Dexter Scott King, son of Martin Luther King, dies at 62; here is what caused his death

Dexter Scott King, the younger son of late American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., breathed his last on Monday (Jan 22). Leah Weber King, his wife, said he died in his sleep at their home in Malibu, California. Dexter was 62 years old. “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,” Dexter’s wife was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Dexter Scott King’s death: Cause revealed

Dexter Scott died of prostate cancer, as per the King Center in Atlanta.

Born in Atlanta on Jan 30, 1961, he was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served his first pastorate.

When he was just seven years old, his father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

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"Words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling," said Reverend Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center, in a statement.“I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.”

Dexter Scott King: Like father, like son

King, much like his father, attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Eventually, he pursued a career in law, utilising this role to safeguard the intellectual property of the King family. Dexter, the third of the Kings' four children, bore an "uncanny resemblance" to his father and portrayed him in the 2002 movie The Rosa Parks Story, as stated by the King Center in Atlanta.

Preceded in death by his parents and sister Yolanda in 2007, King is survived by his wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King, his sister Bernice King, his brother Martin Luther King III, his niece Yolanda Renee King, and other relatives.

Reverend Al Sharpton, founder and president of civil rights organisation the National Action Network, said he was "heartbroken" to hear of King's passing.

"Dexter was only seven when his hero, his role model, and, most importantly, his father was taken from us," Sharpton said in a statement.

"He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children, their grandchildren, and all the generations to come after."

(With inputs from agencies)