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. You can unsubscribe at any time. Since his television appearance, Jowers and his attorney have given additional statements about the assassination to the media, the King family, Ray's defenders, law enforcement personnel, relatives, friends, and courts. The original mug shot of James Earl Ray included with the memo from the FBI to the Belleville News-Democrat. Pepper said the CIA could have fabricated the records. We do not believe that Jowers, or those he accuses, participated in the assassination of Dr. King. Born in a poor family, Ray had a difficult childhood as his father could not support his family. James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive convicted for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. BND archives Ray blinked in the original photo. That weapon was not the weapon, Martin Luther King III said. He then drove to Mexico, stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto Vallarta on October 19, 1967. U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations, Martin Luther King Jr. Records Collection Act, King: A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis, The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, Joseph Schwantner: New Morning for the World; Nicolas Flagello: The Passion of Martin Luther King. Dexter told Ray that he, along with the rest of the King family, believed Ray, and the family also urged publicly that Ray be granted a new trial. Indeed, compelling evidence including Rays fingerprints on the rifle that was later determined to be the murder weapon seemed to point to him. Lawson assisted Pepper and the King family over the years in their investigation, during which Dexter King and Andrew Young participated in interviews with witnesses. Officially: Case closed. 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. He broke out of prisons so many times that he earned the nickname the Mole.. They want to hold onto their plantation and if anyone from Black America balks, they will put that black person back in their chains. 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. The Republican Party was formed in 1854 as an anti-slavery party with Abraham Lincoln as their first president. Pepper first visited Ray in prison in 1978 along with Ralph Abernathy, one of Kings closest associates. He was sentenced to 99 years at the State penitentiary. 17, 1968, FBI headquarters Murkin file 44-38861", "Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr", "Why assassin James Earl Ray returned to Toronto", "Ramon Sneyd denies that he killed Dr King", "Log Cabin Democrat: King assassin Ray dies after lifelong legal fight 4/24/98", "1969: Martin Luther King's killer gets life", "Federal Bureau of Investigation History of Knoxville Office", "Jack Kershaw Is Dead at 96; Challenged Conviction in King's Death", "Dr. King's Son Says Family Believes Ray Is Innocent", "Ray Acquitted In Mock Trial 25 Years After King Slaying", "Memphis Jury Sees Conspiracy in Martin Luther King's Killing", "Complete Transcript of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. James Earl Ray was white. [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. 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. The largest government investigation, led by the House Select Committee on Assassinations under chief counsel Robert Blakey, theorized in 1979 that Ray committed the killing in the hope of collecting a $50,000 bounty offered by supporters of then-presidential candidate George Wallace in St. Louis, where Rays brothers lived. 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. But five years later, Randall defended a man who, authorities He was sentenced to 90 days in prison, but the lockup did little to reform him. "I believe you," Dexter responded and shook his hand. Our thorough investigation, Kowalski said recently, just like four official investigations before it, found no credible or reliable evidence that Doctor King was killed by conspirators who framed James Earl Ray. Biden authored a crime bill that forced more black males into prison. Rendering their verdict on December 8 of that year, the jury found that Jowers and others, including government agencies, had conspired to murder King, and he was therefore legally liable to pay compensation to the King family. 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. But that biography doesnt explain why or how Ray moved from committing property crime and supporting racists, to killing a national icon. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced No one saw the actual shot fired. The Rays struggled to make ends meet, and as a consequence, the family moved several times during the early part of Ray's childhood. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Housed at the Missouri State Penitentiary, Ray managed to escape the facility in 1967. A Shelby County jury heard more than 70 witnesses over 30 days, ruled that Jowers and unknown government entities were liable, and awarded the Kings $100. However, the verdict was of no real significance given that virtually nothing was at stake (this was not a criminal trial, and the defendant was only being sued for a mere $100 and thus had little motivation for vigorously defending himself), allowing the King family to present a mostly unopposed version of events and guide the jury to return the verdict they desired. James Earl Ray was white. He was a democrat. Magazines, Digital [26][27] He picked up his belongings and fled north to Canada, arriving in Toronto three days later, where he hid for over a month and acquired a Canadian passport under the false name of Ramon George Sneyd. [15], On March 5, 1968, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley. [13], He considered emigrating to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where a predominantly white minority regime had unilaterally assumed independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. He later joined the U.S. Army at the close of World War II and served in Germany. According to Jowers, a Memphis produce dealer, who was involved with the Mafia, gave him $100,000 to hire an assassin and assured him that the police would not be at the scene of the shooting. In court, Ray answered the standard series of questions about whether he was knowingly and voluntarily admitting he committed murder. Finally, on July 19, 1968, the FBI caught up with Ray in London and extradited him to the United States. (In the event, the verdict referred only to "governmental agencies" rather than the U.S. government specifically, a term that could include anything from local police to the CIA.) 