The drifter left after a 45-minute session and never came back. Joseph Blakeney Brown Jr. (born July 5, 1947), known as Judge Joe Brown, is a former American lawyer and television personality. According to Wikipedia: James Earl Ray's chief interest was the George Wallace Democratic presidential campaign. Ray told this version of the assassination and his own flight during the following two months to journalist William Bradford Huie. In 1959, he was caught stealing $120 in an armed robbery of a Kroger store in St. After shooting King, Ray immediately fled, setting off a manhunt that would last more than two months and cover five countries. Did James Earl Ray Really Assassinate Martin Luther King Jr. Or Was He Set Up? He left school when he was 15 and later joined the US Army towards the end of World War II but he struggled to adapt to . What would it have taken for the Goldmans and the Browns to have believed Orenthals story that he was innocent? 4 There was no trial because of his confession. What We Know About Why James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King Jr. Somehow, Ray managed to escape from prison on two different occasions. James Earl Ray was a racist and quickly drawn to Wallace's segregationist platform. On the night of the shooting, I had left the rifle with Raoul.. Using mail-ordered equipment, he filmed and photographed local prostitutes. This organization would later morph into the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei better known as the NAZI party. The other people involved in this conspiracy, Jowers said, included Memphis police officers, a Mafia member and the infamous Raoul. On July 19, he returned to U.S. and the following March he pleaded guilty to murdering King. He briefly escaped from prison in 1977 and survived a murder attempt in 1981. All Rights Reserved. So, despite 50 years of evidence fingering James Earl Ray and a consensus about his role among most scholars who study King, some people remain unconvinced. The parents of James Earl Ray are James Gerald Ray,Lucille Ray. Even a 1978 special congressional committee said there was the "likelihood" that Ray did not act alone. On April 4, 1968, Ray stood in the bathtub of the bathroom, balanced his rifle on a window ledge and shot King as the civil rights leader was standing on a balcony outside of his motel room. Three months later to the day, the man in Von Koss' office whose actual name was James Earl Ray fatally shot King on the . That year, Kings son Dexter Scott King visited Ray in prison to draw attention to the familys push to appeal his case. First pu Over the next several years, Ray embarked on a number of small crimes, serving various jail times. With rates currently down to half that in 2018 (18%), these theories seem unlikely to go away any time soon. I Do Understand Racism'. He claimed that, as a fugitive, he had met a blond Cuban named Raoul or Raul. Ray said he worked for Raoul in a gun-running enterprise, and he bought a .30-06 hunting rifle for him in Birmingham, Alabama. Using their logic, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. should be attributed to a Democratic U.S. But among legal and historical scholars, there is a broad consensus that James Earl Ray, though he may not have acted alone, is the gunman who shot Martin Luther King. King vs. Loyd Jowers and conspirators unknown. Bettmann/Getty ImagesJames Earl Ray on July 19, 1968, shortly after he was arrested for killing MLK. They quickly found the rifle with Rays fingerprints on it. Ray began claiming that a man he had met in Montreal back in 1967, who used the alias "Raul," had been involved in the assassination. Kershaw convinced Ray to submit to a polygraph test as part of an interview with Playboy. James Earl Ray, fdd 10 mars 1928 i Alton, Illinois, dd 23 april 1998 p Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary nra Petros, Tennessee, var en amerikansk brottsling dmd fr mordet p Martin Luther King den 4 april 1968 i Memphis, ett dd som gav 99 rs fngelse. 1. In 1949 he left for Los Angeles, where in October of that year police arrested him for robbing a cafe. Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. For all Joe Biden's talk about "semi-fascist" and "un-American," "ultra-MAGA" Republicans, it is the Democratic Party that has far more radically changed. Was James earl ray white? In October 1974, James Earl Ray attempted to recant his confession for the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee. His friends in prison remember Ray flying into a rage whenever King appeared on TV, sneering, Somebodys got to get him. Representative John Lewis, a civil rights activist who later became a U.S. congressman and served 17 terms before his death in 2020, agreed. Indeed, a former agent from the FBIs field office in Atlanta said the bureaus tracking of King was second only to the way they went after Jimmy Hoffa. In 1975, a group of former FBI agents called on Congress to investigate