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| BB King was 'poisoned' by his business manager and personal assistant, say blues star's daughters | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Two of blues legend BB King's daughters have accused his two closest aides of poisoning him. | |
| A post mortem has been carried out and Las Vegas police confirmed they are investigating the claims but refused to offer any further details. | A post mortem has been carried out and Las Vegas police confirmed they are investigating the claims but refused to offer any further details. |
| BB King’s daughters Karen Williams and Patty King allege that LaVerne Toney, his business manager, and Myron Johnson, his personal assistant, hastened his death and prevented family members from visiting. | BB King’s daughters Karen Williams and Patty King allege that LaVerne Toney, his business manager, and Myron Johnson, his personal assistant, hastened his death and prevented family members from visiting. |
| Williams and King each state in an affidavit passed to the Associated Press: "I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administered foreign substances. I believe my father was murdered." | Williams and King each state in an affidavit passed to the Associated Press: "I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administered foreign substances. I believe my father was murdered." |
| King, who used to live at King's home, said she saw Johnson administer to the blues singer two drops of an unknown substance on his tongue during evenings for several months before his death, and that Toney never told her what the substance was. | King, who used to live at King's home, said she saw Johnson administer to the blues singer two drops of an unknown substance on his tongue during evenings for several months before his death, and that Toney never told her what the substance was. |
| Neither of the aides wanted to comment directly on the claims but Toney, who worked for King for 39 years, said: "They've been making allegations all along. What's new?" | Neither of the aides wanted to comment directly on the claims but Toney, who worked for King for 39 years, said: "They've been making allegations all along. What's new?" |
| Toney had power of attorney over the singer’s affairs and was named in his will as executor of an estate that according to court documents filed by lawyers for some of King's heirs could total tens of millions of dollars. | Toney had power of attorney over the singer’s affairs and was named in his will as executor of an estate that according to court documents filed by lawyers for some of King's heirs could total tens of millions of dollars. |
| Johnson was at BB King's bedside when he died on May 14 in hospice care at home in Las Vegas at age 89. No family members were present. | |
| Larissa Drohobyczer, the lawyer acting for Williams and King said she also represents most of BB King's nine other adult children and heirs. | Larissa Drohobyczer, the lawyer acting for Williams and King said she also represents most of BB King's nine other adult children and heirs. |
| "The family is sticking together ... to oust Ms. Toney based on her illegal conduct, conflicts of interest and self-dealing," Drohobyczer said. She alleged that Toney hastened King's death by "misconduct, or by failing to properly attend to his medical needs." | "The family is sticking together ... to oust Ms. Toney based on her illegal conduct, conflicts of interest and self-dealing," Drohobyczer said. She alleged that Toney hastened King's death by "misconduct, or by failing to properly attend to his medical needs." |
| The allegations come days after a public viewing in Las Vegas drew more than 1,000 fans and mourners and a weekend family-and-friends memorial drew 350. A procession and memorial are planned for Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by a Friday viewing and Saturday burial in King's hometown of Indianola, Mississippi. | The allegations come days after a public viewing in Las Vegas drew more than 1,000 fans and mourners and a weekend family-and-friends memorial drew 350. A procession and memorial are planned for Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by a Friday viewing and Saturday burial in King's hometown of Indianola, Mississippi. |
| Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday the investigation shouldn't delay King's final trip home to the Mississippi Delta. | Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday the investigation shouldn't delay King's final trip home to the Mississippi Delta. |
| Fudenberg said an autopsy was performed Sunday and King's body was then returned to a Las Vegas mortuary. | Fudenberg said an autopsy was performed Sunday and King's body was then returned to a Las Vegas mortuary. |
| Test results will take up to eight weeks to obtain, the coroner said, and should not be affected by the fact that King's body had been embalmed. | Test results will take up to eight weeks to obtain, the coroner said, and should not be affected by the fact that King's body had been embalmed. |
| Brent Bryson, a lawyer representing King's estate, dismissed Drohobyczer's claims as ridiculous. | Brent Bryson, a lawyer representing King's estate, dismissed Drohobyczer's claims as ridiculous. |
| "I hope they have a factual basis that they can demonstrate for their defamatory and libelous allegations," he said. | "I hope they have a factual basis that they can demonstrate for their defamatory and libelous allegations," he said. |
| Three doctors determined that King was appropriately cared for, Bryson said, and King received 24-hour care and monitoring by medical professionals "up until the time that he peacefully passed away in his sleep". | Three doctors determined that King was appropriately cared for, Bryson said, and King received 24-hour care and monitoring by medical professionals "up until the time that he peacefully passed away in his sleep". |
| He added: "This is extremely disrespectful to BB King. He did not want invasive medical procedures. He made the decision to return home for hospice care instead of staying in a hospital. These unfounded allegations have caused Mr King to undergo an autopsy, which is exactly what he didn't want." | He added: "This is extremely disrespectful to BB King. He did not want invasive medical procedures. He made the decision to return home for hospice care instead of staying in a hospital. These unfounded allegations have caused Mr King to undergo an autopsy, which is exactly what he didn't want." |
| He died in Las Vegas earlier this month aged 89. | He died in Las Vegas earlier this month aged 89. |