He briefly escaped from prison in 1977 and survived a murder attempt in 1981. [18] He bought a map of the city. On June 8 he was apprehended by London police at Heathrow Airport as he was about to embark for Brussels; the FBI had established him as the prime suspect almost immediately after the assassination. 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. The first time he tried to steal from someone, he left behind his identification. An hour later, he was declared dead. Ray dropped out of school around the age of 12 but had trouble making anything stick. According to the New York Times, his uncle went to prison on the day Ray was born, his father was a known convict, and his great-grandfather was likely Ned Ray, a gambler and Wild West outlaw. On March 28th, riots took place in Memphis and King was present; on March 29th, Democrat Senator Byrd threw down the gauntlet with Democrat president Lyndon Baines Johnson by delivering a fiery speech on the Senate Floor intended to get the president to stop Kings march; Johnson announced on March 31st that he would not seek reelection; a bullet would take the life of King days later on April 4th, one year to the day after delivering what many viewed as an incendiary speech at the time. In 1933, Ray suffered his first real tragedy when his four-year-old sister died after playing with matches and setting herself on fire. AP Photo. Ray risikerede ddsstraf, sfremt han . Labels: James Earl Ray, MAGA, Martin Luther King Jr., Racism, Republican Party, Republicans. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. 4777. [citation needed]. In the book, "The Making of an Assassin: The Life of James Earl Ray," George McMillan details Ray's background; He came to love German politics. In 1997, King told Ray personally that both he and his family believed him. His home life was no better. He was a democrat. James Earl Ray on July 19, 1968, shortly after he was arrested for killing MLK. 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. What We Know About Why James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King Jr. Ray met Anna Sandhu in 1977. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/james-earl-ray. A former theater and television producer, Edward remains active in charity. Ray pleaded guilty to the murder, something he'd spend the rest of his life trying to reverse, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. 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 . The King familys belief in Rays innocence was partly influenced by the strange case of Loyd Jowers, whod owned the restaurant below Rays rented room in Memphis. CAPTION: Ray was apprehended (harnessed and handcuffed) for the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., in 1968 . Over the decades, the story twisted and turned. He pled guilty to shooting King on March 10, 1969, to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. After this, Ray was on the run and was captured in the UK. James Earl Ray tilstod drabet under den efterflgende retssag. [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. Ray hired Jack Kershaw as his new attorney, and Kershaw publicly argued and promoted Ray's claim that he was not responsible for the assassination of King. An hour later, he was declared dead. These claims led Kings estate to sue Jowers in 1999 for a symbolic $100 in a wrongful death civil action. Ray's life outside the Army proved even less stable. There was one week in 1968 when much happened. He shot dead the minister as he was standing on a motel balcony. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! En route to Americas northern border, he would soon escape to Canada on April 6th. And what actually happened on that terrible day in Memphis? In 1935 the family suddenly left Alton and relocated to Ewing, Missouri, after police had started looking for Ray's father on a forgery charge. "I . Most famously, in 1997 a dying Ray told Dexter King, his victims son, that he didnt do it. And, indeed, despite Rays persistent denials of his guilt, his conviction has withstood multiple inquiries. FBIs infamous Martin Luther King Jr. tapes. That doesnt mean there are no questions left. I found gaps in his movements that are mysterious and you just dont know who hes meeting with. Updates? Edward, Earl of Wessex is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. On September 16 th 1963 a young Southern White lawyer in Birmingham Alabama spoke these words after a black church was bombed and the police attacked peaceful protesters: "from anger and despair, from frustration and empathy. He had Ulster Scots and Irish ancestry and had a Catholic . James Earl Ray has 7 siblings in His family: John Larry Ray, Suzan Ray, Melba Ray, Marjorie Ray, Franklin Ray, Jerry Ray . That investigation declassified scores of memos detailing the bureaus abusive behavior, but did not reveal any evidence that the FBI had formally plotted his death. Please try again later. Not long before Ray's death, Dexter King, Dr. King's son, visited the man presumed to be his father's killer. 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. James Earl Ray On the left is the death chart of Karl Harrer founder of the DAP or Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the German Worker's Party. 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. James Earl Ray (1928-1998) Some of us may have heard of Dr. Pepper's efforts, as attorney for the King Family, to defend James Earl Ray (the man wrongly imprisoned for the assassination of Dr. King) as part of an effort to bring the actual killers to justice. There is abundant evidence of a major high level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta King said at a press conference in 1999, according to The King Center. 1928. James Earl. Those who express skepticism at the results of the 1999 trial in which James Earl Ray was found innocent of assassinating King have an incredible hurdle to overcome the belief of the King family, which sides with Ray. Though intelligent, he was quick to anger. But while at the Missouri State Penitentiary, Ray took a fateful step. He was 70. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. In October 1974, James Earl Ray attempted to recant his confession for the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee. 