Shock As The Body Of 1st Black Female Judge Of N.Y.’S Highest Court Is Found Floating In River

Police in New York have discovered the body of Sheila Abdus-Salaam, an African-American woman, floating in the Hudson River.Abdus-Salaam was one of seven judges serving in New York’s highest court, the State Court of Appeals and her body was found floating off Manhattan's west side at about 1:45 p.m. in what is believed to be a suicide case.Abdus-Salaam, 65, became the first African-American woman appointed to the Court of Appeals when Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo named her to the state's high court in 2013.State Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam began taking medication for her lowly moods just a few weeks before her apparent suicide according to reports.Abdus-Salaam was reported missing by her husband, Gregory Jacobs.“It was unclear if Abdus-Salaam left behind a suicide note, and cops were awaiting the results of an autopsy before saying anything more," the police said.“There are no apparent injuries to her body,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce. “It appears to be non-criminal ... There is no apparent trauma. No physical abnormality at all.”Abdus-Salaam was nominated by Gov. Cuomo in 2013 for a seat on the state’s Court of Appeals, the high point of a legal career that began with her Columbia University School of Law degree.