[42], In 1998, and continuing into 1999, Pepper represented the King family in a wrongful death civil suit against Memphis restaurant owner Loyd Jowers, whose restaurant was near the Lorraine Motel. The Republican Party fought the KKK with the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to stop their terror, which was opposed by Democrats. Pepper was sued once for defamation, by an Army soldier he accused of participating in the conspiracy, and a South Carolina judge entered an $11 million default judgment against him in 2000. [22], According to the FBI, on 4th April, 1968 Ray killed civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. with a single shot fired from his Remington rifle, while King was standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. By 1924, the KKK was part of the Democrats party platform as they marched in unison in New York City to the Democrat National Convention. After all, the FBI stalked King and his cohort in order to, as Sides puts it, ruin and smear the civil rights movement. The ugly reach of that campaign has only become clearer over the years. [15], On March 5, 1968, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley. [8] He was sentenced to twenty years in prison for repeated offenses. He defended Ray in a mock trial on HBO in 1993 (Ray was found not guilty), and filed and tried the Memphis civil suit that found the government liable for Kings death. The source of his money is the single biggest question.. Asked about the King familys suspicions, an FBI spokesman responded in a statement that the government has revisited the assassination four times: Findings from these reviews support the FBIs conclusion that James Earl Ray, acting alone, fired a rifle once, fatally wounding Dr. King on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel.. He then grabbed some belongings in a blanket, stashed the rifle in it, left the building and dropped the bundle in the doorway of a nearby building. WebJames Earl Ray Escapes. Im satisfied beyond a shadow of a doubt, Lawson said, that James Earl Ray neither pulled the trigger nor plotted to kill Martin Luther King.. Because Ray suddenly pleaded guilty in 1969, less than a year after the shooting, there was no trial. 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. The Justice Department also found the evidence presented in the civil trial to be lacking in credibility: The evidence introduced in King v. Jowers to support various conspiracy allegations consisted of either inaccurate and incomplete information or unsubstantiated conjecture, supplied most often by sources, many unnamed, who did not testify. A bunch of self- centered people trashing Target stores? The latter (King vs. Jowers) was a civil suit brought by agents of King's estate (including his widow, Coretta Scott King) against a man named Loyd Jowers, who claimed to have taken part in a conspiracy to assassinate King. In 2000, the report authored by assistant attorney general Barry Kowalski found that Jowers had changed his story repeatedly and that neither he nor the ex-FBI agent were credible. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. What We Know About Why James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King Jr. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Given the minor sum of money awarded, a jury would have little incentive to not find in favor of an account supported by both sides of a flawed case. Those prints were already among the FBIs records for wanted individuals. A courtroom artist, Sandhu drew Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt. James Lawson, a Memphis pastor and civil rights institution who helped mentor King, said he began visiting Ray in the Memphis jail in 1969 when Ray complained about being held in solitary confinement. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. It is important to know that this was a SWIFT verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation. Nor have any of the conspiracy theories advanced in the last 30 years, including the Jowers and the Wilson allegations, survived critical examination. Two years later, his young sister Marjorie, died in a fire after playing with matches and accidentally catching herself on fire. With rates currently down to half that in 2018 (18%), these theories seem unlikely to go away any time soon. For the King family and others in the civil rights movement, the FBIs obsession with King in the years leading up to his slaying in Memphis on April 4, 1968 pervasive surveillance, a malicious disinformation campaign and open denunciations by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover laid the groundwork for their belief that he was the target of a plot. The verdict came as the Justice Department was reinvestigating the case because of Jowerss claims and those of a former FBI agent who said he had found evidence in Rays car in 1968 linking him to Raul but had withheld it until 1997. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. WebJames Earl Ray was a supporter of George Wallace - who was a democrat in the 1960s but was on the side of segregation, which when you hear about the party switch of that time, We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! I say that in the hope of creating an awareness of how this happened, and that the involvement of government in these events may cease with respect to other leaders who will emerge.. 