Bank Robber Who Held Gun to Paula Deen's Head in 1987 Heist Found Dead in NYC

Eugene Thomas King, Jr. died of natural causes at age 75 in his Brooklyn apartment

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The convict who became infamous for holding up disgraced celebrity chef Paula Deen during a bank robbery in 1987 was found dead inside his Brooklyn apartment on Thursday. Eugene Thomas King, Jr. died of natural causes at the age of 75, according to the medical examiner.

Why it matters

This story revisits a notorious bank robbery incident from 1987 that involved celebrity chef Paula Deen and resurfaced years later when Deen faced backlash for using a racial slur to describe the robber. King's death brings closure to this decades-old crime and the lasting impact it had on Deen's career.

The details

Police found King unconscious in his Brooklyn apartment on Thursday night and he was declared deceased by EMS. The medical examiner determined that King died of hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In 1987, King had held up the bank where Deen was working as a teller, holding a gun to her head during the robbery. King was later convicted and served time for the crime. Years later, when Deen referenced the incident in a deposition, her use of a racial slur to describe King led to major backlash and the downfall of her career.

  • On March 2, 2026, Eugene Thomas King, Jr. was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment.
  • In 1987, King robbed the bank where Paula Deen was working as a teller and held a gun to her head.

The players

Eugene Thomas King, Jr.

A convicted bank robber who held up disgraced celebrity chef Paula Deen during a 1987 bank robbery, later dying of natural causes at age 75 in his Brooklyn apartment.

Paula Deen

A celebrity chef who was working as a bank teller when she was held up by Eugene Thomas King, Jr. in 1987, an incident that later resurfaced and led to backlash against Deen when she used a racial slur to describe the robber.

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What they’re saying

“I really feel for her. She's being persecuted because of that one little mistake in her judgment. She was acting out of anger.”

— Eugene Thomas King, Jr. (Inside Edition)

The takeaway

This case highlights the lasting impact that a single criminal incident can have, both on the victims and the perpetrators involved. While King's death brings closure to this decades-old crime, it also serves as a reminder of the complex social and reputational consequences that can arise from such events, as seen in the fallout from Deen's use of a racial slur when recounting the robbery.