Tragedy struck over the holidays in the Peach State as an elderly judge took his own life inside his own courtroom.
WSAV reported Tuesday that 74-year-old Judge Stephen Yekel, an Effingham County state court judge, committed suicide in a county courtroom. Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said Yekel was discovered around 10 am by a deputy but reportedly shot himself late Monday night or early Tuesday.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Yekel committed suicide.
Making things even worse, Tuesday was supposed to be Yekel’s final day on the bench. He lost his re-election bid earlier this year.
Yekel was appointed to the bench by Kemp in June 2022 after serving as a lawyer for more than 45 years. WSAX notes he worked as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and was an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
Yekel previously tried to quit his position before killing himself, but Kemp refused to accept his resignation.
Interestingly, officials revealed that a note was sent to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office. However, the details of this message have not been released to the public at this time.
The Daily Mail reports that Yekel’s life had been turned upside down following his re-election loss including the loss of his best friend and dealing with a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Yekel and his ex-wife Lisa also had financial problems due to a failed daycare business. They divorced last year.
“He did everything he could to avoid bankruptcy,” Lisa Yekel said. “Unfortunately, I had used his life savings to keep the daycare open.”
In addition to his ex-wife, Judge Yekel leaves behind four children: Sean, Ashleigh, Blake, and Brett.
The Effingham County courtroom has been closed following the judge’s suicide. It will reopen on January 2.
WSAV notes that the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into Judge Yekel’s death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will perform an autopsy.
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