Connect with us

Entertainment

Coroner: No Evidence B.B. King Was Poisoned Before Death

Published

on

In this Aug. 8, 2013 file photo, Blues music legend B.B. King performs on Frampton’s Guitar Circus 2013 Tour at Pier Six Pavilion, in Baltimore. The coroner in Las Vegas says there’s no evidence King was poisoned before he died of natural causes in May 2015. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday, July 13, 2015, that an autopsy sought by two of the musical icon’s 11 adult children came back cause of death alzheimers disease with other significant conditions. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

In this Aug. 8, 2013 file photo, Blues music legend B.B. King performs on Frampton’’s Guitar Circus 2013 Tour at Pier Six Pavilion, in Baltimore. The coroner in Las Vegas says there’s no evidence King was poisoned before he died of natural causes in May 2015. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday, July 13, 2015, that an autopsy sought by two of the musical icon’s 11 adult children came back cause of death alzheimers disease with other significant conditions. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

KEN RITTER, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Medical examiners found no evidence to prove the allegation that blues legend B.B. King was poisoned before he died of natural causes in May, according to autopsy findings made public Monday.

Tests conducted after two of the musical icon’s 11 adult children said their father had been murdered showed the cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease, plus physical conditions including coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes, Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg told The Associated Press.

Daughters Karen Williams and Patty King had said through their attorney, Larissa Drohobyczer, that King’s business manager, LaVerne Toney, and his personal assistant, Myron Johnson, hastened their father’s death. Drohobyczer didn’t immediately respond to messages Monday.

Brent Bryson, a lawyer for King’s estate, has called the claims defamatory and libelous.

“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,” Bryson said. “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.”

The findings close official investigations of King’s death, Fudenberg said.

Homicide Lt. Dan McGrath said there is no active police investigation.

The allegations drew intense interest while the daughters led a group of several of King’s surviving adult children and grandchildren in an unsuccessful bid to wrest guardianship and oversight of the King estate from Toney.

Williams, Patty King and daughters Rita Washington and Barbara Winfree had Drohobyczer contest their father’s will. They enlisted prominent national attorneys Benjamin Crump and Jose Baez to investigate whether B.B. King was properly cared for before he died.

Crump, Baez, Williams, Patty King and Winfree didn’t immediately respond Monday to messages.

B.B. King died in hospice care at home in Las Vegas at age 89.

Washington said she’s still upset that no family members were present. But she said she was relieved to learn her father hadn’t been poisoned.

“I’m glad it’s natural causes,” Washington said. “We just didn’t know what was going on and what had happened with our father.”

King’s physician, Dr. Darin Brimhall, and the coroner had attributed his death to natural causes — a series of small strokes caused by atherosclerotic vascular disease as a consequence of his long battle with blood sugar fluctuations and diabetes. The medical term was multi-infarct dementia.

Fudenberg said Monday the autopsy found additional evidence of cerebrovascular disease and mini-strokes similar to those described earlier. “Considering the information available to any clinical physician at the time, multi-infarct dementia was a reasonable conclusion to reach,” he said

Tests didn’t detect any substances that might have hastened King’s death, Fudenberg said.

The autopsy was conducted May 24 — 10 days after King died, two days after a public viewing in Las Vegas drew more than 1,000 fans and mourner, and one day after a family-and-friends memorial drew 350 people to a downtown Las Vegas funeral chapel.

A Beale Street procession and memorial took place May 27 in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by burial May 30 in King’s hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.

Bryson told a probate judge in Las Vegas last month that Brimhall and two other doctors determined that King received appropriate medical and hospice care, and that Toney was fulfilling King’s will and wishes.

Toney worked for King for 39 years and had power-of-attorney over his business affairs. She is named in King’s will, filed in January 2007, as executor.

The value of the estate that hasn’t been publicly disclosed.

Bryson has said it wasn’t expected to amount to the tens of millions of dollars suggested during a guardianship fight before King’s death.

Drohobyczer has said she thinks the estate is worth between $5 million and $10 million.

