ABC News legend Tom Jarriel has died at age 89

Legendary ABC News anchor and reporter Tom Jarriel, known for his coverage of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Richard Nixon administration, has died, his family said Thursday.

He was 89.

Jarriel's storied career spanned nearly 40 years after joining the station in 1965 and covered the MLK murder three years later.

According to an ABC News obituary, he was promoted to chief White House correspondent in 1969, covering President Nixon and then President Gerald Ford.

A decade later, he became anchor of ABC's Weekend Report and then joined the network's emerging primetime news program “20/20,” where he reported on criminal justice reform and confronted leaders across the country.

He also authored a series of reports on the plight of orphans in Romania, which Jarriel called “the great, defining story of my career,” according to ABC News.

During his more than 20 years at “20/20,” he won numerous awards, including six Emmy Awards, ABC News wrote Thursday.

He retired in 2002.

The broadcasting legend is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joan, and three sons.

“We recognize the depth and breadth of Jarriel’s 38 years at ABC,” the network said.

“We celebrate his sense of fairness, his integrity, but above all his humanity.”