Former KTUL Reporter Bill Mitchell Passes Away

Former KTUL reporter Bill Mitchell died Friday after a lengthy illness, family friends said. He was 69 years old.

Throughout his 42-year broadcasting career, he won several awards, including a regional Emmy for severe weather, four Associated Press awards and two Jerry Marx Awards. Bill is the only reporter in Oklahoma to have won the Jerry Marx Award twice.

Â>>From the Channel 8 Archives: A Look Back at Bill's Career

Bill's first tenure at Tulsa’s Channel 8 lasted 10 years starting in 1972. During that time he served as a reporter, writer, producer and anchor. In 1982 he moved to Little Rock, working at KARK for a year. In 1983 he came back to Oklahoma to report for KOCO in Oklahoma City. He worked there for 11 years, when he moved back to Tulsa and KTUL. He was the Senior News Reporter until he retired in December 2012.

Bill served our country from 1962 to 1965 in the U.S. Army. He served in the Santa Domingo uprising, received a combat infantry badge, and went on to receive an honorable discharge.

After the Army, Bill worked in radio full-time while attending college on the G.I. Bill. He received a B.A. in Radio, Television, and Film from California State University at Northridge.

Â>>Slideshow: Remembering Bill Mitchell

During his career, Bill took the lead on dozens of stories including the Girl Scout Murders, plane accidents, the Edmond Post Office massacre, the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Steak House Murders.

Bill also taught a media relations course for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and local police departments.

KTUL General Manager Pat Baldwin said, â€We are mourning the loss of a great reporter and friend today. Bill loved the station and our viewers. He was a hard worker and taught us all how to find news stories. He will always be our â€buddy’ and a part of the Channel 8 family.â€Â

Survivors include his wife, Jill Mitchell; and his daughter, Cynthia Mitchell.

The funeral take place Saturday, March 30th, at 1 p.m. at the Forest Park Christian Church, 91st and Mingo.

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