A longtime Missouri prosecutor was found dead inside his county courthouse just months before he planned to retire, triggering a two-day courthouse closure and new questions after authorities confirmed he had been the subject of a separate criminal investigation.
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd, 53, died Thursday, September 17, inside the Platte County Courthouse in Platte City, authorities confirmed.
The courthouse was cleared and closed around 2:15 p.m. while the Platte County Sheriff’s Office conducted a death investigation. Officials said there was no threat to the public.
Authorities have not publicly announced Zahnd’s cause or manner of death as of September 21. That is an important distinction from some reports that have described his death as an apparent suicide.
The courthouse remained closed Friday following Zahnd’s death.
A day after Zahnd was found dead, another development surfaced.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed that its Division of Drug and Crime Control had been conducting an active criminal investigation involving Zahnd before his death.
According to a Highway Patrol statement reported by KSHB, the agency received a request from the Platte County Sheriff on June 15 to investigate “criminal allegations against Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.” The patrol said Friday that the case remained active and declined to disclose further details, citing the integrity of the investigation.
No criminal charges had been filed against Zahnd at the time of his death. Authorities also have not publicly connected the Highway Patrol investigation to his death.
Zahnd’s family pushed back Monday against speculation surrounding the investigation.
In a statement, the family said it believes much of the investigation involved allegations that Zahnd improperly used a county email address for a political communication rather than other criminal conduct. The family called on the Highway Patrol to provide additional clarification.
The Highway Patrol has not publicly confirmed the family’s description of the allegations.
Zahnd’s family also revealed that his lengthy career handling horrific criminal cases had taken a significant emotional toll.
According to the family statement, Zahnd had been dealing with mental-health struggles associated with decades of prosecuting violent crimes and had been working on a plan to obtain help for himself while also improving mental-health resources for others in the profession.
That disclosure adds context to comments Zahnd made when announcing his retirement earlier this year.
“This job has brought great joy to my life and also considerable pain along the way,” Zahnd said at the time, according to local reporting. “It’s high time for me to pass the baton.”
Zahnd was first elected Platte County prosecutor in November 2002 and took office in January 2003.
By the time of his death, he had served nearly 24 years, making him the longest-serving prosecutor in Platte County history and the longest-tenured elected prosecutor in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
His office handled cases ranging from financial crimes and child-support enforcement to sexual offenses and murder.
Zahnd also became involved in changing Missouri criminal law.
According to Platte County’s official biography, he helped write tougher repeat drunken-driving laws in 2005 and 2010 and authored a 2009 law requiring police to record interrogations in dangerous felony cases.
He also helped push legislation imposing tougher punishment for child sex offenders and later wrote a proposed Missouri constitutional amendment allowing juries in certain cases to hear evidence about defendants’ previous criminal acts involving child sexual abuse.
That amendment was approved in 2014.
Zahnd was named Missouri Prosecutor of the Year in 2014 for his work developing prosecutorial best practices. He later received the National District Attorneys Association’s Distinguished Prosecutor Award in 2025.
Zahnd announced on April 1 that he would leave office when his term expired December 31, ending what would have been a 24-year tenure.
He withdrew from the 2026 prosecutor race shortly before the filing deadline and initially backed longtime First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Gibson as a possible successor.
Zahnd said at his retirement announcement that serving as prosecutor had been one of the greatest privileges of his life but that it was time to move on.
He had discussed spending additional time with his family and pursuing other opportunities, including teaching and writing.
Following Zahnd’s death, Platte County’s presiding judge appointed Gibson to serve as interim prosecuting attorney so the office could continue operating.
Under Missouri law, the governor is responsible for filling the vacancy permanently.
Meanwhile, the Highway Patrol investigation remains officially open, and authorities have not disclosed whether it will continue in the same form following Zahnd’s death.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office also continues to handle the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Zahnd’s death.
Zahnd is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Tracy, and their two sons.
Missouri officials and prosecutors across the state issued tributes following his death, remembering him for his decades in public service and his work on behalf of crime victims.
The investigation into Zahnd’s death remains ongoing.
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