[23] After his release, he compared himself to notable civil rights activists who spent significant time imprisoned for their activism like Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Stokely Carmichael. James Earl Ray, (born March 10, 1928, Alton, Illinois, U.S.died April 23, 1998, Nashville, Tennessee), American assassin of the African American civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Ray, although not personally motivated by racism, comes from a rural background where blacks are not highly regarded. One day he walked away, and it was rumored he took $5,000 of state money with him. pleaded guilty to the first degree murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The date was November 9, 1963. Over the years, as book after book has been published on the King case, numerous conspiracy theories have been advanced: that the FBI was involved; that the CIA feared King would come out in opposition to the Vietnam War; that rival black leaders felt King's non-violent approach was a hindrance to black progress; that white supremacists wanted him out of the way for obvious reasons. And, although the FBI later claimed to have interviewed every convict in Jefferson City who had served time with Ray, they never tried to interview me, or Davis, or Laster, or Westberg or anyone I knew. Guys told me he would hound you relentlessly if you owed him a quarter, but he wouldn't threaten you with violence. There it was once again: A belief from the Rev. The next section of the FBI paper was subheaded Strong Communist Influence. It pulled no punches in stating: Another complicating factor in the picture is the degree of communist influence on King. Martin Luther King Jr., and there should be no question about that fact. This is why I believe they steered FBI investigators toward convicts who really didn't know anything. Jerry Ray told me in the 1970s he had taken pictures of the countryside around the prison and had sent them into James Earl Ray. If you saw the movie Boyz n the Hood, that was the way I grew up. Benny and I studied programming together, and in 1966 we worked in the programming office together. During the six years that James Earl Ray was an inmate at the Missouri State Penitentiary, he kept primarily to himself and, other than for the fact that he attempted to escape on more than one occasion, he had only one conduct violation during that entire time and that was for the possession of three packages of cigarettes, a ball point pen and one pound of coffeeIn addition, you might be interested to know that prior to the Governor's receiving your Mailgram, I personally discussed the allegations and conclusions in the Time magazine article with the author himself, Mr. George McMillan. Jack Kershaw Is Dead at 96; Challenged Conviction in King's Death. He guided King in deciding whether to accept or reject public appearances. He admitted to staying at the rooming house from where authorities said the bullet that struck Rev. In subsequent disclosures, Ray said that he was not the only person involved in the murder of King. Each year, the third Monday in January is a celebration to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., the tireless civil rights activist who was gunned down in Memphis, TN, in 1968. There were no cellblock TVs in Jefferson City in 1963 and 1964. Stoner's hatred of blacks would not have been offensive to him Ray; he might have viewed it as a little extreme, but he would have admired Stoner for being a rebel and for having a network of trusted associates. Dexter and his family too believed that he did not commit the crime and urged the government to grant a new trial to Ray. Top of Page Stokely Carmichael of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an extremist Black Nationalist organization, has conferred with King. In order to hang onto your drugs, people had to know that you would kill them without hesitation. The 20-page paper, which was classified as. Christopher S. Bond (now U.S. Doesnt the controversy between Galileo and the Catholic Church prove this? Stoner is the following: Over the years, state and federal authorities have come to suspect that Stoner's violent rhetoric cannot be dismissed merely as fascist ravings. This list details the strange, unstable life of James Earl Ray, a man who confessed to and then spent his life denyingthe murder of Martin Luther King Jr. Happy 300th Birthday, Richard Price! When I got out the third time, I worked in the Tag Plant. 1. I grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles. Read More:People died for your right to vote. The jury was clearly convinced by the extensive evidence that was presented during the trial that, in addition to Mr. Jowers, the conspiracy of the Mafia, local, state and federal government agencies, were deeply involved in the assassination of my husband.. 15. There was one week in 1968 when much happened. He was a founder and the long-time chairman of the National States' Rights Party as well as the publisher of its newsletter, The Thunderbolt. Ray was one of a group of five inmates who escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in June 1977, which Kershaw claimed 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 jail. In 1999, James Earl Ray was found innocent of killing Martin Luther King Jr. in the same way O.J. Speech of Senator Robert C. Byrd, Senate Journal, Appendix Two, March 29, 1968. In 1999, James Earl Ray was found innocent of killing Martin Luther King Jr. in the same way O.J. There were always convict clerks assigned to the reception area, and the fingerprints could have been switched--either because Ray had paid someone to do it, or, just as likely, because some convict wanted to help Ray beat the system. Brown, who retains his law license, was reviewing a child support matter as a favor to an acquaintance. That caused the Reverend Emanuel Cleaver, then executive director of the Kansas City Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (and now Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri) to send a request to Missouri Gov. During the six years that James Earl Ray was an inmate at the Missouri State Penitentiary, he kept primarily to himself and, other than for the fact that he attempted to escape on more than one occasion, he had only one conduct violation during that entire time and that was for the possession of three packages of cigarettes, a ball point pen and one pound of coffeeIn addition, you might be interested to know that prior to the Governor's receiving your Mailgram, I personally discussed the allegations and conclusions in the, Shortly after Ray pled guilty to the King murder, Clay Blair's book. The massive publicity surrounding Benny's capture caused Gold Medal Books to contact him and ask him to write 20,000 words of autobiographical data, so they could bring out an "instant" paperback book about him. Later in life his pleas for a trial were encouraged by some civil-rights leaders, notably the King family. Senator) that an investigation be conducted into the allegations. it near 424 South Main Street, It is highly probable that James Earl Ray stalked Dr. King for a It was important for the government to have a lone killer-since blacks across the nation were rioting, and proof of a white conspiracy to kill the black civil-rights leader would have caused a racial explosion. On the night of November 29, 1988, near the impoverished Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City, an explosion at a construction site killed six of the citys firefighters. It is clear why tyrants wish to keep people from learning about Price and reading the powerful words he wrote defending freedom and Is Christianity the enemy of science? Absence of witnesses to corroborate Raoul's existence, Rental of room 5-B at Bessie Brewer's roominghouse, Irreconcilable conflicts of interest of Foreman and Hanes, Foreman's failure to investigate the case, Coercion by Foreman and the Federal Government, Ray's belief a guilty plea would not preclude a new trial, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Its important to note that this verdict was not a criminal conviction, as is sometimes erroneously implied when this case surfaces online. James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. A man named Vincent Harding is credited with writing most of it. In only two decades, the white population fell by over 300,000; DC became majority-black in the late 1950s.. 2023 www.tennessean.com. The prosecutors have enough efficient evidence in establishing guilt against James Earl Ray concerning the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. First, James Earl Ray was in close enough vicinity of the Lorraine Hotel to successfully fire a clear shot to kill Dr. King from only a block away. Of the 2,500 men in the prison, fewer than 20 had ever tried to escape from inside the walls. 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. Ray was born in Alton, IL,in 1928, the son of working class Scots-Irish parents. assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.: The assassin: James Earl Ray, 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). Weirich responded: "Its a sad day that someone that out of touch with reality considers himself a viable candidate for one of the important positions in Shelby County. Because of the 1959 incident, Jerry had so much heat on him that if the guards lost sight of him for even a few minutes, they panicked. This doesnt mean that Ray couldnt have received assistance. Riots erupted in Memphis; one person was killed and sixty were injured. It was a theory she maintained until her death in 2006 that has so far never been proven. Just once, he was caught with three packs of cigarettes, a pound of coffee and a ballpoint pen. Westberg was the first to learn that the bread box wasn't searched. They laid out the evidence before he entered his plea, and he said, OK. He said his lawyers were incompetent, and that proved false. The first year and a half I paid little or no attention to Ray. None. Most of my friends were people I'd known in reform school, or people I'd met through them. For the television series, see, "I left the Demo Pty Plantation long ago I'm an Independent", "Voters verdict: Weirich over TV's Joe Brown", "TV's Judge Joe Brown Arrested In Tennessee", "Former TV Judge Joe Brown Stumbles In Bid To Become Tennessee District Attorney", Judge Joe Brown uncorks a shocker taunting Weirich about her sexuality Memphis Flyer Jackson Baker July 2, 2014, "District Attorney Weirich sails to victory over challenger Joe Brown", "Judge Joe Brown in Jail for Contempt of Court", "Former TV judge Joe Brown can't practice law in Tennessee", "MSCS Chairwoman Michelle McKissack considers mayoral run", "Judge Joe Brown: The rant, the mugshot, the jokes", "TV's Judge Joe Brown jailed by real judge after courtroom argument, court says", "TV judge Joe Brown begins 5-day jail term", "Judge Joe Brown: Hear What He Said That Got Him Arrested", "Judge Joe Brown Begins Jail Sentence for Contempt of Court After 2014 Courtroom Outburst", "Joe Brown loses appeal over juvenile court outburst", "After the Campaign - Memphis Daily News", "Was Judge Joe Brown's Arrest A Publicty Stunt? He was about five years older than me. The King family started to publicly voice the opinion in 1997. Over the years, parties other than Ray have filed additional lawsuits related to the assassination. The first time I saw James Earl Ray, he had just arrived at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. 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. Ray, a white supporter of segregationist George Wallace, was a career criminal whod been convicted at least four separate times for robbing a cafe, a taxi, a post office and a grocery store. In my many discussions with people such as Laster, Westberg and Davis on the subject of escape--and how to avoid capture afterward--no one mentioned that method.). 