• Robert Mueller passed away at 81, with family confirming his death on March 20.
• He led the FBI from 2001 to 2013 and later conducted the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
• Mueller's findings were significant but stopped short of implicating Trump in criminal conduct.
• Trump reacted to Mueller's death with a controversial statement on social media.
• Mueller had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021.

Former FBI director Robert Mueller has died at age 81. His family confirmed that he passed away on March 20, requesting privacy during this time, according to BBC and Indiatimes.

Mueller served as the FBI director from 2001 until 2013, overseeing critical shifts in the bureau's focus towards counterterrorism after the September 11 attacks. Appointed by President George W. Bush, he was later asked by Barack Obama to extend his tenure, making him one of the longest-serving directors in history, detailed reports from Reuters, Le Monde, and South China Morning Post.

In 2017, Mueller was appointed as special counsel to investigate allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, a probe that concluded with significant findings but controversially did not lead to charges against then-President Trump. The inquiry resulted in indictments against 34 individuals and several guilty pleas, as elucidated in reports by CBS News and Channel News Asia.

Following news of his death, Trump expressed harsh sentiments about Mueller, stating on Truth Social that he was "glad he's dead" because "he can no longer hurt innocent people." This reaction aligns with the contentious nature of their interactions during the investigation, as noted by India Times and Reuters.

Mueller had been living with Parkinson's disease, which his family disclosed last year, and he continued to be a respected figure even amidst political divisions surrounding his investigations, as reported by NPR and Al Jazeera.