Small town tears itself apart over sheriff’s brutal execution of his judge best friend after ‘shocking find on his phone’ – as his wife’s tribute emerges

A tightknit community is divided after the shock revelation a sheriff shot dead his close friend of 20 years, a beloved county judge, after ‘finding a number saved in his mobile phone.’

During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the public received it’s first glimpse at a motive for the September 19 tragedy, learning the shooting took place seconds after Lechter County Sheriff Shawn ‘Mickey’ Stines, 43, discovered his daughter’s number saved in District Court Judge Kevin Mullins’ phone.

Stines was seen on CCTV footage firing eight shots at Mullins at point-blank range as he cowered under his desk in the corner of the room.

But his attorney probed lead investigator Clayton Stamper about the moments immediately preceding that footage, indicating they revealed the crucial moment the friendship between the two men went south.

The defense asked: ‘How long after he looked at the cellphone and stood up did this occur?’

‘Just seconds,’ Stamper revealed. 

In the wake of the shooting, Mullins’ wife Kimberly shared a devastated tribute to her husband

The court heard Stines had found his daughter’s number in Mullins’ phone, and had tried to call his daughter from the judge’s phone

Both men were well loved and respected within the small community of Whitesburg, which has a population of just under 1,800 people.

Locals were perplexed by the incident because the duo had been colleagues and friends for the better part of 20 years, often seen lunching during the week at the popular Streetside Grill & Bar on Main Street.

They were together at the restaurant just hours before the shooting, and according to witnesses who spoke to DailyMail.com, everything seemed normal.

But there was one moment toward the end of lunch which indicated something was amiss. One of the other guests heard Mullins ask Stines: ‘Do we need to meet private in my chambers?’

The defense will argue that there was no intent for the shooting to take place, and that it was spurred purely by the contents of Mullins’ phone. 

Judge Mullins was well loved and respected within the small community of Whitesburg, which has a population of just under 1,800 people

The sheriff wiped his eyes as he listened to testimony on Tuesday

Stamper said the mobile phones involved in the case are currently being scanned and downloaded by forensics, but revealed he ‘hopes to learn’ what precisely was open on Mullins’ phone at the time of the shooting. 

The court heard that investigators have not ascertained ‘any evidence [to suggest] this shooting was preplanned.’

The defense asked: ‘Are you aware of anything so far in your investigation that would tell us there were any issues at lunch?’

Stamper said: ‘No.’

While the judge found there was probable cause to progress the murder charge – to which Stines has pleaded not guilty – to a grand jury, the defense argued otherwise.

‘I think they’ve established probable cause for manslaughter first, not murder,’ the court heard.

‘I’ve heard nothing that indicates this is not an example of an extreme emotional disturbance relative to the phone.’ 

In the chilling footage played in the opening minutes of his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Stines repeatedly shot Mullins, 54, as he sat behind his desk

Mullins attempted to cower behind the desk and chair in the corner of the room while Stines continued firing shots, before eventually walking out of the room

Mullins was appointed to serve as a judge in the state’s 47th district under former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009 

In the wake of the shooting, Mullins’ wife Kimberly shared a devastated tribute to her husband.

‘Proud to be the wife of this Irreplaceable man,’ she wrote. 

‘Kevin was a lot of things to a lot of people. But he was Everything to me and my girls.’

Her tribute sparked an outpouring of love and support from people within the community who were also mourning the judge’s shock death.

One mourner said: ‘You all were everything to him. There will never be another more passionate about this county and the people in it.’

But Stines was also a well known and respected authority in the community, and there are many more people eagerly awaiting a future trial to find out what prompted his outburst.

‘Mickey Stines was obviously not a crooked sheriff,’ one local said.

Prior to winning the job of sheriff in 2018, Stines had served as bailiff in Mullins’ court for years.