Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

GBI: Spalding County judge’s death a suicide

Griffin Judge William Johnston, 53, was found dead in his car late Tuesday, according to the GBI.

Credit: City of Griffin

Credit: City of Griffin

Griffin Judge William Johnston, 53, was found dead in his car late Tuesday, according to the GBI.
By
May 3, 2018

An autopsy determined a Spalding County judge killed himself the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Thursday.

William Johnston, 53, was found dead in his car Tuesday afternoon. He was the Griffin Municipal Court Judge and a partner in his law firm.

Johnston left his home Monday night and told his family he was meeting a client in Lamar County. When he didn’t return, his family called police. Two EMC workers found Johnston in his car in Spalding.

An autopsy was conducted Thursday morning. The manner of death was not released.

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