An 18-year-old from Kentucky is speaking out against online speculation surrounding her father, a former sheriff, who is accused of fatally shooting a small-town judge.
Lila Stines, the daughter of former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, addressed the rampant rumors on TikTok last week following her father’s arrest in connection to the 2024 shooting of District Judge Kevin Mullins, who was 54 years old.
“On September 19th, a little over a year ago, many lives were irrevocably altered, including mine,” Lila stated in her now-viral post. “I won’t delve into details or discuss the incident, but I have to ask: don’t you have anything better to do than sit and spread gossip?”
The 44-year-old Shawn Stines is accused of entering Mullins’ chambers and shooting him in what authorities describe as a courthouse attack that shook the Appalachian region. Stines faces murder charges and is currently in custody as he awaits trial.
While Lila refrained from directly addressing the legal proceedings, she strongly criticized those she described as “gossips” perpetuating discussions about the case.
Lila didn’t mention the case directly, but she had plenty to say to the “gossips” discussing the case.
“You are taking my pain and making it your pleasure,” she continued. “You’re taking our stories and turning them into big entertainment pieces, jokes.”
This booking photo provided by Leslie County Detention Center in Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 shows Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines. (Leslie County Detention Center via AP)
She then told spectators to “get a job” and “do something meaningful,” accusing true-crime creators and TikTok commentators of cashing in on her family’s “tragedy.”
“And for that matter, you’re making it, your income. Since when did that become OK? So my advice to the people doing that, get a job. Do something meaningful with your life and contribute to society in a positive way.”
The clip struck a nerve among viewers, with some calling her “brave” and others dismissing it as an attempt to deflect attention from her father’s alleged crime.
WATCH: Video shows phone exchange between sheriff and judge moments before fatal shooting
The shooting was caught on camera in the judge’s chambers and was first shown in Stines’ preliminary hearing in October 2024.
The video, with no audio, showed a man identified by police as Stines pulling out a gun and shooting the judge as he sat at his desk. The man walked around the desk, pointed the gun at the judge — who had fallen to the floor — and fired again.
Mullins died from multiple gunshot wounds, Kentucky State Police said.
Stines has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
