No signs of foul play in death of New York judge found in Hudson River, police say
NEW YORK _ The death of a respected New York state judge whose body was found floating in the Hudson River on Wednesday afternoon is being investigated as a possible suicide.
The body of Sheila Abdus-Salaam, 65, the first African-American woman to serve on the New York State Appellate Court and a prominent figure in legal circles, was found fully clothed in the river near 132nd Street, about one mile from her home in Harlem. Police said there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play.
The New York Daily News quoted an unnamed police officer saying that suicide was suspected, but the police would not confirm the report.
"The medical examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing," a police spokesman said in a statement.
Abdus-Salaam was appointed to the appellate court in 2013, becoming the first African-American woman as well as the first Muslim to serve in the position. She was known to champion the rights of same-sex parents in child custody and visitation cases.
_Los Angeles Times
