Effingham County, Georgia, Judge Stephen Yekel died by suicide in a courtroom on Tuesday, the day he was scheduled to serve his final day on the bench. Sheriff’s deputies discovered his body at 10:30 a.m., reporting that Yekel had used a firearm to take his life. Authorities believe the shooting occurred overnight.
Yekel had lost his re-election bid in June and submitted his resignation letter on December 6, designating December 30 as his last day in office. However, Governor Brian Kemp declined to accept his resignation, rejecting Yekel’s request to nullify the election results based on low voter turnout. In the June runoff, Yekel lost to challenger Melissa Calhoun by 319 votes out of a total of 2,886 ballots cast. Following the discovery of his death, Chief Judge F. Gates Peed closed the courthouse for the remainder of the day, with operations resuming Thursday. An investigation is underway, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy. Effingham County is located about 30 miles northwest of Savannah. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988.
Peoplesmind
