Platte County prosecuting attorney Eric Zahnd has died, the sheriff’s office confirmed Thursday afternoon.
The Platte County Courthouse closed at about 2:15 p.m. for a death investigation. Captain Jeffrey Shanks with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Zahnd was the deceased. Shanks said there is no threat to the public.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a statement that she held Zahnd 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," she wrote. "We are very grateful for his dedication to public safety, the rule of law, and Platte County."
Zahnd, the county's longest-serving prosecuting attorney, took office in 2002. He announced in April that he planned to retire at the end of this year.
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas thanked Zahnd in a statement this afternoon, saying, quote, “our community is grateful for the decades of hard work he performed to keep us safe.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
