Georgia judge found dead in courtroom from self-inflicted gunshot

Georgia State Court Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, was found dead in his courtroom on Tuesday from an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Yekel reportedly died by suicide on his last day on the job, according to the Effingham County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a suspected suicide at the Effingham County courthouse around 10:20 am on December 31. Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie told reporters it's possible Yekel died Monday night and his body was discovered the next day. The court was not in session on Tuesday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct the autopsy, McDuffie said.

Yekel, who was appointed to the court by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in 2020, lost his election bid in a runoff earlier this year. Yekel won on election night May 21, defeating Melissa Calhoun by 900 votes. But the margin on victory was not enough to avoid a runoff. On July 18, Yekel lost to Calhoun by less than 400 votes, Newsweek reported.

His tenure was scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2024, after a 45-year legal career. Yekel was admitted to the state bar on June 14, 1976, records show.

On December 2, Yekel wrote a letter to Governor Kemp requesting he accept his resignation, pointing to his failed reelection. "I feel that the office of State Court Judge of Effingham is too important to be decided by only 6% of the eligible voters of Effingham County," said Yekel. The judge wished to resign one day prior to his official end date.

Kemp rejected his resignation on December 12, writing in return, "However, regardless of the low turnout for this year's runoff election cited in your letter, the people of Effingham County have spoken once again, this time electing Ms. Melissa Calhoun to the State Court bench for a term beginning January 1, 2025. The results of a fair election should not be nullified on the basis of a manufactured legal technicality."

Sheriff McDuffie told reporters during a press brief, "The family's distraught. It's supposed to be a happy time this time of year and now they've got this."