First Muslim woman US judge found dead in New York's Hudson River

Madeleine Sheehan PerkinsAug 21, 2024, 19:10 IST

AP Photo/Hans PenninkUS Attorney General Eric Holder left, and Lt. Gov. Robert J. Duffy, right, applaud after Court of Appeals judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam ,second from left, is congratulated after being sworn in by New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman during a swearing-in ceremony at the New York Court of Appeals in Albany, N.Y., Thursday, June 20, 2013.The first female Muslim judge to be appointed in the US was found dead in the Hudson River Wednesday afternoon according to a New York Post report.

Witnesses called 911 when they found 65-year-old Sheila Abdus-Salaam's fully-clothed body in the river near 132nd Street and Hudson Parkway, police said.

According to the Post, the associate judge had been reported missing earlier in the day.

Citing unnamed police sources, the Post's said Abdus-Salaam's body showed no signs of foul play injuries or trauma. Her husband reportedly identified her body.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement via the Post, Abdus-Salaam was a "pioneer" and "a force for good." Cuomo said of Abdus-Salaam, who was also the state's first female African-American judge to be appointed to New York's Court of Appeals, he "was proud to appoint her" and is "deeply saddened by her passing."

A police investigation is underway.

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First Muslim woman US judge found dead in New York's Hudson River