___

This story corrects that Toney is named in will as executor, not beneficiary; adds comment from Rita Washington; and refers to efforts to reach other lawyers and family members.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 19 – 25, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 19 – 25, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 12 – 18, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 12 – 18, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 5 – 11, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), center, is shown with other guest speakers at the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction brunch held at the State Capitol on March 6, 2025. On the left is Jennifer Todd, LMS General Contractors Founder and President. To Todd’s right is Dr. Giovanna Brasfield, from Los Angeles-based Brasfield and Associates. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Activism1 hour ago

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Honors California Women in Construction with State Proclamation, Policy Ideas

Shutterstock
Activism2 hours ago

Report Offers Policies, Ideas to Improve the Workplace Experiences of Black Women in California

UC Berkeley photo.
Bay Area2 hours ago

Five Years After COVID-19 Began, a Struggling Child Care Workforce Faces New Threats

iStock.
Alameda County3 hours ago

Trump Order Slashes Federal Agencies Supporting Minority Business and Neighborhood Development

Robert Harris (left) is a retired attorney at PG&E and former legal counsel for NAACP. Richard Fuentes is co-owner of FLUID510 and chair of the Political Action Committee, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. Courtesy photos.
Activism3 hours ago

We Fought on Opposite Sides of the Sheng Thao Recall. Here’s Why We’re Uniting Behind Barbara Lee for Oakland Mayor

From left: Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson. Bishop Kevin Barnes. Pastor Mike McBride. Bishop Keith Clark. Pastor Michael Wallace. Courtesy photos.
Activism4 hours ago

Faith Leaders Back Barbara Lee for Mayor, Criticize Candidate Loren Taylor for Dishonest Campaigning

Diana Becton has served at the Contra Costa County District Attorney since 2017. Richmond Standard photo.
Activism4 hours ago

Group Takes First Steps to Recall District Attorney Diana Becton

Barbara Lee. and Loren Taylor. File photos.
Alameda County5 hours ago

Candidates Barbara Lee and Loren Taylor Raise Nearly $550,000 Combined for April 15 Mayor’s Race

Front row: Megan Imperial, Genice Jacobs, Bobbi Lopez, Courtney Welch, Janani Ramachandran, Hercules Councilmember Dilli Bhattarai, Sarah Bell, Laura Babitt, Ashlee Jemmott, and Shawn Danino. Rear row: Ben Gould, Sam Davis, Victor Flores, Zac Bowling, Nate Hanson, Teddy Gray King, Cathy Adams, Neil Tsutsui, Sam Gould, Lauren Wilson, and Nick Pilch. Courtesy photo.
Activism5 hours ago

District Delegates to State Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting Celebrate Election Victory

Activism2 days ago

Oakland Post: Week of March 19 – 25, 2025

#NNPA BlackPress3 days ago

Recently Approved Budget Plan Favors Wealthy, Slashes Aid to Low-Income Americans

#NNPA BlackPress3 days ago

A Threat to Pre-emptive Pardons

#NNPA BlackPress3 days ago

Reaction to The Education EO

#NNPA BlackPress3 days ago

Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant’s Black Church Target Boycott Mobilizes 150,000

#NNPA BlackPress4 days ago

PRESS ROOM: The Urban One Podcast Network Announces Los Angeles Wildfires Podcast, ‘Altadena: After the Fire’

#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks ago

Target Takes a Hit: $12.4 Billion Wiped Out as Boycotts Grow

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) (Right).
Activism1 month ago

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Lateefah Simon to Speak at Elihu Harris Lecture Series

Blair Underwood (left) and Barbara Lee (right). Courtesy photo.
Activism1 month ago

Actor, Philanthropist Blair Underwood Visits Bay Area, Kicks Off Literacy Program in ‘New Oakland’ Initiative

Oakland City Hall. File photo.
Alameda County1 month ago

After Years of Working Remotely, Oakland Requires All City Employees to Return to Office by April 7

iStock.
Activism1 month ago

Lawsuit Accuses UC Schools of Giving Preference to Black and Hispanic Students

Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.
Alameda County1 month ago

Lee Releases Strong Statement on Integrity and Ethics in Government

Activism1 month ago

Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

Day laborer zone sites are scattered across several streets in East Oakland, California. The sites allow workers to find temporary jobs in skilled labor such as construction, landscaping, and agriculture. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.
Activism3 weeks ago

Undocumented Workers Are Struggling to Feed Themselves. Slashed Budgets and New Immigration Policies Bring Fresh Challenges

Activism1 month ago

Oakland Post: Week of February 12 – 18, 2025

iStock.
Activism1 month ago

NNPA Launches National Public Education and Selective Buying Campaign

Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.
Activism1 month ago

Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress

#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks ago

BREAKING Groundbreaking Singer Angie Stone Dies in Car Accident at 63

Ricki Stevenson, Blacks in Paris. Courtesy photo.
Activism1 month ago

Retired Bay Area Journalist Finds Success in Paris with Black History Tours

Paul Robeson. Public domain.
Arts and Culture1 month ago

Paul Robeson: A Voice for the Ages, A Champion for Justice

iStock.
Activism1 month ago

Two New California Bills Are Aiming to Lower Your Prescription Drug Costs

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.