Competing Statements Released Regarding B.B. King’s Death
LAS VEGAS, May 28 (UPI) — In the days leading up to legendary blues singer B.B. King‘s death, two of his daughters Karen Williams and Patty King claim they were not allowed to visit their father.
Their attorney, Larissa Drohobyczer, released a statement to Rolling Stone claiming that actions taken by the attorney representing the musician’s estate and its executor LaVerne Toney — Brent Bryson — is “dragging mourning daughters through the mud for no apparent reason.”
The two claimed in statements on Monday that they have reason to believe their father was poisoned in his last days by the two closest to him — Toney and Myron Johnson.
In a statement to US Weekly, Bryson said allegations against Toney and Johnson are “unfounded,” and that “even musical icons die.”
He even accused the daughters of being in it for money, CNN reports.
“Karen and Patty have nothing to gain financially by getting [the] truth on how their father died. Nothing,” Drohobyczer wrote in a statement to Rolling Stone in response.
“Not one family member was allowed to see B.B. for a week prior to his death, not even his friends,” she continued. “That really hurt and angered Karen and Patty deeply. Ms. Toney kept B.B.’s family from him and he died without one family member by his side. That is what raised reasonable suspicion as to his cause of death for Patty and Karen. My clients just want answers.”
Bryson released a new statement to Rolling Stone disputing Drohobyczer’s claims saying that King’s granddaughter Valeri Byrd had visited him. “Mr. King saw who he wanted to see,” he says. “Ms. Toney did not influence Mr. King in any way.”
The coroner for Clark County, Nevada, John Fudenberg, told CNN that initial autopsy results did not show any evidence of misconduct. However, the full report will not be ready for six to eight weeks.
B.B. King died on the night of May 14, 2015. He was 89 years old.
