Longtime ABC News Anchor Tom Jarriel Dead at 89

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Tom Jarriel, a prominent newsman with ABC for decades, has passed away at 89.

Jarriel began his career in the 1950s in Houston, Texas. He gained national recognition for his coverage of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Jarriel became the Chief White House Correspondent for ABC in 1969, covering Presidents Nixon and Ford. In 1979, he became the anchor of ABC’s “Weekend Report” and joined the news magazine “20/20.”

Jarriel’s reporting on “20/20” covered a wide range of topics, including the experiences of female soldiers who were abused and the plight of children in Romanian orphanages. He won numerous Emmy awards for his work.

Jarriel retired from ABC in 2002 and is survived by his wife, Joan, and three sons.


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