NEW YORK: Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, was found hanging in a barn behind the family’s home in the New York City suburb of Bedford on Wedn-esday. She was 52.

According to the New York Times, her body was cut down by authorities and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. The Times said she had left a note.

Mary Kennedy had four children with Kennedy, the son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He is a prominent New York environmentalist.

“We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her,” Mary Kennedy’s family said in a statement released by her lawyer. —Reuters