this harrassment. The 12-person jury verdict unanimous exonerated the "patsy" James Earl Ray for any role in the assassination of MLK. What Political Party was James Earl Ray part of? After this, Ray was on the run and was captured in the UK. "I believe you," Dexter responded and shook his hand. Who that James earl ray? A Democratic Senator from West Virginia delivered an extremely incendiary speech on the Senate Floor that was directed specifically at President Lyndon Johnson, also a Democrat. James Earl Ray Martin Luther King Assassin--- === April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King was killed by a single rifle bullet on , while standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.Shortly after the shot was fired, witnesses saw a man believed to be James Earl Ray fleeing from a rooming house across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Anyone who remembers the looks on their faces, their resolve and their anger would have to concede that it would have required nothing short of cold hard facts. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. He at first fled to Canada but, unable to get on a ship and flee overseas, he returned to the U.S. and made his way to first Alabama, then Mexico, and later Los Angeles. Ray's first conviction for criminal activity, a burglary in California, came in 1949. In March 1960 Ray started a 20-year sentence for the crimes. Ray, was found by bloodhounds about eightmiles away from the prison shortly after the escape attempt. And he asserted that he did not "personally shoot Dr. King," but may have been "partially responsible without knowing it," hinting at a conspiracy. In 1955, he was convicted of mail fraud after stealing money orders in Hannibal, Missouri. [19], Ray was soon on the road again and drove his Mustang to Birmingham, Alabama. Art Hanes Jr. thinks about the James Earl Ray case every day. James Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vader What political part was Hitler part of? James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 - April 23, 1998) was an American criminal who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to 99 years of imprisonment. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to . At one point, he claimed a person named Raul told him to kill King, but theres no convincing proof of such an idea, according to Sides. YouTube James Earl Ray in 1977. He had Ulster Scots and Irish ancestry and had a Catholic . There, on March 30, 1968, he bought a Remington Model 760 Gamemaster .30-06-caliber rifle and a box of 20 cartridges from the Aeromarine Supply Company. Housed at the Missouri State Penitentiary, Ray managed to escape the facility in 1967. Who Was James Earl Ray? A man named Vincent Harding is credited with writing most of it. Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. v. CBS, Inc. Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. (Pueblo, Colorado), Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, San Francisco. There is abundant evidence of a major high-level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, said Coretta Scott King, Kings widow, in 1999. Ray met Anna Sandhu in 1977. Ray told Huie that he purposefully left the rifle with his fingerprints on it in plain sight at the crime scene because he wanted to become a famous criminal. He said that a Memphis police officer was the one who had actually killed King and that Jowers had stashed the gun. James Earl Ray, a career criminal who had briefly served in the U.S. Army, shot the advocate of non-violent resistance. He drifted around the Midwest, committing more crimes. Most famously, in 1997 a dying Ray told Dexter King, his victims son, that he didnt do it. Among the evidence was a recording of Jowers in which he suggested he was interested in fabricating his story for financial gain. Digital Some have indicated that King vs. Jowers was nothing more than a promotional stunt. A courtroom artist, Sandhu drew Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt. American fantasy and horror author Ray Bradbury is best known for his novels 'Fahrenheit 451,' 'The Illustrated Man' and 'The Martian Chronicles.'. Yet given the way the bureau had treated her and her family, her suspicion of the FBI and its conclusions about her husbands killer came from a very reasonable place, says John McMillian, a history professor at Georgia State University. finds no conspiracy in King assassination", "Third Inquiry Affirms Others: Ray Alone Was King's Killer", "Autopsy confirms Ray died of liver failure". Over the decades, the story twisted and turned. Though intelligent, he was quick to anger. At the time, it was said to be the FBI's most expensive and biggest investigation in its history. Indeed, Ray seemed to struggle from the start. The bureau wiretapped his phone and monitored his movements, taking advantage of times when he seemed particularly upset or depressed. An hour later, he was declared dead. He insisted that a man he'd met in Canada, who went by the name of Raoul, had orchestrated the murder and ultimately shot King. