William “Bill” North was serving as a spotter during a Pell City Sail Club race when he fell into Logan Martin Lake.
PELL CITY, AL — A longtime Jefferson County prosecutor was found dead Monday after falling into Logan Martin Lake during a sailboat race near Pell City, state officials said.
William “Bill” R. North, 64, of Bessemer, was an assistant district attorney for the Bessemer Cutoff in Jefferson County. His death drew a wide search by state and local agencies and left Alabama’s legal community mourning a prosecutor who had spent decades in courtrooms serving the public.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said North fell into the water about 3 p.m. Sunday while serving as a spotter for an ongoing Pell City Sail Club race. Officials said he was trying to move from a sailboat to an unoccupied jon boat when he fell and did not resurface. Crews searched into Sunday evening and resumed the effort Monday morning. North’s body was recovered at 11:12 a.m. Monday near the spot where he had gone into the lake, officials said.
The search brought together marine patrol troopers, aviation support, police, firefighters, rescue squads and sheriff’s deputies. Agencies named in the response included the Pell City Police Department, Pell City Fire Department, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Special Operations Unit, New London Fire Department, Childersburg Rescue Squad, Munford Rescue Squad, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander City Rescue Squad and ALEA’s Aviation Unit. Authorities did not report signs of foul play. The exact cause and manner of death had not been released Monday night.
North worked in the Jefferson County Bessemer Division District Attorney’s Office, where officials described him as the longest career prosecutor in the division and a supervisor in Judge David Carpenter’s courtroom. Carpenter said North had spent his career representing the people of Alabama in the criminal justice system. “He was an outstanding lawyer who prioritized justice for crime victims and promoted treatment programs for offenders in appropriate cases, rather than incarceration,” Carpenter said.
Jefferson County Bessemer Division District Attorney Lynneice O. Washington said the office was devastated by North’s death. She called him an exceptional prosecutor, a dedicated public servant and a cherished member of the office’s legal family. Washington said North served the community with integrity, compassion and skill. His death came as colleagues said he was near retirement after nearly three decades as a prosecutor.
Logan Martin Lake is a large reservoir on the Coosa River in east-central Alabama, with Pell City along its shoreline. The lake is a common site for boating and sailing events, including club races. Sunday’s incident happened near the southern portion of the lake, officials said. A jon boat, the type of boat North was trying to reach, is a small, flat-bottomed vessel often used on lakes and rivers.
The recovery ended the immediate search, but officials had not released a full investigative report by Monday night. ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division typically reviews boating deaths and water-related incidents. No hearing, charge or enforcement action had been announced. Authorities had not said whether weather, equipment, water conditions or safety gear were factors in the fall.
North’s death spread quickly through Jefferson County’s legal circles, where prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges and court staff knew him from years of criminal cases. Colleagues described shock at losing a lawyer who was a daily presence in the Bessemer courthouse. The district attorney’s office said he had graduated from Auburn University and built a career focused on victims, court work and public service.
As of Tuesday, officials had confirmed North’s identity and recovery but had not released funeral plans or a final investigative finding. The next public milestone is expected to come from state investigators or the district attorney’s office if more details are released.
Author note: Last updated June 30, 2026.