Bank robber who held gun to Paula Deen’s head in 1987 heist found dead in NYC
The notorious convict who gained notoriety for holding up celebrity chef Paula Deen during a bank robbery in 1987 was discovered deceased inside his Brooklyn apartment on Thursday.
Eugene Thomas King, Jr. was found unresponsive in his Brooklyn residence by authorities and was pronounced dead by EMS on Thursday evening, as per a report.
The medical examiner determined that he passed away from natural causes at the age of 75.
King’s demise was attributed to hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as confirmed by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner to TMZ.
During the robbery, King held up Deen while robbing a bank where the future celebrity chef was employed as a teller. Deen recalled that King kept the gun pointed at her throughout the ordeal, as documented in her statement to the police.
Following the incident, King was convicted and served time for the robbery. In a remorseful message to the police, he expressed his apologies to Deen, stating, “I never intended to hurt anyone.”
King largely remained under the radar until Deen referenced the robbery during a legal dispute in 2013.
In a deposition for the lawsuit, where a restaurant manager accused Deen and her brother of engaging in sexual and racial harassment, Deen was questioned about her use of racial slurs, including the N-word.
Deen affirmed that she had used the racial epithet when recalling the bank robbery where King had threatened her with a gun.
The revelation of Deen’s use of the racial slur led to a significant backlash, tarnishing her career and bringing King into the spotlight.
When asked about Deen’s actions, King expressed empathy for her in a 2013 interview with Inside Edition, attributing her words to a lapse in judgment fueled by anger.
The NYPD referred inquiries to the city medical examiner, who did not provide immediate responses to requests for further information.
The news of King’s passing marks the end of a chapter in a tumultuous tale involving a celebrity chef, a convicted robber, and the consequences of a momentary lapse in judgment.