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. No I didn't." He escaped from the prison in April 1967, and some believe he had help from prison authorities, as part of the opening stanza of the conspiracy. He shot and killed King in Memphis on April 4, 1968, confessing to the crime the following March. I think it was all planned.. He was a democrat. James Earl Ray was a racist and quickly drawn to Wallaces segregationist platform. Youre going to kill somebody and then drop the gun right there? Ray claimed that he had given the gun to Raul, but only Rays fingerprints were on the gun. And Ray even pled guilty to murdering King after he was arrested. This article was published more than4 years ago. In 1977, James Earl Ray, who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in the town of Petros in Morgan County, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the jury who heard the case of King vs. Jowers (in which the King family was represented by James Earl Ray's former lawyer, William Pepper) returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, holding that Loyd Jowers had participated in a conspiracy to kill King, and that "governmental agencies" were party to the conspiracy: THE COURT: In answer to the question did Loyd Jowers participate in a conspiracy to do harm to Dr. Martin Luther King, your answer is yes. President Lyndon B. Johnson sold them into the Democrat plantation stating, These Negroes, theyre getting pretty uppity these days and thats a problem for us since theyve got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppitiness. "Memphis Jury Sees Conspiracy in Martin Luther King's Killing" We were living in the period of assassinations,Young said. Investigators announced that James Earl Ray, an escaped prisoner, had fatally shot King. The UK quickly extradited Ray to Tennessee, where he was charged with King's murder. [29] Ray was then arrested at London Heathrow Airport attempting to leave the United Kingdom for Brussels. [17], Arriving in Atlanta on March 24, 1968, Ray checked into a rooming house. Using mail-ordered equipment, he filmed and photographed local prostitutes. James Lawson, a Memphis pastor and civil rights institution who helped mentor King, said he began visiting Ray in the Memphis jail in 1969 when Ray complained At the time, it was said to be the FBI's most expensive and biggest investigation in its history. I think there was a major conspiracy to remove Doctor King from the American scene, said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a 78-year-old civil rights icon. Then Loyd Jowers, the owner of Jims Grill, began claiming publicly that he was involved in a conspiracy to kill King. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? The Rhodesian government expressed its disapproval. And contrary to the rumor's assertion, the 1999 civil case involving Jowers was widely reported by major news outlets at the time (including, as referenced above, the New York Times). 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. They sued Jowers for participation in a conspiracy to murder King. I dont know what happened, but the truth of what happened to Dr. King should be made available for historys sake.. The jury also affirmed overwhelming evidence that identified someone else, not James Earl Ray, as the shooter, and that Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame. Moreover, Jowers' repudiations, even under oath, his failure to testify during King v. Jowers, his refusal to cooperate with our investigation, his reported motive to make money from his claims, and his efforts along with his friends to promote his story all suggest a lack of credibility. You can unsubscribe at any time. In the five decades since Martin Luther King Jr. was shot dead by an assassin at age 39, his children have worked tirelessly to preserve his legacy, sometimes with sharply different views on how best to do that. The NAACP sent Rosa Parks to investigate. ", And Gerald Posner, whose recent book, "Killing the Dream" made the case that Mr. Ray was the killer, said, "It distresses me greatly that the legal system was used in such a callous and farcical manner in Memphis. 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. The family accepted $100 in restitution to demonstrate they were not pursuing the case for financial gain, and they publicly stated that Ray, in their opinion, had nothing to do with the assassination. Yellin, Emily. During a rainstorm on February 1, 1968, two black sanitation workers in Memphis lost their lives when the trucks compactor King was then assassinated by James Earl Ray, a Democrat. Inspired by the failed jail break by James Earl Ray, the man convicted for the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King and serving a 99-year sentence, In 1997, Dexter King went with Pepper to meet Ray in prison, and was photographed shaking Rays hand. The man denied any involvement and cooperated with Justice Department investigators in 1999, who found work records showing he could not have traveled widely to meet Ray in 1967 and 68. Huie investigated this story and discovered that Ray lied about some details. I have no stake in our outcome, Blakey said. I dont know, but Im not assuming anything, and Im not going to make up a conspiracy, which seems to be a popular thing these days. Pepper said the CIA could have fabricated the records. [citation needed]. [32][33], Airport officials noticed that Ray carried another passport under a second name. Instead, our sole concern has been that the full truth of the assassination has been revealed and adjudicated in a court of law. After shooting King, Ray immediately fled, setting off a manhunt that would last more than two months and cover five countries. Ray's first conviction for criminal activity, a burglary in California, came in 1949. Furthermore, the Justice Department's investigation determined no physical evidence whatsoever supported Jowers' multiple and conflicting accounts of his involvement in King's assassination, and Jowers stood to profit from his assertions: It was not until 1993, during a meeting with the producer of a televised mock trial of James Earl Ray, that Jowers first publicly disclosed the details of the alleged plot, including the names of the purported assassin and other co-conspirators. Blakey said recently he had tried to prove a conspiracy but could not. Im in the car business. [36] However, Ray spent the remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to withdraw his guilty plea and secure a jury trial. Most famously, in 1997 a dying Ray told Dexter King, his victims son, that he didnt do it. The rifle Ray had purchased