Linda Stein, the original celebrity real-estate broker, was found by her daughters bludgeoned to death Tuesday night in her Fifth Avenue apartment.

Ms. Stein, who sat down for an interview with The Observer in May, became a broker after her breakup with Seymour Stein of Sire Records. Before that, she had been a fixture on the downtown music scene, helping to form the careers of New York artists like The Ramones and Madonna. She was also the lifelong friend of Elton John, who issued the following statement on hearing of her death: “I’m absolutely shocked and upset. She’s been a friend for over 37 years and will be greatly missed. She did so much for breast cancer and was a huge supporter of my AIDS foundation.”

Here's The New York Times:

Ms. Stein’s body was found face down in the living room in a pool of blood, the police said. She was wearing a sweatshirt with a hood, which was pulled over her head. Investigators at first believed the bleeding could have resulted from a fall, but when the hood was pulled back, a severe skull injury was exposed. Yesterday, the medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide.

Ms. Stein had many tumultuous relationships in her life, but investigators have not focused on any particular people, and did not comment on possible motives, a law enforcement official said. Investigators said they thought Ms. Stein was seen alive earlier on Tuesday, and they were trying to determine who was with her later that day.

UPDATE: The Observer's May interview with Stein can be found here.

UPDATE: An update on the police investigation can be found here.