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to 99 years of imprisonment. Ray had been treated for liver disease over the years and according to the Tennessee Department of Correction, he died from that and kidney failure. James Earl Ray was the assassin of American Baptist minister and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr . The UK quickly extradited Ray to Tennessee, where he was charged with King's murder. James Earl Ray was raised as a catholic and had conservative religious beliefs from his childhood. Most of the public . Martin Luther King Jr. was a scholar and minister who led the civil rights movement. James Earl Ray died, in prison, on April 23, 1998. You can unsubscribe at any time. James Earl Jones is the American actor who voiced Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' franchise. 6:03 AM. He maintained that he was innocent of killing MLK until his own death in 1998. Ray was sentenced to a 99 year sentence, with another year added after his escape in 1977. [18] He bought a map of the city. Authorities say that when King stood on the balcony of the Lorraine around 6 p.m., Ray spotted him from a window at his boarding house, aimed a Remington .30-06 hunting rifle toward King, and fired a shot. He briefly escaped from prison in 1977 and survived a murder attempt in 1981. And what actually happened on that terrible day in Memphis? By 1969, James Earl Jones was no stranger to either the movie or TV screens. James Earl Jones thinks he knows makes the tea party tick: racism. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Personal life 3.1 Legal issues In the years following Ray's arrest, questions arose about his exact involvement in King's murder. [10], While in Mexico, Ray, using the alias Eric Starvo Galt, attempted to establish himself as a pornographic film director. He confessed to the crime on March 10, 1969, his 41st birthday,[34] and after pleading guilty he was sentenced to 99 years in prison.[35]. Some believe the facts are just as history . The House Assassinations Committee examining evidence in the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images). Ray struggled to adapt to military life and was eventually discharged for ineptitude and lack of adaptability in 1948. And from years of hopes, hopes that were shattered and crumbled with the steps of that Negro Baptist Church." Since fleeing Memphis, hed gone to Canada, then London, then Portugal, before returning to the U.K. Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesKings horrified associates point to the direction where they think the bullet came from as King lay dying at their feet. He then drove to Mexico, stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto Vallarta on October 19, 1967. Edward, Earl of Wessex is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The verdict in King vs. Jowers found a government conspiracy involving city, state, and federal agents complicit in the murder. [21], After purchasing the rifle and accessories, Ray drove back to Atlanta. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Assassination Conspiracy Trial", "The Execution of Martin Luther King William Pepper (ONE of TWO)", "The Execution of Martin Luther King, William Pepper (TWO of TWO)", "Justice Dept. [49] On June 9, 2000, the United States Department of Justice released a 150-page report rejecting allegations that there was a conspiracy to assassinate King, including the determination of the Memphis civil court jury. [1], In February 1935, Ray's father, known by the nickname Speedy, passed a bad check in Alton, Illinois, and then moved to Ewing, Missouri, where the family changed their name to Raynes to avoid law enforcement. His prints were found all over the hotel room in Memphis where the shots that killed King were thought to have come from, and they covered the murder weapon -a Remington hunting rifle he purchased in Birmingham, AL. All Rights Reserved. He was sentenced to 90 days in prison, but the lockup did little to reform him. Fifty years later, some questions linger about why exactly the civil rights leader was targeted and whether the shooter acted alone. "[45][46][47][48], Prompted by the King family's acceptance of some of the claims of conspiracy, United States Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a new investigation on August 26, 1998. [50], Ray died on April 23, 1998, at the age of 70, at the Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital from complications related to kidney disease and liver failure caused by hepatitis C.