First Female Muslim Judge in New York Found Dead In Hudson River
BY: Julia Jahanpour/Contributing Writer
Early Wednesday morning, the body of the associate judge of New York’s highest court, Sheila Abdus-Salaam, was found floating in the Hudson River. Salaam was the first female Muslim judge to serve in the U.S. The cause of her death is still unknown, but an autopsy will be performed. There were no visible signs of struggle on her person from the initial investigation.
Abdus-Salaam was known as a “pioneer” judge, having a long tenure as the first female African American and Muslim judge in New York’s high court. She fought for low-income families, gay marriage rights, and civil rights. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appointed her to her position, released a statement later that day saying “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”.
It is unclear if this was a hate crime. Investigators are still looking for a clear motive. It is possible that Abdus-Salaam’s fully-clothed, visible body floating in the river was a symbol, or warning. If the motive were just to murder the judge, it could have been easy to do so in private quarters, with a weapon such as a gun, and to rid of the body. If this was indeed a murder, they went to the trouble of keeping her body fully intact.
Abdus-Salaam was identified by her husband. She was 65.