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 . The House Assassinations Committee examining evidence in the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images). [37] A year was added to Ray's previous sentence, increasing it to 10 decades. (Credit: State of Tennessee, Earl Warren/AP Photo), Coretta Kings specific belief in Rays innocence is a little tougher to explain. James Earl Ray On the left is the death chart of Karl Harrer founder of the DAP or Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the German Worker's Party. He considered moving to Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), a country with a predominantly white minority government. Inside The Curious Question Of The Great Emancipator's Race, Meet Shoji Morimoto, The Japanese 'Do-Nothing Guy' Who People Can Rent Out Just For Company, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. YouTube James Earl Ray in 1977. Bettmann/Getty ImagesJames Earl Ray in 1966, two years before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Ray confessed to the crime on March 10, 1969 and received a 99-year prison sentence, which increased to a 100-year sentence after he briefly escaped in 1977. In 1955, he was convicted of mail fraud after stealing money orders in Hannibal, Missouri. A consequence of Kings alleged involvement in those riots was that it caught the attention of some powerful politicians. James Earl Ray is infamous for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. James Earl Jones thinks he knows makes the tea party tick: racism. Ray was arrested at Londons Heathrow Airport on June 8, 1968, a few weeks after the crime. In King vs. Loyd Jowers and conspirators unknown, there were 70 witnesses called; twelve jurors found in favor of the King family, which held a press conference after the verdict. Such a conclusion must be drawn from a premise that the King family was willing to publicly, wrongfully, and unjustifiably vindicate Ray in order to accuse others simply to gain notoriety. Somehow, Ray managed to escape from prison on two different occasions. For 72 hours after his guilty plea, James Earl Ray stayed quiet. Kennedy's political opponents are believed to have received support from wealthy tycoons and the CIA agents in executing his assassination (Hald-Mortensen 75). Ray had seven siblings. When authorities caught him in London, hed been planning to travel to Rhodesia, a former African state ruled by a white minority in present-day Zimbabwe. [7], Ray committed a variety of crimes prior to the murder of King. Four decades later, Sides, an editor-at-large for Outside magazine and the author of the historical books Ghost Soldiers and . 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. Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. On July 19, he returned to U.S. and the following March he pleaded guilty to murdering King. Entire books have been written about the role James Earl Ray played in the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. 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]. Then, Raoul threw it in the Mississippi River. He had Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry and had a Catholic upbringing. Then, discover the true story behind the FBIs infamous Martin Luther King Jr. tapes. An international manhunt led to his capture in June 1968 at Heathrow Airport in London, where he was caught carrying two fake Canadian passports. It didnt take long for investigators to determine a suspect. He pursued a life of crime but seemed to have been a clumsy criminal. He even upheld his claims to the King family. When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, the United States erupted into chaos and countless activists demanded to know who had killed the iconic civil rights leader. The King family started to publicly voice the opinion in 1997. And he began to tell an unsettling story. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom . Hardcover, 480 pages. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. One of Kings sons Dexter had expressed his adamant belief that Ray was not his fathers assassin. Indeed, the House Select Committee on Assassinations later speculated that Ray had killed King in order to collect a $50,000 bounty offered by Wallace supporters in St. Louis who wanted the civil rights leader dead. 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. 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. James Earl Ray. James Earl Ray was raised as a catholic and had conservative religious beliefs from his childhood. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Earl-Ray, James Earl Ray - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.: The assassin: James Earl Ray. 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. Rays unreliability has meant the only way to find out what might have motivated him is to study the people he associated with and admired. James Earl Ray was a racist.. (biography.com) He admitted that he killed Martin Luther King, so he . Simpson was found guilty of killing his wife Nicole and Ron Goldman in a civil trial. James Earl Ray, a career criminal who had briefly served in the U.S. Army, shot the advocate of non-violent resistance. He escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary on April 23, 1967; and in Memphis, Tennessee, nearly a year later, on April 4, 1968, from a window of a neighbouring rooming house, he shot King, who was standing on the balcony of a motel room. Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com. Back in Memphis, Ray pleaded guilty, forfeiting a trial, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Between 1998 and 2000, the Department of Justice investigated Jowers claims and the evidence in the civil trial, and concluded that Jowerss claims werent credible. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. But Ray soon proved to be an inept criminal. Over the next several years, Ray embarked on a number of small crimes, serving various jail times. [2] James Earl Ray was the oldest of nine children,[3] including John Larry Ray,[4] Franklin Ray, Jerry William Ray,[5] Melba Ray, Carol Ray Pepper, Suzan Ray, and Marjorie Ray. 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