A tragic incident occurred in a Georgia state courtroom when a judge took his own life by shooting himself.
Judge Stephen Yekel, aged 74, was discovered deceased by a deputy on Tuesday, which happened to be his final day presiding in court, following an unsuccessful re-election campaign, as reported by WSAV.
Yekel’s body was discovered in the Effingham County State Courthouse at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. However, investigators suspect that he passed away during the late hours of Monday night or the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are currently investigating his death.
Yekel assumed the state court position in 2022. Recently, he made an effort to resign from his role, but Georgia Governor Brian Kemp rejected his request, as reported by WJCL.
Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Yekel family.
“This is never good for anybody, the family’s distraught. This is supposed to be a happy time this time of year, and now they’ve got this. I can’t imagine. If they have anything they need from us, we’ll be available,” he said.
According to WTOC, there was a lawsuit filed against him by court employee Lisa Crawford, who alleged that she was unjustly fired by Yekel from her position. In her lawsuit, she asserted that Yekel terminated her employment to replace her with his own staff after assuming office.
Yekel, a married father-of-four, used to work as an assistant district attorney in Chatham County. Prior to that, he served as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit.
The Effingham County Board of Commissioners issued a statement regarding Yekel’s passing.
“The Effingham County Board of Commissioners and staff are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Judge Steve Yekel at the Effingham County Courthouse today and we offer our condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The courtroom has been closed since the discovery of the judge’s body. Normal business will resume on January 2nd.