Larry Busacca/Getty ImagesA petition by several of B.B. King's children to obtain guardianship over the 89-year-old blues legend, who remains in home hospice care, has been denied, which means his longtime business manager will retain legal control of his affairs
A Las Vegas judge made the decision on Thursday, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. BBC News said three of King's 11 surviving children claimed his business manager, Laverne Toney, was stealing money and neglecting his medical care. The commissioner said investigations found no evidence the blues legend is being abused.
"They wanted to take over King's personal financial decisions," E. Brent Bryson, a Las Vegas attorney who represented King, said outside of court, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Their petition was fundamentally flawed."
Clark County Family Court Hearing Master Jon Norheim said investigations uncovered no reason to take power-of-attorney from Toney, according to BBC News.
"Mr. King has counsel," he said. "I don't have anything here that says he lacks capacity. He has some serious health issues. But he has counsel. If he feels like he's being taken advantage of, he has remedies."
Karen Williams, one of King's daughters, said outside of court that her father "is being medically abused" and hasn't been able to speak for about 10 days, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
King's primary care physician, Darin Brimhall, said the musician is receiving care 24-hour-a-day and a registered nurse has visited him 20 times since April 8, adding, "There's no reason for us to be here today," according to the outlet.
King, a Mississippi-born, Grammy-winning musician and one of the greatest guitarists of all time and often dubbed the "Ambassador of the Blues," had revealed in a Facebook message posted on May 1 that he was in hospice care at his Las Vegas home, about three weeks after he was hospitalized for dehydration, a complication of Type II diabetes. He was also treated at a medical center for the same ailment in October, which had prompted the cancellation of eight concerts.
"I am in home hospice care at my residence in Las Vegas," the message said. "Thanks to all for your well wishes and prayers."
The guardianship case comes months after Las Vegas police were called to King's home in November on allegations of elder neglect and abuse, NBC Bay Area reported, adding that a police spokesperson said the case remains open.