An autopsy conducted Thursday determined a Spalding County judge found dead in his car killed himself, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
William Johnston, 53, served as the Griffin Municipal Court Judge and was a partner in his law firm. He left his home around 6:20 p.m. Monday and told family members he was meeting a client in Lamar County, the GBI said. Johnston’s family called police Tuesday morning when they had not heard from him.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Griffin Police Department contacted the GBI for help locating the judge. The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office later called Griffin police to report that two workers had found Johnston dead inside his vehicle in the area of Jewel Drive and Pearl Circle.
The manner of his death was not made public.
Former mayor and current Griffin city councilman, Rodney McCord, said Johnston was community-minded and lent his legal expertise to various groups.
“Everyone in the community knows him well,” McCord said Wednesday afternoon. “He was just a super guy.”
Johnston was a partner in the Johnston & Owen law firm, founded in Griffin in 1995. A native of Fort Benning, he graduated from the University of Georgia in 1986 with a degree in microbiology, according to his biography on the law firm’s website. Johnston received his law degree from UGA in 1990.
In addition to serving as a judge, Johnston served as general counsel for the Peace Officers Annuity and Benefit Fund, the Spalding County Board of Health, and the Butts County Board of Tax Assessors. Johnston is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
“He was just a great person,” McCord said. “We are going to miss him dearly. Pray for his family, his wife and his kids. Pray for our community.”
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