Dexter Scott King, the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died at the age of 62.
“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” Leah Weber King, his wife of 11 years, said in a statement. “He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”
The King Center confirmed Monday that King died after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. King, a civil rights activist, is survived by his wife, sister Dr. Bernice King, brother Martin Luther King III and niece Yolanda Renee King.
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Born in Atlanta on January 30, 1961, King was named for the Deter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as first pastorate. He was only 7 when his father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother died nearly 18 years ago on his 45th birthday. King would have turned 63 next week.
King and his wife, an entrepreneur and former broadcast journalist, were married in a private ceremony in July 2013.
“Together they built a life of love, support and unconditional love, much like that of Dexter’s mother and father,” the King Center said Monday.
A memorial service will be announced at a later time.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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