Former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor dead at 93

Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, whose centrist views and shrewd negotiating skills allowed her to steer the nation’s law for much of her quarter-century tenure, died on Friday at the age of 93, the court said.

The court said in a statement that O'Connor died in Phoenix of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.

Chief Justice John Roberts recalled O'Connor as having "blazed an historic trail as our nation’s first female justice."

"She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor," Roberts said. "We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education."

O'Connor, who retired from the nation's highest court in 2006, had in her latter years been diagnosed