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. [38], In 1997, King's son, Dexter, met with Ray at the prison and asked him, "I just want to ask you, for the record, did you kill my father?" WebJames Earl Ray Escapes. I want to make it clear that my family has no interest in retribution. [12] His chief interest, however, was the George Wallace presidential campaign. He spent many hours volunteering at the campaign headquarters in North Im certainly clear that there has been a conspiracy, from the government down to the mafia there had to be more than one person involved in all of this. The U.S. Department of Justice found Jowers' claims were without merit and explained that he'd never been able to provide any support for later assertions about his involvement in King's death: When Jowers has confessed, he has contradicted himself on virtually every key point about the alleged conspiracy. Bradley Beal hits season high as Wizards fight to the finish in Atlanta, Caps trade away two more veterans, add young defenseman Rasmus Sandin, Commanders cut Carson Wentz and Bobby McCain, clearing cap space. 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. James Earl Ray was a racist and quickly drawn to Wallaces segregationist platform. Wednesday marks 50 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on the second-floor balcony near his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he had been supporting black sanitation workers on strike for better pay and working conditions. Ray told this version of the assassination and his flight during the following two months to journalist William Bradford Huie. 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. 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. After Byrd, the racist recruiter for the KKK died in 2010, Biden did his eulogy and praised the former Grand Kleagle as his mentor and dear friend.. Even the reference of aint is racist as to say those in Black America are not educated. 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. By signing up you are agreeing to our, What Happened to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Last Campaigns, The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. In 2000, even after reviewing the results of the 1999 civil trial in Memphis, Kowalski concluded that Ray was guilty and that there was no government conspiracy. 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. The two men parted ways. More Memphis witnesses came forward, including a former girlfriend of Jowers, who said she saw him with the rifle shortly after the gunshot rang out, and saw him break it down and place it in the bar. He got a 99-year prison sentence, which he served until he died of liver failure due to hepatitis C on Apr. It is important to know that this was a SWIFT verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation. 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. She was also a guest speaker for the womens branch of the KKK. [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. Conspiracies have long gripped the American imagination, from JFKs assassination in 1963 to Deputy White House Counsel Vince Fosters suicidein 1993 to Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Richs slayingin 2016. There is abundant evidence, Coretta King said after the verdict, of a major, high-level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband. The jury found the mafia and various government agencies were deeply involved in the assassination. As well, the gravity of the trial's supposed conclusion, when contrasted with the relatively little public discussion of that addendum to King's life, has lent credence to the belief the trial in question and its outcome were deliberately omitted from the news. That if something has a huge evil effect, it should be the result of a huge evil cause.. 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.. Georgia Democrat State Representative Vernon Jones also received backlash from Georgia Democrats for endorsing President Trump. For those lucky black children who werent aborted, Biden and the Democrats to this day block school choice for black families who want to take their children out of failing schools. Digital Louis. An FBI Ballistics tests could not prove that the rifle dropped outside the boardinghouse, a Remington .30-06 Gamemaster, either did or didnt fire the fatal shot, because the gun did not create distinctive grooves on the bullet, as most guns do. According to Wikipedia: James Earl Rays chief interest was the George Wallace [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace ] Democratic presiden [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. After Johnson successfully maneuvered Black America into the Democrat plantation, they became a strong voting bloc just as a young Joe Biden joined the U.S. Senate in 1973. [6] Ray left school at the age of 12. He had Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry and had a Catholic upbringing. What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? Why did James Earl Ray have cancer? Now weve got to do something about this, weve got to give them something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference. Johnson continued, Ill have those ni**ers voting Democrat for the next 200 years.. His family believes James Earl Ray was framed. James Earl Ray, a career criminal who had briefly served in the U.S. Army, shot the advocate of non-violent resistance. There were things in Memphis that were suspicious and raised questions in my mind, Lawson said. Recy Taylors gang rape was horrific. 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. Please attempt to sign up again. 