Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines appeared in handcuffs and shackles for another court hearing in his murder case on Friday, as attorneys on both sides argued multiple motions including venue change, bond reducti on, and mental health evaluation requests.For the first time, new testimony emerged about Stines' mental state in the days leading up to the fatal shooting. His aunt, Sherri Stines, took the stand to describe alarming behavior she witnessed the day before the September 2024 shooting that left Circuit Judge Kevin Mullins dead.According to Sherri's testimony, her nephew had gone seven days without sleep and asked to stay at her house so his family could rest. Her description painted a picture of a man in severe psychological distress."You could tell by the way he acted it was bad, he was horrified, he was scared to death," Sherri testified.She described his behavior as "psychotic," noting that he remained glued to his phone, obsessively watching security footage of his own home. Despite his apparent paranoia about threats to his wife and daughter, she didn't know why he acted so worried."He was paranoid, he thought somebody was going to be around his house and I guess, do something or bother something," she said.When asked what specifically concerned him, she replied, "He was worried about Lila and Caroline - his wife and daughter."The defense team requested a $50,000 bond to allow Stines to be released pending trial. However, the special judge indicated that if any bond were to be granted, it would be substantially higher than the requested amount. The special prosecutor opposed any bond, arguing that Stines should remain ineligible for release due to the capital nature of the charges.Prosecutors are seeking to move the trial to Western Kentucky, citing extensive pretrial publicity that they argue makes a fair trial impossible in the local jurisdiction. They noted that the local newspaper alone has published 103 articles about the case, not including coverage from other news outlets.Defense attorneys countered that the court should at least attempt to seat a jury in Letcher County before considering a venue change.The charges stem from a September 2024 incident captured on courthouse surveillance video. According to police, Stines walked into Judge Mullins' chambers and fired multiple rounds, killing the judge."Never in a million years would I have ever thought Mickey would ever discharge his gun, let alone do something like that," Sherri Stines said.After learning of the shooting, Sherri testified that she "fell to her knees and cried her eyes out." ...read more read less