A Terrifying Encounter at the Bank Counter (Image Credits: Nypost.com)
Brooklyn, New York – Authorities discovered Eugene Thomas King Jr., the man who held a gun to celebrity chef Paula Deen’s head during a harrowing bank robbery nearly four decades ago, dead in his apartment last week.[1][2]
A Terrifying Encounter at the Bank Counter
Paula Deen worked as a teller in 1987 when Eugene Thomas King Jr. burst into the Georgia bank and launched an armed robbery that left an indelible mark.[3] He pressed a gun directly to her temple and kept it there throughout the ordeal, as Deen later recounted to police.
She described how King “never took the gun out of my face,” a moment of sheer terror that unfolded before her rise to fame as a Southern cooking icon.[1] The incident highlighted the vulnerability of everyday workers in such high-stakes crimes.
King targeted the bank in a brazen holdup, but authorities apprehended him soon after. His actions that day cemented a connection between the two that resurfaced years later.
Conviction, Imprisonment, and an Early Apology
Courts convicted King of the robbery along with another similar crime, imposing a 25-year prison sentence.[2] He served his time, emerging with a message of regret directed at his victim.
In a statement to police shortly after the heist, King expressed remorse. “Please tell her I’m sorry, but I never intended to hurt anyone,” he wrote, revealing a flicker of accountability amid the chaos.[4]
Those words marked the beginning of a narrative that blended crime with contrition. King largely faded from public view during his incarceration and immediate aftermath.
Revived Spotlight Amid Deen’s 2013 Scandal
The robbery story gained renewed attention in 2013 during a high-profile lawsuit against Deen. A former employee accused her and her brother of harassment, prompting a deposition where Deen addressed past language.
Questioned about racial epithets, Deen admitted use of the N-word. She linked it to the trauma: “It was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.”[1] That revelation fueled a scandal that derailed her career.
King responded publicly for the first time in years, speaking to Inside Edition. “I really feel for her,” he said. “She’s being persecuted because of that one little mistake in her judgment. She was acting out of anger.”[4] He reiterated his sorrow: “I regret that I pointed a gun at her. I wish there was a way to take it back.”
Natural Causes Claim a Low-Profile Life
King, aged 75, lived quietly in Brooklyn until police found him unresponsive in his apartment around 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 26.[3] Emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause as hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ruling it natural.[2][1] No foul play emerged in the investigation.
- Found unconscious by responding officers.
- Declared deceased on-site by EMS personnel.
- History of low public profile post-2013.
- Death closes a chapter tied to Deen’s early trauma.
Key Takeaways
- The 1987 robbery linked King and Deen forever, resurfacing amid her 2013 downfall.
- King served 25 years and voiced repeated apologies.
- His death at 75 stemmed from heart-related natural causes.
This episode underscores how a single criminal act can echo through lives and headlines for decades. King’s remorse offered a measure of closure, even as Deen’s career pivoted dramatically in its wake. What are your thoughts on stories like this resurfacing years later? Share in the comments.