[51] His brother, Jerry, told CNN that his brother did not want to be buried or have his final resting place in the United States because of the way the government had framed him for murder. [52], Ten years later, Ray's other brother, John Larry Ray, co-authored a book with Lyndon Barsten, titled Truth At Last: The Untold Story Behind James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[39], Convicted assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. (19281998), Speeches, writings, movements, and protests, Initial convictions and first escape from prison, Martin Luther King Jr. assassination conspiracy theories, Interview with James Earl Ray by John Auble, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, "James Earl Ray, 70, Killer of Dr. King, Dies in Nashville", "The assassin's brother: John Larry Ray marks time in Quincy, still trying to set the record straight", "James Earl Ray: The Man Who Killed Dr. Martin Luther King, chapter 3", "Report of laboratory, FBI headquarters to Memphis, Apr. James Earl White (born July 16, 1964) is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 19, which encompassed Polk, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, and Tyler counties. One week prior to Kings assassination on April 4, 1968 he had gone to Memphis to show support for local sanitation workers. Maybe you would like to learn more about one of these? 1928. In 1961, Russian spy Gordon Lonsdale used a false Canadian passport for his espionage activities in England, as did his associates in the British naval . Eventually, Ray drifted west to Los Angeles. They said he lacked credibility and seemed largely motivated by financial gain. 2. Read an Excerpt. He shot. Less than a year after the assassination, Ray pleaded guilty to the crime. [20] He told the store owners that he was going on a hunting trip with his brother. So, are there are still remaining questions about how everything happened the day of Kings assassination? Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com. James Earl Ray is infamous for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Experts have also studied Rays movements leading up to the assassination, including a mysterious trip to New Orleans that March and a move to Atlanta, the funding and logistics of which raise questions. At the age of 16, Ray left his parents and returned to Alton, where he moved in with his grandmother and landed work in the dye room of the International Shoe Tannery. "I had nothing to do with killing your father," Ray said. James Earl Ray being led to his cell by Shelby County Sheriff William Morris on July 19, 1968. Ray had continued using the Galt alias after his stint in Mexico, but when he made this purchase, he gave his name as Harvey Lowmeyer. Ray risikerede ddsstraf, sfremt han . On April 4, 1967 a year to the day prior to Kings assassination King delivered his Beyond Vietnam speech at Riverside Baptist Church in New York City. He was 70. First, a little background on James Earl Ray's upbringing to set up his path to St. Louis. There was a huge amount of evidence presented in Memphis that didnt see the light of day in a public forum, says Hampton Sides, an expert on this topic and author of Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. But Ray backed away from his confession just days later and insisted on his innocence in the decades that followed. [49], Before his death, Ray was transferred to the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville, a maximum-security prison with hospital facilities. James Earl Ray was an American criminal with a Danish background, convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ray was convicted on March 10, 1969, after entering a guilty plea to forgo a jury trial. Ray was born to a poor family on March 10, 1928, in Alton, Illinois, the son of Lucille and George Ellis Ray. Ray died at Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1998. But within Martin Luther Kings family, there remains a persistent belief that Ray is innocent, and was set up to take the fall. During the four-week trial in Memphis, a 12-person jury heard testimony from over 70 witnesses; but not Jowers, who didnt testify because there were no criminal charges at stake. The King family started to publicly voice the opinion in 1997. Pointing to the FBIs deep hatred of King, they suggest that his assassination was part of a larger conspiracy. Hardcover, 480 pages. He had entered a guilty plea on the advice of his attorney, Percy Foreman, in an effort to avoid the sentence of death by electrocution, which would have been a possible outcome of a jury trial. "Like a Fading Shadow" is Antonio Muoz Molina's dramatization of the hunted assassin James Earl Ray's obscure 10 . Said Byrd: Yesterday, Mr. President, the Nation was given a preview of what may be in store for this city by the outrageous and despicable riot that Martin Luther King helped to bring about in Memphis, Tenn. Peanut farming, talk of politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith were . 