James 'Whitey' Bulger. (US Marshals)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Convicted mobster and notorious Boston criminal James 'Whitey' Bulger is dead.
Bulger, 89, was serving a life sentence for eleven murders. His cause of death was not yet known but t CBS News reports that it appears Whitey Bulger was severely beaten by one or more of his fellow inmates
In a statement, the Justice Department said Bulger was found unresponsive at the prison around 8:20 a.m. and pronounced dead by the Preston County Medical Examiner. The FBI is investigating the death as a homicide.
He was recently transferred to a federal prison in Hazelton, West Virginia. The reason for the transfer wasn't given, but there are reports that Bulger's health had deteriorated.
Bulger was on America's Most Wanted Criminals list for 16 years, until his capture in 2011 in Santa Monica.
Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told WBZ-TV Bulger's reputation stretched beyond the city.
"He had a reputation that changed over the years," former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told WBZ-TV. "He was considered a 'Robin Hood' back in the '80s, and somewhat protective of Southie. I think over time, people started to realize that he really was simply an organized-crime criminal, and that he was involved in narcotic sales and murder, certainly not anybody to be looking up to."
In a statement, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling said that his office received word about the death of James “Whitey” Bulger Tuesday day morning and that "Our thoughts are with his victims and their families."
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.