial.
Although Lila didn’t directly address the shooting, she condemned the “gossips” who, she said, were turning her family’s pain into entertainment.
“You are taking my pain and making it your pleasure,” she said. “You’re taking our stories and turning them into big entertainment pieces, jokes.”
She went on to urge social media users to “get a job” and “do something meaningful,” accusing true-crime creators of profiting from her family’s tragedy.
“You’re making it your income,” she said. “Since when did that become OK? Get a job. Do something meaningful with your life, and contribute to society in a positive way.”
The video drew mixed reactions — some called her brave for defending her family, while others viewed it as an attempt to deflect from her father’s alleged crime.
Surveillance footage shown during Stines’ October 2024 preliminary hearing captured the deadly encounter. The video, which had no audio, showed the sheriff entering Mullins’ chambers, pulling out a gun, and firing at the judge as he sat at his desk. The shooter then walked around the desk, pointed the weapon again, and fired a second time.
Judge Kevin Mullins died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to Kentucky State Police.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
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