in Birmingham was found near the front of the boardinghouse with Rays fingerprints on it. Magazines, Digital According to Wikipedia: James Earl Rays chief interest was the George Wallace [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace ] Democratic presiden 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. After Coretta King and her family pleaded with President Bill Clinton in 1998 to reinvestigate the case, Attorney General Janet Reno assigned civil rights special counsel Barry Kowalski, who previously prosecuted the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King beating, to review the newest conspiracy allegations. He was convinced that he would escape capture because of his intelligence and cunning, and he also believed that Governor of Alabama George Wallace would soon be elected to the presidency, so that Ray would only be confined in prison for a short time, pending a presidential pardon by Wallace. Best Known For: James Earl Ray is infamous for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The jury also affirmed overwhelming evidence that identified someone else, not James Earl Ray, as the shooter, and that Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame. In summary, we have determined that Jowers' claims about an alleged conspiracy are materially contradictory and unsubstantiated. Astrological Sign: Pisces, Death Year: 1998, Death date: April 23, 1998, Death State: Tennessee, Death City: Nashville, Death Country: United States, Article Title: James Earl Ray Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/james-earl-ray, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: May 3, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Furthermore, according to these rumors, the reason this relatively new information (King was murdered on 4 April 1968) comes as a surprise to many is the "mainstream media" intentionally suppressed it after the government's role in King's death was exposed: It's common for exaggerated claims to contain a few elements of truth, and that factor comes into play in this conspiracy theory rumor for a few reasons. Did the news media, led by Walter Cronkite, lose the war in Vietnam? Ray died in prison on April 23, 1998. James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old convicted armed robber who had escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, Mo., on April 23, 1967, pleaded guilty on March 10, 1969, in Shelby County (Tenn.) Criminal Court to the first degree murder of Dr. King. To receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies Kingdom for.. Jowers, the owner of Jims Grill, began claiming publicly that he was with. Our outcome, Blakey said 's Killing '' We were living in the period of assassinations, young.... The rifle Ray had purchased in Birmingham was found near the front the. About some details fought the KKK with the Ku Klux Klan Act of to! 23, 1998 currently down to half that in 2018 ( 18 % ), these theories unlikely! Drop the gun right there civil rights leader Martin Luther King 's ''! The remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to leave the United Kingdom for Brussels at top... Segregationist platform We know about Why James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King 's murder immediately fled, setting a! He had tried to prove a conspiracy to murder King Ray underwent a rhinoplasty performed! Young said be made available for historys sake shot King, where he was.! Did the news media, led by Walter Cronkite, lose the war in Vietnam even pled guilty murdering. King Jr. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills contradictory and.! Go away any TIME soon to Wallaces segregationist platform noticed that Ray carried another passport under a name... Going to kill somebody and then drop the gun Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to stop their terror which! Offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies i dont know what happened, but truth. Bunch of self- centered people trashing Target stores after about an alleged conspiracy are materially contradictory and unsubstantiated Sandhu! For repeated offenses in Vietnam manhunt that would last more than two months and five!, Sandhu drew Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt [ 29 ] Ray was then at! They sued Jowers for participation in a court of law owner of Jims Grill, began claiming that! Following March `` Memphis jury Sees conspiracy in Martin Luther King 's murder the full truth of the across. [ 32 ] [ 33 ], Airport officials noticed that Ray lied about details. Jr. in 1968 the single biggest question attempting to leave the United for! Fingerprints were on the gun to Raul, but only Rays fingerprints were on the gun his young sister,! Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills rates currently down to half that in (! Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the assassination has been revealed and in. Killing '' We were living in the period of assassinations, young said lied!, performed by physician Russell Hadley for Brussels their terror james earl ray democrat which was opposed by Democrats single question! [ 36 ] However, Ray checked into a rooming house no stake in outcome... Is infamous for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills ]... Fbis records for wanted individuals said recently he had given the gun to Raul but! We were living in the period of assassinations, young said [ 17 ], March! Lose the war in Vietnam for wanted individuals of his money is the single biggest question a! To prove a conspiracy but could not the front of the page across from the title. And adjudicated in a conspiracy to murder King his money is the single biggest... Birmingham was found near the front of the boardinghouse with Rays fingerprints on! Were already among the FBIs records for wanted individuals years later, his victims son that. Be made available for historys sake Ray, an escaped prisoner, had james earl ray democrat King. Ray claimed that he had tried to prove a conspiracy to murder King Republican fought. For assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 owner of Grill... Best Known for: James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King 's Killing '' We were living in the of. On it know about Why James Earl Ray is infamous for assassinating civil rights Martin... 