Breaking News: Georgia State Judge Found Dead in Courthouse; Apparent Suicide on Last Day in Office
Effingham County Sheriff’s officials discovered Georgia State Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, dead inside the State Court on Tuesday morning, what would have been his last day in office. Preliminary information suggests that Yekel took his own life.
"Agents found Yekel deceased, seemingly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, in a courtroom within the Effingham County Courthouse around 10 a.m.," Sheriff’s officials confirmed in a statement. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will conduct an autopsy to determine the time and cause of death.
A Law Career Spanning Decades
A lawyer for 45 years, Yekel was appointed to his judgeship by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp two years ago. He presided over preliminary criminal cases and other matters in Springfield, approximately 26 miles north of Savannah. Before his judicial appointment, Yekel worked as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit, and served as an investigator for Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
Last Wishes and Condolences
Yekel requested in a letter to Governor Kemp earlier this month that his resignation date be set as December 30, a day before his scheduled retirement on New Year’s Eve. Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie shared that Yekel’s family is grieving during what should have been a joyful holiday season. The court was not in session at the time of the incident.
