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Written by: E. George
Published January 14, 2025 @ 6:22 PM ET
Warning: The following report describes alleged suicide; if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to someone for help and support – you can find suicide prevention resources below the article.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. – A sheriff’s deputy discovered the body of 74-year-old State Court Judge Stephen Yekel inside a courtroom on the morning of New Year’s Eve. Authorities said it appeared that Yekel died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to sources, the judge had recently sent a letter to Governor Kemp requesting to resign from his position and Kemp denied his request.
Investigators suspect the victim passed away at the Effingham County Courthouse sometime in the early morning hours, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy to verify the cause and time of death.
Deputies discovered Yekel’s body after authorities were dispatched to the courthouse for reports of a possible suicide around 10:30 a.m. Court was not in session that day.
Yekel joined the state bar on June 14, 1976, and had a good rapport at the time of his passing. He had over 40 years of experience and served as a judge for two years after being appointed by Governor Kemp. In the recent election, Yekel won the initial round of voting in May but lost re-election in a runoff to Melissa Calhoun by less than 400 votes.
Yekel had attempted to resign, according to a letter he mailed to the governor dated December 6, 2024, stating he intended to step down on December 30, a day before the end of his term.
In a response letter, Kemp denied Yekel’s resignation request “out of respect for the will of the people of Effingham County.” Yekel stated in his request, “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.”
If Kemp had accepted Yekel’s resignation, he would have needed to replace him with a new judge, subsequently nullifying the election results. Kemp’s letter stated that fair election results “should not be nullified on the basis of [a] manufactured legal technicality.”
A statement from Governor Kemp’s office read, “While we are unable to provide comment on an open investigation, Judge Yekel’s family and loved ones are in all of our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie stated, “The family is distraught. It’s 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.”
The Effingham County Board of Commissioners announced a crisis response team at the administrative complex available through January 2.
Suicide Prevention Information:
- Call or text 988: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Live-chat at 988lifeline.org
- Text “HOME” to 741741
- Visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources
- For The Veteran Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line, call 988 and press 1
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