Al Jardine
American musician
American criminal, convicted for the murder of civil rights activist and Nobel peace prize laureate Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968
James Earl Ray was an American fugitive convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. After the assassination, he fled to London but was eventually captured and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Years later, a restaurant owner claimed that Ray was a scapegoat and that there was a conspiracy to kill King, which a civil jury later agreed with.
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About the James Earl Ray
James Earl Raywas an American fugitive who was convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After the assassination, Ray fled to London, England and was captured in the United Kingdom. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty plea–thus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentence–and was sentenced to 99 years of imprisonment.
In 1993, Loyd Jowers, the owner of a restaurant, publicly began claiming that he had been part of a conspiracy to assassinate King and that Ray was a scapegoat. In a Memphis civil trial in 1999, a jury unanimously concluded that Jowers was liable for the assassination, that King was the victim of a conspiracy, and that various United States governmental agencies had conspired to murder King and frame Ray for the assassination. The King family has consistently said that they believe Ray was innocent, though this conclusion was disputed by the United States Department of Justice in 2000. The King family has stated that they believe the true murderer was a Memphis Police Department officer, Lieutenant Earl Clark, despite physical evidence, including fingerprints on the rifle which fired the shot that killed King, would link Ray to the assassination.
Frequently Asked Questions
James Earl Ray was an American fugitive who was convicted of assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
After the assassination, James Earl Ray fled to London, England, but was eventually captured and convicted in 1969, receiving a 99-year prison sentence.
In 1993, Loyd Jowers, the owner of a restaurant, claimed that he had been part of a conspiracy to assassinate King and that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat.
The King family has consistently said that they believe James Earl Ray was innocent and that the true murderer was a Memphis Police Department officer, Lieutenant Earl Clark.
In a 1999 Memphis civil trial, a jury unanimously concluded that Loyd Jowers was liable for the assassination, that King was the victim of a conspiracy, and that various United States governmental agencies had conspired to murder King and frame James Earl Ray for the assassination.
The United States Department of Justice disputed the conclusion that James Earl Ray was innocent, despite the King family’s belief that he was not the true murderer.