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.
"She was a pioneer. Through her writings, her wisdom, and her unshakable moral compass, she was a force for good whose legacy will be felt for years to come," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
Born Sheila Turner, Abdus-Salaam used the surname of her first husband. She was born in Washington, D.C., to a family with seven children and educated in public schools. Her official biography posted on the court's website said she became interested in law as a young child watching television shows like "Perry Mason," and by high school developing a fascination with the civil rights movement.
She graduated from Barnard College and received her law degree from Columbia University, beginning her legal career as a staff attorney for legal services in Brooklyn. She married her third husband, an Episcopalian minister, last summer.
