A Georgia judge who died by apparent suicide in his courtroom this week has been identified as a former employee of Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
Effingham County State Court Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, was found dead, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, on the bench in his courtroom around 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to a statement posted by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Georgia State Bar Records, Yekel graduated from Atlanta Law School and passed the bar in 1976.
But before that, former Cobb County District Attorney Buddy Darden said Yekel worked under him as an investigator, an assistant position to the prosecutors in the office.
Darden, who served one term as district attorney from 1973 through 1976, said he believes Yekel worked in his office for about two years before tendering his resignation and moving down to south Georgia.
Darden did not have many distinct memories of the late judge, but said he was generally satisfied with his work and was “mystified and shocked” to hear of Yekel’s sudden death.