B.B. King’s Daughters Say He Was Murdered
Before B.B. King died earlier this month, the legendary bluesman’s daughter Patty King accused his longtime manager Laverne Toney, who held power of attorney over B.B., of elder abuse. Now homicide detectives in Clark County, Nevada are investigating B.B.’s death after Patty and her sister Karen Williams accused Toney and his personal assistant, Myron Johnson, of murdering their father by poisoning him. The Associated Press reports that in indentically worded affidavits, the daughters stated, “I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administered foreign substances. I believe my father was murdered.” In response, Toney told the AP, “They’ve been making allegations all along. What’s new?” Clark County coroner John Fudenberg told the AP that an autopsy was performed Sunday on King’s embalmed body, but results of the toxicological test won’t be available for up to eight weeks.
UPDATE: The AP reports that medical examiners have found no evidence that King was poisoned. According to the coroner, tests indicated the cause of death to be Alzheimer’s disease, plus physical conditions including coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes. “Ms. Toney and Mr. Johnson are very happy that these false and fictional allegations that were made against them by certain of Mr. King’s children have been dispelled,” said Brent Bryson, a lawyer for King’s estate. “Hopefully we can now focus on the body of musical work that B.B. King left the world, and he can finally rest in peace.”