Chilling email sent by Georgia judge shortly before he killed himself in his courtroom
A Georgia judge who committed suicide in his courtroom sent a final chilling email to the state’s governor before dying.
Stephen Yekel was found dead in Effingham County Court last week on what should have been his last day on the bench.
Yekel, 74, had recently lost a bid for re-election and there is speculation whether this played a role in the tragedy.
It has now emerged that before Yekel committed suicide, he sent Governor Brian Kemp a message saying: ‘Now they’re going to have to appoint someone.’
The cryptic communication was obtained by The Georgia Virtue journalist Jessica Szilagyi, who said it referred to Yekel’s attempt to overturn the election results.
The judge’s legal assistant, Charlene Kessler, then accused Szilaygi of hacking into the court’s emails to obtain the message, but Szilaygi insists she obtained the message through legal investigative methods.
A police report filed in response to Kessler’s claims shows that Yekel’s email to Kemp was sent around 2:18 a.m., indicating that he was likely still alive at that time on December 31.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating Kessler’s claims, but no charges have been filed against Szilyagi.
Georgia Judge Stephen Yekel, who committed suicide in his courtroom, sent a final chilling email to the state’s governor before he died
Yekel sent Governor Brian Kemp (right) a message before he committed suicide that read: ‘Now they will have to appoint someone’
Yekel had previously sent Governor Kemp a letter of resignation complaining about low turnout during his failed re-election bid.
The judge lost his position after the June election to Judge Melissa Calhoun, who would take over.
Should Yekel resign, a new judge would be appointed to a two-year term, as opposed to the four years given to an elected official.
In his letter Yekel stated that the The position is ‘too important to be decided by only 6% of eligible voters’.
But Kemp denied the dismissal request, claiming he wanted to maintain “respect for the will of the people of Effingham County.”
“While we cannot comment on an open investigation, Judge Yekel’s family and loved ones are in all our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” Kemp’s office previously said. WTOC.
Judge Calhoun, who was sworn in on December 19, 2024, has filled Judge Yekel’s seat and will serve a full four-year term, Effingham County confirmed.
Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said Yekel’s body was discovered around 10 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The father of four was a former assistant district attorney in Chatham County and a practicing attorney with more than 45 years of experience. Pictured: Yekel (center) with his sons (L-R) Sean, Brett, Steve and Blake and Governor Brian Kemp
Judge Melissa Calhoun will replace Yekel for a four-year term after winning the runoff election in June
He said he understood Yekel had sent a note to the governor’s office about the resignation but did not make its contents public.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the horrific incident.
Yekel was appointed to the state court in 2022. Previously, he was a former Chatham County Assistant District Attorney and a practicing attorney with more than 45 years of experience.
The father of four also previously held positions as a special agent with the state Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
His daughter Ashleigh Yekel said the family will visit a funeral home in Yekel’s hometown of Rincon on Saturday.
“We are humbled by the outpouring of love and support,” Ashleigh said. “We only ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate the unknown.”
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to suicide prevention charities.
Yekel’s half-brother Michael Jackson said his brother’s death had come as a “real shock.”
Yekel was found dead in Effingham County Court last week on what should have been his last day on the bench. He had recently lost a re-election bid
Yekel was discovered in an Effingham County courtroom on New Year’s Eve
“I’m really in shock, I’ve never seen him shocked before,” Jackson told DailyMail.com.
“He’s been a very stoic man all his life, so it seems very strange. I don’t understand the where part of all this, why did he choose to do it there? It seems creepy.
“He was a very talented lawyer and very respected in the community, so I just don’t understand it. Many people will feel his loss.
‘As a lawyer he was a true man of the people and fought for the underdog.’
Jackson, from Atlanta, said he and Yekel had the same father but different mothers.
He remembered watching his older brother grow up and go to college.
“He passed the bar and never looked back,” Jackson added. “Our mothers have both passed away, so it is reassuring that they will now be reunited.”