Woman found in river is related to Klobuchar

The woman pulled this week from the Mississippi River in Minneapolis is U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar's stepsister.

Authorities initially had trouble identifying her after she was pulled from the river on Monday. But she has since been identified as 35-year-old Katharine Shannon Wilkes of Minneapolis. She had gone swimming more than a week ago.

Katharine's mother, Susan Cornell Wilkes, is married to Jim Klobuchar, Amy Klobuchar's father.

Wilkes told the Star Tribune that her daughter was an actress, a painter and taking interior design classes. Susan says the medical examiner's office told her there's no indication of foul play or suicide.

Authorities are still investigating how she died.

Klobuchar's spokeswoman, Erikka Knuti, says the senator plans to spend time with her father and his wife Friday.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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