A former New York Times journalist has been found dead in the Dominican Republic and police are investigating her husband over the alleged strangling.

Sarah Kershaw, 49, from Massachusetts, was found on Monday at her beach apartment in Sosua, an area popular with expatriates on the Caribbean island, where she moved with her husband William Norton, in 2014.

Norton, 50, was being questioned about her death, said Osvaldo Bonilla, a prosecutor for the province of Puerto Plata.

Sarah Kershaw, 49, was found on Monday at her beach apartment in Sosua, an area popular with expatriates on the Caribbean island, where she moved with her husband William Norton, in 2014 (both pictured)

This photo shows the entrance to the second floor apartment (top left) in Sosua, Dominica Republic, where journalist Sarah Kershaw was found dead at her home

Police had initially said Kershaw appeared to have died from asphyxiation.

They later posted on Facebook that Norton had been accused of causing the death of his wife by 'strangling'.

The police statement said Kershaw had 'demanded he leave.'

Norton's Facebook page describes him as a former senior editor of the Miami Herald's international edition.

He is also a science news writer at ScienceRecorder.com, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Norton did not have a lawyer in the Dominican Republic and could not be reached for comment.

Police had initially said Kershaw (left) appeared to have died from asphyxiation. They later posted on Facebook that Norton (right) had been accused of causing the death of his wife by 'strangling'

Kershaw worked as a reporter for The New York Times from 2000 to 2011

Kershaw worked as a reporter for The New York Times from 2000 to 2011.

She previously worked for the newspaper Newsday on New York's Long Island, among other publications, and was a freelance writer at the time of her death.

Her most recent articles were a series of stories about a disabled veteran and his war-dog-turned-service-dog published in the Washington Post.

Her death shocked her former colleagues.

Trish Hall, one of her editors at the New York Times, said: 'Talking with her was always one of the best parts of my day. She was curious about everything, and everything was fodder for a story.'

A neighbor, Tony Cuevas, said Kershaw spent most mornings writing on the balcony of the Trade Winds apartments and the afternoons by the pool with her dog.

'They are very laid back,' he said of the couple.