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection, John McAdams (The John F. Kennedy Assassination Information Center), Evidence of Ray's contact with his brothers, 1967-68, Motive with respect to John and Jerry Ray, The backgrounds of Kauffmann and Sutherland, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. 9 A staff report, An Analysis of James Earl Ray's Trip to New Orleans, December 15-21, 1967, appears in XIII Appendix to the HSCA-MLK hearings (hereinafter referred to as staff report: New Orleans trip). On January 26, 1976, My findings are that there is nothing whatsoever to substantiate any conclusion that James Earl Ray financed either his escape or his activities after his escape through any means while he was an inmate at the Missouri State Penitentiary. James Earl Ray, (born March 10, 1928, Alton, Illinois, U.S.died April 23, 1998, Nashville, Tennessee), American assassin of the African American civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Ray had been a small-time crook, a robber of gas stations and stores, who had served time in prison, once in Illinois and twice in Missouri, and received a suspended sentence in Los Angeles. it from Birmingham, Ala., to Memphis, Tenn., where he rented a room at 422 1/2 South Main Street, and moments after the assassination, he dropped On the first one he'd fallen and stunned himself; on the second he'd hidden in a ceiling. a right twist by the rifle from which it had been fired. Kershaw made Ray to take a polygraph test as part of an interview with Playboy. While he was still in Los Angeles, Ray had the desire to immigrate to Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe) where a white minority regime declared independence from England in the year 1965. . Most recently, after Ray's death in . in the Q2 rifle. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/james-earl-ray-30416.php. Although it is possible to live in the same prison with someone for 10 years and never speak to him, it is still an intimate atmosphere. There were those who joked about Ray, because of the nature of his attempted escapes. Brown later worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. bullet and also revealed the absence of nitrites (the presence of No new evidence has been presented in the King killing since then. Sometime before 4:00 p.m. on April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray parked his white Mustang on South Main Street and, under an assumed name, rented a room in the second floor rooming house directly above the grill. The new trial was never granted. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He filmed local prostitutes during their work hours in pursuit of his cinematographic dream, but he eventually left Puerto Vallarta after being jilted by his girlfriend who, coincidentally, was also one of the prostitutes he filmed. Jimmy Carter, in full James Earl Carter, Jr., (born October 1, 1924, Plains, Georgia, U.S.), 39th president of the United States (1977-81), who served as the country's chief executive during a time of serious problems at home and abroad. Once, while pulling a robbery, the victims refused to give Ray the money, and he fell out of a window and damned near killed himself. Early life [ edit] By that time I was classified as incorrigible. He employed such Communists as Bayard Rustin and Hunter Pitts ODell; and he worked closely with Carl Braden and James Dumbrowski. It's a seductive thought. That is why he could never have been a major drug dealer. 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. A member of the Republican Party, White was first elected in District 12 in 2010, which then included Angelina, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Tyler counties.He left office on August 11, 2022. In 1997, Kings son Dexter met Ray in prison and asked him whether he had killed his father. King said he liked the idea. 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. James Earl Ray was a racist, but there was circumstantial evidence that a businessman in St. Louis had established a $50,000 bounty for King's death." . The US will celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr on Monday, January 18, 2021, remembering all of the tremendous strides the activist-led in promoting civil liberties for all Americans. UN Pushing New Age Spirituality on Schoolchildren, Arizona Poised to Make Pledge of Allegiance Mandatory in Schools. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In that atmosphere, escape became almost impossible. It contained a pair of binoculars, a newspaper with a story about King staying at the Lorraine Motel, and a .30-06 Remington Gamemaster that had fired one shot. The paper stated that King had announced that this action would disrupt the normal course of business and, in fact, close down the nations capital. Weeks before Kennedy was killed an informant quoted an NSRP member saying it would happen, and providing details that coincide with what did happen in Dallas. Ray was finally caught hiding in London in February 1968. In renouncing his guilt, Ray raised the spectre of a conspiracy behind Kings murder but offered scant evidence to support his claim. He was a democrat. In 1977, New Times magazine suggested that Jerry Ray and "Raoul" were one and the same. Long before Ray was captured-before anyone could have known the details of what had happened in Memphis--the U.S. government had committed itself to the lone assassin theory; to such an extent, I was told later by white extremists in the South, that they were surprised by the government's failure to question even such notable racists as J.B. Stoner or leading figures in the Ku Klux Klan. He knew we viewed Ray as a not-too-bright hillbilly. I went to Memphis to deliver a rifle to this man called Raoul, Ray told me. . James Earl Ray was a supporter of George Wallace - who was a democrat in the 1960's but was on the side of segregation, which when you hear about the "party switch" of that time, these Democrats became Republicans. 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