Model's last moments described

2008-06-29 20:33

New York - A fashion model from Kazakhstan fell from her New York City balcony and plunged nine stories to her death in what police called an apparent suicide, New York newspapers said on Sunday.

Ruslana Korshunova, who was to turn 21 on July 2, was known for her long chestnut locks and a "fairytale" face which graced the covers of Russian Vogue and French Elle magazines.

Investigators found no signs of a struggle inside Korshunova's apartment on Water Street in Manhattan's downtown financial district.

'No sense of depression'

She returned to her one-bedroomed apartment in the early hours of Saturday morning, reportedly giving no sign of the tragedy that would take place in mid-afternoon.

"She came in this morning, she smiled, no sense of depression," doorman Mahmud Nakeeb, 45, told the Daily News.

"She was a very sweet girl, always smiling, never depressed-looking."

Her former boyfriend, Artem Perchenok, 24, told the New York Post he dropped her off at her apartment after they had watched the Demi Moore movie Ghost.

"She was a good person," said Perchenok.

Korshunova was represented by powerhouse modelling agency IMG, which also handles the likes of Heidi Klum and Kate Moss.

She appeared in advertisements for Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, DKNY and Vera Wang.

- AFP