Former Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd. Credit: KSHB 41 screenshot
A long-time Missouri Republican prosecutor has been discovered deceased inside a place he regularly practiced his profession.
As Fox 4 Kansas City reported, law enforcement officials responded to the Platte County Courthouse on Thursday, where they discovered the body of Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd. He was just 53 years old.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Zahnd died following a reported “incident” at the Platte County Courthouse.
The building was closed at 2:15 local time on Thursday and remains shut down. All employees were sent home.
The courthouse is expected to reopen on Monday.
Authorities have not determined an official cause of death and continue to investigate. They have assured the public that there is no threat.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway released the following statement in response to Zahnd’s passing:
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.
I have known Eric for many years and have always held him in the highest regard. Eric was a true patriot, a person of remarkable character and integrity, and a public servant who cared deeply about his community.
We are very grateful for his dedication to public safety, the rule of law, and Platte County.
My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Tracy, and sons, Benjamin and Luke, during this incredibly difficult time.
Zahnd, a Republican, was the longest serving prosecuting attorney in Platte County’s history. He had been in the role since 2002.
He was recognized as Missouri’s Prosecutor of the Year in 2014.
Zahnd announced in April that he would be retiring after serving more than two decades in politics.
During the announcement, he said it was “the right time for me to step back from public life and just do something else.”
Mark Gibson has been named interim Platte County Prosecuting Attorney following Zahnd’s death. He had served as Zahnd’s first assistant prosecuting attorney for more than two decades.
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