Police Close Books On Probe Into Death Of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD has closed its investigation into the mysterious death of New York State Appeals Court Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam.

But as WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, there are still no clear answers.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said the NYPD put a lot of manpower into tracking Judge Abdus-Salaam's final hours on April 11 and 12. She was captured on video nine times, but there is still a blank between a sighting near the river at half past midnight April 12, and the time her body was found 13 hours later.

"We gave all her evidence to the (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner)," Boyce said. "At some point, the Chief Medical Examiner will provide a cause of death or a statement in regards to that."

So far, the only statement is that the case needs further study.

Abdus-Salaam's family has challenged the idea that she committed suicide, but barring something unexpected from the Medical Examiner's office, police are no longer investigating another possibility.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appointed Abdus-Salaam to the state's Court of Appeals in 2013, called her a "trailblazing jurist" following her death.

Abdus-Salaam was also the first Muslim woman judge in the United States. In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio called her a "humble pioneer."

"As the first African-American woman to be appointed to the state's Court of Appeals, she was a pioneer," Cuomo said. "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."

Police sources told CBS2 Abdus-Salaam's family and friends said the judge had been struggling with depression.