B.B. King death probed as homicide after poison claim: Coroner

Las Vegas police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of B.B. King, a coroner's office said May 25, after the daughters of the blues guitar legend reportedly accused his aides of poisoning him.

King died aged 89 on May 14 in Las Vegas, where he lived while he kept up a gruelling schedule of tours that ended only last year. King suffered from Type II diabetes for the last two decades of his life.
 
Two of his daughters -- Karen Williams and Patty King -- have alleged he was poisoned by his business manager Laverne Toney and his personal assistant, Eonline reported.
 
"I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administrated foreign substances to induce his premature death," the daughters wrote in separate but identical affidavits, the entertainment site said.    

"(I) request a formal investigation into this matter," the court documents reportedly said.
 
Despite his legendary musical status, King's final days were clouded by an apparent dispute between his family and manager over his care.
 
Toney, who is the executor of King's estate, shrugged off the daughters' charge.
 
"They've been making allegations all along. What's new?" Toney said, according to Eonline.
 
An attorney for King's estate also dismissed the daughters' accusations as "ridiculous".
 
"I hope they have a factual basis that they can demonstrate for their defamatory and libellous allegations,"  Brent Bryson said in a statement, according to the entertainment site.
 
Earlier the local coroner confirmed the homicide investigation and said that King's remains would undergo an autopsy.
 
"Our coroner takes jurisdctn over #BBKing body, performs autopsy. Results:6-8wks min....