Georgia Judge Dies by Suicide in Courtroom on Last Day in Office

Fulton County Judge Stephen Yekel Committed Suicide By Self-Inflicted Gunshot

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said that the Fulton county Judge Stephen Yekel appeared to have “died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at the Fulton County Courthouse, Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie, told local ABC.

Representatives from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office shared a news release with PEOPLE confirming that they conducting the investigation into Fulton county judge Stephen Yekel’s death and that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct the autopsy.

ABC reported that Yekel recently attempted to resign from his position after losing his reelection bid earlier this year — but was denied by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. 

When asked by the outlet to confirm the information, McDuffie acknowledged the resignation attempt did indeed occur “one day last week.” The sheriff also confirmed that a note from Yekel was sent to Gov. Kemp, but it has not been determined exactly what the note contains. 

Speaking directly to Yekel’s family in the interview, McDuffie offered his condolences. 

“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.

Yekel, whose law career spanned over 45 years, was appointed to the state court by Gov. Kemp in 2022, NBC reported.