Death Of NY Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam Is 'Suspicious,' Police Say

HARLEM, NY — The death of NY State Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, whose body was found last week on the shores of the Hudson River, is being considered as "suspicious," an NYPD spokesman told Patch. But that doesn't mean the NYPD investigation has turned up indication of criminality involving the pioneering judge's death, the spokesman said.

"When a body is found floating in a river, it is deemed suspicious in nature. Absent any clear signs of criminality, the cause of death is determined by the Medical Examiner," an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

If the Medical Examiner's findings are inconclusive, detectives will continue to investigate, police said.

Law enforcement sources previously told Patch privately that Abdus-Salaam, 65, likely took her own life on April 12. She had last been seen on April 10 before she was found.

On Wednesday the NYPD's 26th Precinct, which patrols the area of Harlem where Abdus-Salaam's body was found, sent out a public call for information regarding the death of Abdus-Salaam.

During a press conference last week, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters that it's "too early to tell" whether the judge took her own life. Boyce said, though, that the death does not appear to be a homicide as Abdus-Salaam suffered no apparent injuries and was not believed to have been in the water for a long time.

The NYPD harbor unit recovered Abdus-Salaam's body April 12 about 1:45 p.m. from the shore on the New York side of the Hudson River, police told Patch. ]

Abdus-Salaam was last seen Monday night around 7 p.m. after spending the week in New Jersey with her husband, Boyce said. Her death was a "surprise to everyone," the detective told reporters Thursday.

The judge was remembered as a "pioneer" who established herself as a respected jurist and a champion for equal justice.

"Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a trailblazing jurist whose life in public service was in pursuit of a more fair and more just New York for all," New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

Photo by Hans Pennink/Associated Press