Paula Deen’s Robber Found Dead: Cause of Death Under Investigation

Eugene Thomas King Jr., the man who held a gun to Paula Deen’s temple during a 1987 armed robbery, was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Thursday, according to the NYPD. He was 62.

Police responded to a 911 call just after 5 PM and found King unconscious. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is currently investigating the cause of death.

The incident that connected King and Deen occurred when Deen was working as a bank teller in Albany, Georgia. King held her at gunpoint during a robbery, an event that deeply impacted Deen for years to come. He was subsequently convicted of the crime.

While King largely remained out of the public eye following his conviction, he resurfaced unexpectedly in 2013 during a period of intense scrutiny surrounding Deen’s use of racial slurs. In an interview with Inside Edition, King offered an unexpected defense of the celebrity chef, expressing regret for the trauma he inflicted during the robbery and acknowledging the pain it caused her.

“I really feel for her,” King said in the 2013 interview. “She’s being persecuted because of that one little mistake in her judgment. She was acting out of anger.” He also stated, “I regret that I pointed a gun at her (Deen) and I wish there was a way to grab it back.”

The timing of King’s comments was particularly notable, as they came amidst a controversy stemming from Deen’s admission, during a civil suit deposition, that she had used a racial slur when discussing the 1987 robbery. King’s unexpected empathy offered a complex layer to a story already fraught with racial and emotional tension.

At the time, King spoke of having turned his life around after serving a lengthy prison sentence. He described a desire to move forward and expressed remorse for his past actions. His willingness to publicly address the incident and offer a perspective that challenged the prevailing narrative was a surprising development.

The 2013 interview highlighted the lasting impact of the robbery on both Deen and King. While Deen had spoken openly about the fear she experienced during the incident, King’s statements provided a rare glimpse into the motivations and subsequent reflections of the perpetrator. It was a moment that forced a re-examination of a decades-old crime through a new lens.

News of King’s death comes over three decades after the incident that brought them together in a moment of terror. While the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, his passing marks the end of a chapter in a story that captivated the public and sparked a national conversation about race, forgiveness, and the enduring consequences of violence.

The NYPD and the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner have not yet released further details regarding King’s death. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.