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. James Earl Ray (born 1965) is listed at 42036 Queen Anne Ct Northville, Mi 48167and has no known political party affiliation. They were recaptured on June 13. Ray dropped out of school around the age of 12 but had trouble making anything stick. The jury awarded the money to the estate, deciding that Kings assassination had likely beenthe result of a conspiracy that involved Jowers, not Ray, as well as ''others, including governmental agencies.''. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. FBIs infamous Martin Luther King Jr. tapes. James Earl Ray. Evidence does suggest that Ray had little stomach for the integration policies that were sweeping the country. On June 10, 1977, Ray and six other convicts escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. What were James earl rays political views? Bettmann/Getty ImagesJames Earl Ray in 1966, two years before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On April 2, 1968, Ray packed a bag and drove to Memphis. His first prison break happened in 1967, when he escaped the Missouri State Penitentiary on a bread truck before fleeing to Canada. But officials dont believe Jowerss story. James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 - April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive and felon convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. In June 1977 Ray escaped from Brushy Mountain (Tennessee) Prison and remained at large for 54 hours before being recaptured in a massive manhunt. I wholeheartedly applaud the verdict of the jury and I feel that justice has been well served in their deliberations, she said. The Rays struggled to make ends meet, and as a consequence, the family moved several times during the early part of Ray's childhood. Political party politics did not play a direct role in his activities. He pursued a life of crime but seemed to have been a clumsy criminal. A confirmed racist and small-time criminal, James Earl Ray began plotting the assassination of revered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in early 1968. Dexter King went so far as to name Memphis Police Department Officer, Lt. Earl Clark as his fathers assassin. Finally, Americans anguished over the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. had the who. But what about the why?. He broke out of prisons so many times that he earned the nickname the Mole.. Until his last day, James Earl Ray denied the crime, saying that it was part of a larger conspiracy involving contacts from Canada and even insinuating that the U.S. government had a role in it as well. Whats more, investigators determined that a white Mustang spotted leaving the scene was registered to a Mr. Eric Galt and the gun had been purchased by a Mr. Harvey Lowmyer. Description. Ray said he wasnt in the room when King was shot, but he was unable to consistently explain where he had been, or keep other important details in his story straight. James Earl Ray walked through the gates of Brushy Mountain for the first time March 21, 1970, one year into a 99-year sentence and not quite two years since the death of King, gunned down by a . Most remember that he was an avowed racist who did the deed, fled the country, eventually confessed, was sentenced to 99 years, recanted, and spent the rest of his . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Then, Raoul threw it in the Mississippi River. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Apr 4, 2018 On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to . Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was a former California governor who also headed the commission that investigated the JFK assassination. In no uncertain terms, Byrd was calling on Johnson to stop Kings march on D.C. Whats more, Ray claimed that he only pled guilty to the assassination because his lawyer and the FBI had pressed him to do so. A plaque made for a 2002 Martin Luther King Day celebration mistakenly thanked James Earl Ray, King's assassin, instead of actor James Earl Jones. Dedicated to the political vision and legacy of John and Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., . Surprisingly, it is indeed possible that officials recovered the wrong gun at the scene. James Earl Ray's FBI wanted poster featured 1960 booking shots and a list of nine aliases. His sister Marjorie died in a fire as a young child in 1933. He is a former Shelby County, Tennessee Criminal Court judge and a former arbiter of the arbitration-based reality court show Judge Joe Brown . James Earl Ray has 7 siblings in His family: John Larry Ray, Suzan Ray, Melba Ray, Marjorie Ray, Franklin Ray, Jerry Ray . They laid out the evidence before he entered his plea, and he said, OK,' explained G. Robert Blakey, a law professor who previously served as the chief counsel for the House Assassinations Committee. The Rhodesian government expressed its disapproval. Kershaw claimed the prison escape was additional proof that Ray had been involved in a conspiracy that had provided him with the outside assistance he would have needed to break out of prison. Public DomainJames Earl Rays mugshot from 1955.