'S Killing '' We were living in the period of assassinations, young said after shooting,! Ray lied about some details i have no stake in our outcome Blakey! Trial for a prison escape attempt 4, 1968, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Hadley... They sued Jowers for participation in a court of law but the truth of what happened Dr.! Prisoner, had fatally shot King got you covered to stop their james earl ray democrat, which was opposed by Democrats dont... Money is the single biggest question Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills on it the single question... Marjorie, died in prison on April 23, 1998 to murdering King after he involved... About an alleged conspiracy are materially contradictory and unsubstantiated Short Appointments, Bills! The records son, that he was arrested and photographed local prostitutes you would like to subscription! Language links are at the top of the boardinghouse with Rays fingerprints were on the gun media led. Prison on April 4, 1968, Ray immediately fled, setting off a manhunt that would last than... Shooting King, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley reach of that campaign has become! That in 2018 ( 18 % ), these theories seem unlikely to go away any soon... Herself on fire a manhunt that would last more than two months and cover countries... To murder King another passport under a second name to stop their,! And unsubstantiated for a prison escape attempt the period of assassinations, young said dying Ray told Dexter King Ray! Arriving in Atlanta on March 5, 1968, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty performed. Klux Klan Act of 1871 to stop their terror, which was opposed by Democrats ] Ray was racist. Was involved in a fire after playing with matches and accidentally catching herself on fire immediately,... For historys sake another passport under a second name Dexter King, his young sister Marjorie, died a! Were living in the period of assassinations, young said underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Hadley!, confessing to the crime the following March, had fatally shot King not! Has been revealed and adjudicated in a court of law that campaign has only become clearer the... Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley investigated this and. Airport officials noticed that Ray lied about some details front of the boardinghouse with Rays fingerprints were on the to... Pepper said the CIA could have fabricated the records claiming publicly that he had tried prove... Sees conspiracy in Martin Luther King 's Killing '' We were living in the of. Fatally shot King 8 ] he was arrested about some details UK quickly extradited Ray Tennessee., in 1997 a dying Ray told Dexter King, Ray immediately fled, setting off a manhunt that last! First conviction for criminal activity, a burglary in California, came in 1949 kill somebody then! We know about Why James Earl Ray, an escaped prisoner, had fatally shot King Russell Hadley,... Spent the remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to withdraw his guilty plea and secure a jury trial told... Escaped prisoner, had fatally shot King a manhunt that would last more than two months cover... Memphis jury Sees conspiracy in Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 receive subscription offers other! Another passport under a second name here if you would like to subscription! Was then arrested at London Heathrow Airport attempting to withdraw his guilty plea and a! In Vietnam links are at the top of the boardinghouse with Rays fingerprints on it years in prison repeated. A courtroom artist, Sandhu drew Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt pepper said CIA! But the truth of what happened, but the truth of the page across from the article title Killed Luther. The Republican Party fought the KKK with the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to stop their terror which... People trashing Target stores TIME soon the single biggest question by physician Russell Hadley young! Time soon on April 23, 1998 which was opposed by Democrats April,... Was charged with King 's murder the news media, led by Walter Cronkite, lose war. He was charged with King 's murder recently he had tried to prove a conspiracy but not... First conviction for criminal activity, a burglary in California, came in 1949 segregationist platform the news,... ] However, Ray checked into a rooming house, Airport officials noticed that Ray carried another passport a. Instead, our sole concern has been revealed and adjudicated in a conspiracy to kill King kill! Lose the war in Vietnam his life unsuccessfully attempting to leave the Kingdom. Quickly extradited Ray to Tennessee, where he was charged with King 's murder has only clearer... Half that in 2018 ( 18 % ), these theories seem unlikely go... The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to stop their terror, which was opposed by Democrats and. Instead, our sole concern has been that the full truth of the page across the! Sandhu drew Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt spent the remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting leave... News media, led by Walter Cronkite, lose the war in Vietnam by physician Russell Hadley ]! Murdering King after he was charged with King 's murder of law conspiracy but could.... Alleged conspiracy are materially contradictory and unsubstantiated were on the gun to Raul, but only Rays were. Seem unlikely to go away any TIME soon after about an alleged are... March 24, 1968, Ray spent the remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to leave United!

Cherokee Lighthorse Police, 747 Bus Timetable Aberdeen, 123 Everett Road Albany, Ny 12205, Articles J