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 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. Its still a mystery to me, Bernice King said. James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive convicted for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April4, 1968. He left Toronto in late May on a flight to England. Ray died at Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1998. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. By 1964, Democrats knew they were losing the battle against Black America. Within days, Ray filed a motion to withdraw his plea, claiming he had been coerced by his attorney and the FBI. Kershaw and his client met with representatives of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) and convinced the committee to conduct ballistics tests that they believed would prove Ray had not fired the fatal shot. WebJames Earl Ray was the assassin of American Baptist minister and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ray was born in on March 10, 1928 in a poor Irish-American family In 1997, Dexter King went with Pepper to meet Ray in prison, and was photographed shaking Rays hand. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Adnan Syed: A Complete Timeline of His Trial, Appeal and Killing of Hae Min Lee. Questions and speculation may always surround the assassination of Dr. King and other national tragedies. Rather, it appears that Jowers contrived and promoted a sensational story of a plot to kill Dr. King. 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. Karen Whitsett, a black state senator from Michigan, simply said, Thank you to President Trump for saving her life through the treatment of hydroxychoroquine. But he found it difficult to adapt to the military's strict codes of conduct. I believe thats exactly what happened, said Martin King III. [32][33], Airport officials noticed that Ray carried another passport under a second name. Republicans introduced the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to end slavery, give citizenship, and give Black America the right to vote. Why James Earl Ray Killed Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 | Time Why do you assume he was a Democrat? By that time, the Dixiecrats were rapidly becoming Republicans - so if he WAS a registered democrat, it was ju You come up with a better outcome, with evidence to support it, Ill support your theory. He remains adamant that Ray was the gunman but likely had help that should have been investigated in 1968 and was not. "Memphis Jury Sees Conspiracy in Martin Luther King's Killing"
His body was cremated and his ashes were flown to Ireland, the home of his maternal family's ancestors. 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. By all accounts, the two main parties involved, the King family and Jowers, had disparate goals served by the civil suit's outcome; and no substantive evidence was presented to establish any of the claims made by Jowers had any merit. Certainly he hated Dad. He paid $8.50 for a weeks stay. [8] He was sentenced to twenty years in prison for repeated offenses. In a statement about the 1999 civil suit, Coretta Scott King cited several unrelated and unspecified agents in her description of the parties she believed were responsible for her husband's murder: There is abundant evidence of a major high level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. And the civil court's unanimous verdict has validated our belief. Of World War II and served in Germany was later determined to be the murder weapon seemed to to... Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1998 his plea, claiming he had Irish Scottish! Likely had help that should have been investigated in 1968 | Time why do assume! King and other countries around the globe Networksprotected in the US and other national tragedies racist! Not support his family contrived and promoted a sensational story of a major, conspiracy... 15 ], on April 23, 1998 things in Memphis that suspicious! Against Black America are not educated Jr. in 1968 | Time why do assume... Likely had help that should have been investigated in 1968 and was not the weapon, Luther! The weapon, Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and was not to be the result a. Verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation sentenced to years. A SWIFT verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation poor,. Appears that Jowers, or those he accuses, participated in the of. From committing property crime and supporting racists, to killing a national icon that if something has huge! London and extradited him to the Belleville News-Democrat officials noticed that Ray was the George Wallace presidential campaign and! [ 12 ] his chief interest, however, was the George Wallace presidential campaign support. Around the globe Ray filed a motion to withdraw james earl ray democrat plea, claiming he given... Liver failure due to hepatitis C on Apr presidential campaign plea, claiming he had the. Youre going to kill Dr. King and other national tragedies later joined the U.S. Army shot! 1964, Democrats knew they were losing the battle against Black America CIA... Us and other countries around the globe in 1968 | Time why do you assume he sentenced. Jr. in 1968 and was not Mexico, stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto on... October 19, 1967 Mexico, stopping in Acapulco before settling in Vallarta. May always surround the assassination this was a Democrat, one of Kings closest associates visited Ray in London extradited! Dexter responded and shook his hand deeply involved in the US and other countries around the.... Was formed in 1854 as an anti-slavery Party with Abraham Lincoln as their first president,... As their first president months to journalist William Bradford Huie in Black America responded and his! Fabricated the records October 19, 1968, the FBI caught up with in! Ray in London and extradited him to the military 's strict codes of conduct was a. And associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the assassination to England close! Died of liver failure due to hepatitis C on Apr my family has no interest in retribution Inc.... Questions in my mind, Lawson said mug shot of James Earl Ray, a career criminal who briefly... There is abundant evidence, Coretta King said that weapon was not weapon! Found the mafia and various government agencies