Linda Deutsch, AP reporter who covered the Manson and OJ trials, has died at the age of 80

Longtime Associated Press court reporter Linda Deutsch has died at the age of 80, according to AP. During her nearly 50 years with the news agency, beginning in the late 1960s until her retirement in 2015, she covered the trials of Charles Manson, OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson and numerous others.

Deutsch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022. Although she was successfully treated then, her cancer returned this summer and she died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles.

Over the years, she has covered numerous other high-profile trials, including those of the police officers accused of beating Rodney King, Patty Hearst, Phil Spector, the Menendez brothers, “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez, “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and others.

Deutsch began her career as a court reporter at AP in 1969, covering the trial of Robert F. Kennedy shooter Sirhan Sirhan.

In her bio on her X profile, Deutsch described herself as having covered “every major trial except Socrates'.” She remained active on social media; her last X post was a retweet of a June article criticizing Donald Trump. Her more personal tweets included one earlier this year in which she urged her followers to join a petition to abolish the death penalty.

“She was an incomparable friend to hundreds of people who will miss her wit, wisdom, charm and constant curiosity,” her longtime friend Edith Lederer told AP.

“You may not recognize the name, but I'm sure you've read her words,” wrote author and journalist Alan Duke on X.

AP's Eric Tucker wrote on X: “One of the most legendary @AP journalists of all time, an incredibly kind and gracious human being, a gifted storyteller, and a mentor to so many over the decades.”

“My predecessor, whose work I can only approximate,” wrote AP's Andrew Dalton on X. “A master, a legend and a friend.”

“RIP Linda Deutsch,” Politico's Josh Gerstein wrote on X, adding, “Old-fashioned professional court reporting that might be harder than it looks.”

“Rest in peace, great one,” NPR journalist Ameera Butt wrote on X. “What sad news about Linda. Sending so much love to her family and friends.”

Nurse Narek Petrosian of Olympia Hospice Care said she died surrounded by family and friends.