Civil rights activist killed in Louisiana

Police in Louisiana are investigating the killing of a prominent civil rights activist whose body was found in the boot of her car in the state capital, Baton Rouge.

The remains of Sadie Roberts-Joseph, 75, were discovered on Friday afternoon about 4.8 km from her home near the Southern University and A&M College campus, but the cause of her death was not immediately known,

Police were led to the victim by an anonymous caller who reported a body in the boot of a vehicle.

A message posted on Facebook made clear authorities were treating Roberts-Joseph's death as a homicide and hailed her as a "tireless advocate of peace in the community."

As well as founding the Baton Rouge African-American History Museum, Roberts-Joseph launched the non-profit group Community Against Drugs and Violence.

According to The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge, she also organised the city's annual festival commemorating the abolition of slavery by President Abraham Lincoln.