Jerry A. King — No. 70

Post date: Jan 27, 2020 9:15:21 PM

Jerry Ambrose King of Augusta, Ark., born Oct. 4, 1939, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020.

He is survived by his wife, Willette “Billie” King; two sons, Jerry A. King II of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Michael King Moore of Asheville, N.C.; and two nieces, Ashley East and Shay Lazelle of Indiana. Jerry had a great relationship with his stepchildren: Kimberly Minear, her husband Michael and their son Andrew; Philip Pfeifer, his wife Anouska of Los Angeles,; and David Pfeifer, wife Tina and their children Faye and Maddie, of Vancouver, Canada.

Brother King was an accomplished athlete at Augusta High School, participating in football, basketball and track. He was selected All-State in football, won the state Class B high jump and played in the Arkansas High School basketball All-Star game in 1958. Jerry attended Arkansas Boys State in the summer of 1957 and was elected state attorney general.He attended Arkansas State University on a basketball scholarship, and while at ASU was a charter member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity (Iota Theta Zeta No. 70).Jerry was a former high school teacher and football coach in New Mexico and Texas, after serving two years on the staff of Coach Frank Broyles at the University of Arkansas as a graduate assistant.In 1967 he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent, serving in the Denver, Indianapolis and Evansville, Ind., St. Paul, Minn., and Hattiesburg, Miss., offices. He was also a hostage negotiator for the bureau and was involved in three successful negotiations, resulting in the release of numerous hostages. During his FBI career he received numerous letters of commendation from every FBI director he served under. He was one of the first undercover agents for the FBI to work two extremely large and effective operations. One was named COLCOR in North Carolina, wherein over 70 individuals were convicted, including several elected officials. This operation included the purchase of numerous stolen vehicles and other property.

Another undercover case was named “Operation Pretense,” concerning corrupt public officials in Mississippi. Approximately 85 elected officials and vendors were convicted for taking bribes from King and two other undercover agents for doing business with Mid-State Pipe, an FBI front. King was commended by the FBI director and Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus for his efforts in this case.

As a result of the Mississippi case, King was featured on “60 Minutes,” hosted by Mike Wallace. This segment was entitled “The Preacher and the Stingman,” produced on May 5, 1988.

In 1989 Jerry retired from the FBI and moved to Little Rock. He married his wife Billie in 1993 and moved to Searcy, then on to his hometown of Augusta in 2005, where he became involved in private investigation and real estate. He was a former president of the Augusta Lions Club.

Jerry loved to write and authored two books including a children’s book, “Tommy the Turtle,” depicting life on the White River, and the one he was most proud of was about his father Curtis King, entitled “Coach King.”

He was preceded in death by his parents, Coach Curtis and Nell Wade King; his brother, Dr. Jake King; and sister, Karen Jo King Allen. His father was the first high school coach to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. His father was from Mountain View, where numerous relatives still reside. His mother Nell was a native of Batesville.

Funeral services were held Sunday, Jan. 12, at the First Methodist Church in Augusta, with a portion of his ashes being placed in the White River sometime following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Methodist Youth Fund at the First Methodist Church of Augusta or to the Woodruff County Library, also located in Augusta.