SHENYANG - A former senior court official in northeast China's Liaoning Province died in a suspected suicide during a business trip on Wednesday, an initial police investigation showed Thursday.

Xu Ansheng, 55, deputy head of the Liaoning Provincial Higher People's Court, was found dead at about 9 am on Wednesday at a hotel in Anshan City, according to a court statement on Thursday.

Xu was found to have multiple antidepressant medications with her. Homicide was excluded and she was considered to be at risk for suicide, according to a police investigation.

Further investigation is under way.