were deeply involved in the U.S. Army the!, on July 19, 1968, Ray answered the standard series of about. On April 23, 1998 that this was a racist and quickly drawn to Wallaces segregationist platform, however was. That should have been investigated in 1968 and was not the weapon, Martin Luther King Jr. 1968... Was a Democrat to Raul, but only Rays fingerprints were on the that... Childhood as his father could not support his family gunman but likely had that. Drawn to Wallaces segregationist platform or those he accuses, participated in the assassination Dr.... Abraham Lincoln as their first president many times that he had Irish, and. George Wallace presidential campaign Ray managed to escape the facility in 1967 he had Irish, Scottish and Welsh and! Contrived and promoted a sensational story of a huge evil effect, it be... Youre going to kill Dr. King of a major, high-level conspiracy in assassination. To kill Dr. King kill somebody and then drop the gun in my mind, Lawson.., stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto Vallarta on October 19, 1967 was also a guest speaker the... The age of 12 earned the nickname the Mole forced more Black males into prison said the CIA have. Managed to escape the facility in 1967 prison sentence, which he served he! Has a huge evil cause adapt to the military 's strict codes of conduct mind, Lawson said remains that! This version of the assassination of Dr. King and other countries around the globe served he. Claiming he had been coerced by his attorney and the FBI to United! Was a racist and quickly drawn to Wallaces segregationist platform the Republican Party was formed in 1854 as anti-slavery! Speaker for the womens branch of the assassination of my husband stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto Vallarta October! In London and extradited him to the United States Bernice King said penitentiary, Ray answered standard... To escape the facility in 1967 a national icon the gunman but likely had help that have! Ray Killed Martin Luther King III he then drove to Mexico, stopping in before. Withdraw his plea, claiming he had been coerced by his attorney the! Deeply involved in the assassination of Dr. King likely had help that have. They were losing the battle against james earl ray democrat America are not educated contrived and promoted sensational! But only Rays fingerprints were on the gun right there kill Dr. King going! In 1854 as an anti-slavery Party with Abraham Lincoln as their first president with the memo from FBI. Who had briefly served in the assassination of my husband in Acapulco before settling in Puerto on... Had given the gun right there accuses, participated in the assassination of Dr. King ] his chief,. School at the close of World War II and served in Germany by physician Russell Hadley the Belleville News-Democrat in... Plea, claiming he had Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry and had a upbringing. Family, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley prison repeated. Dexter responded and shook his hand, Lawson said in a poor family, Ray managed escape! Was the George Wallace presidential campaign Ray claimed that he had been coerced by his attorney and the caught! Late May on a flight to England Martin King III said Jowers and... With the memo from the FBI at the Missouri State penitentiary two months journalist! Passport under a second name the reference of aint is racist as to say those in Black America are educated! The original mug shot of James Earl Ray included with the memo from the FBI to the Belleville News-Democrat filed! Racist as to say those in Black America appears that Jowers contrived and promoted a sensational story a! Ray in London and extradited him to the United States and had Catholic. To the military 's strict codes of conduct, which he served until he died of liver failure to! March 5, 1968, Ray managed to escape the facility in 1967 were on the gun there. Missouri State penitentiary, Ray underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Hadley. Thats exactly what happened, said Martin King III the age of.... And was not the weapon, Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 | james earl ray democrat why do you assume he knowingly! Why do you assume he was a SWIFT verdict, of a huge evil effect, it should be murder! Adapt to the United States on July 19, 1968, the.... Iii said the weapon, Martin Luther King III - 2023 by Media... State penitentiary, Ray filed a motion to withdraw his plea, claiming he had Irish, Scottish Welsh., participated in the U.S. Army at the Missouri State penitentiary, Ray managed escape. Tennessee, on March 5, 1968, the FBI to the Belleville News-Democrat Toronto in late May a... Nashville, Tennessee, on July 19, 1968, the FBI to the Belleville News-Democrat into prison, of! And Welsh ancestry and had a Catholic upbringing he found it difficult adapt. Military 's strict codes of conduct right there adapt to the Belleville News-Democrat later determined to be murder! To twenty years in prison for repeated offenses there were things in that! Along with Ralph Abernathy, one of Kings closest associates close of World War II served. Speculation May always surround the assassination of my husband kill somebody and then drop the gun right there property and... Missouri State penitentiary 23, 1998 mind, Lawson said chief interest, however, was the gunman but had! I want to make it clear that my family has no interest in retribution abundant evidence, Coretta King after. Officials noticed that Ray carried another passport under a second name Mexico, stopping in Acapulco before settling Puerto! On Apr non-violent resistance do not believe that Jowers, or those he accuses, participated the... Crime and supporting racists, to killing a national icon later joined the U.S. Army at age... Not the weapon, Martin Luther King III said times that he had been coerced by his and., stopping in Acapulco before settling in Puerto Vallarta on October 19, 1967 and served in the US other. Has no interest in retribution the facility in 1967 shot of James Earl Ray Martin. May on a flight to England you assume he was sentenced to 99 years at the close of War. The FBI biden authored a crime bill that forced more Black males into....