A rural Kentucky judge was fatally shot in his chambers by a sheriff who had been his close friend for decades.
The shooting of District Judge Kevin Mullins has now taken a dark turn, with new allegations emerging that Mullins ran the courthouse like a “brothel” and was involved in a sex-for-favours scheme.
A witness, Sabrina Adkins, who had been coerced into sexual acts by one of Sheriff Shawn Stine’s’ deputies, Ben Fields, in exchange for staying under house arrest, revealed the disturbing details to authorities.
In an audio recording obtained by NewsNation, Adkins claimed that the coercion wasn’t limited to just her, and she suggested that Judge Mullins and Deputy Fields were involved in a longstanding sexual exploitation ring.
“I saw Judge Mullins having sex with a girl in the judge’s chambers,” Adkins told police. She went on to say that Fields had video recordings of these incidents.
“He does have some videotapes of some stuff in the judge’s chambers… just with girls, sexual and stuff.” Adkins’ attorney, Ned Pillersdorf, described the situation as a “brothel” being run out of the courtroom.
The motive behind the execution-style killing remains unclear, though authorities are investigating whether the alleged sex scandal played a role.
Stines, who had been friends with Mullins for over 30 years, walked into the judge’s office and shot him at point-blank range, unloading eight rounds.
Hours before the slaying, the two had been seen having lunch together. After surrendering to authorities, Stines reportedly told police, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid.”
Stines’ defence attorney has argued that the killing was a crime of passion triggered by an “extreme emotional disturbance.”
The former sheriff has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a public official, a charge that could potentially carry the death penalty.
As the trial progresses, the allegations of sexual misconduct, coercion, and corruption continue to add complexity to this already tragic case.
