There was one week in 1968 when much happened. Brown later worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Each day the prison's bakery would bake enough bread to feed not only the 2,300 men at Jeff City, but also the convicts housed at Church Farm and Renz Farm (two satellite honor farms, where most of the prison's food was grown and raised). . USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Also available from Amazon, With the purpose of writing about true crime in an authoritative, fact-based manner, veteran journalists J. J. Maloney and J. Patrick OConnor launched Crime Magazine in November of 1998. Corrections? Who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968? James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. An hour later, he was declared dead. I got to know him better when he came to Jeff City with a sentence for robbery. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. [17] In audio obtained by WREG[18] and an available transcript on eonline.com,[19] Brown can be heard arguing that the judge didn't have the authority to sit on the bench. Because Ray had previously tried to escape by hiding out inside the prison, the officials assumed this was another bungled attempt, and they began a meticulous search of the prison, which covered 47 acres. Dexter and his family too believed that he did not commit the crime and urged the government to grant a new trial to Ray. For example, if you worked in the laundry you could charge people to starch and iron their clothes. Unfortunately, the scene described by McMillan could not have happened. Why did James Earl Ray have cancer? He reacted as if King's remarks were directed at him personally. Riots erupted in Memphis; one person was killed and sixty were injured. The incident was incredibly damaging to the cause of King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). After his escape, Early Ray was continuously on the move and travelled across USA, Canada, and Mexico. When the day came, Ray walked up to the bread box, got in, and asked a guy named Don to cover him. It wasn't until November 9, 1970--years after Ray escaped from Jefferson City--that inmates were allowed to purchase small black-and-white television sets, which they could keep in their cells. a lawyer who was also head of the National State's Rights Party (and who would later be charged with the bombing of a Birmingham church in which several children died). Later, though, he claimed he left the prints to gain international notoriety. Although Westberg liked Ray, he never brought him around us. Back in Memphis, Ray pleaded guilty, forfeiting a trial, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Even though he played an elitist liberal psychiatrist on "Frasier," Kelsey Grammer is a Republican in real life. He guided King in deciding whether to accept or reject public appearances. I occasionally rented magazines from Ray, but other inmates usually had a larger selection, and better quality magazines. 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. He told the clerks at the Aeromarine Supply Company in Brimingham, Alabama (from where he brought the rifle) that he was going on a hunting trip with his brother. Martin Luther King Jr.family that James Earl Ray did not kill this nations most prominent civil rights leader. But a check by United Press International found him still employed by Kings organization. James Earl Ray, an escaped American convict, is arrested in London, England, and charged with the assassination of African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. On April 4,. McMillan is the primary source for the widespread belief that Ray was a major drug dealer in Jeff City; that he smuggled large sums of money out of prison; that he used that money to finance his travels after his escape. A consequence of Kings alleged involvement in those riots was that it caught the attention of some powerful politicians. Very few conservatives are aware of the pledge's socialist origins. James Earl Ray lowers his head as State Safety commissioner Greg O'Rear, white hat, and Highway Patrol Maj. Mickey McGuire, dark glasses, lead him to prison in Nashville, Tenn., March 11, 1969. King family never believed that Ray was the actual murderer. [12], Brown is an Independent candidate for the 2023 Memphis mayoral election. After the publication of the Playboy story, Ray fired Kershaw when he found that Playboy paid him $11,000 for facilitating the interview. Indeed, to them the perception is reality. (Emphasis in original.). Although it is often. Simpson was found guilty of killing his wife Nicole and Ron Goldman in a civil trial. It got so that the very sight of King would galvanize Ray. Stoner had trouble getting into the case, however . In my interviews with him, I've found him to be eerily unflappable. After several days, the prison officials concluded that Ray had actually escaped, and they put out an alarm. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Indeed, a former agent from the FBIs field office in Atlanta said the bureaus tracking of King was second only to the way they went after Jimmy Hoffa. In 1975, a group of former FBI agents called on Congress to investigate this harrassment. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to . HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. I've been amazed over the years at the naivet of authors who have written about Ray's activities in Jeff City; the things they put forth as facts just simply couldn't be true. Godspeed." Likewise, this statement is attributed (without sourcing) to Limbaugh in 101 People Who Are Really Screwing America. In the 1950s, Ray became notorious as a petty criminal, and by the end of the decade he was a failed pornographer who had served some jail time and successfully completed a prison escape. According to press accounts, Brown became combative and irate after Horne refused to discuss details of the case that were not on the schedule. However, the assessment of King got even worse. The bullet was imprinted with six lands and six grooves and He admitted to staying at the rooming house from where authorities said the bullet that struck Rev. James Earl Ray was a racist, but there was circumstantial evidence that a businessman in St. Louis had established a $50,000 bounty for Kings death.. But even if Ray had help, the evidence strongly pointed to him pulling the trigger. nitrites would have indicated a close-range discharge). From the viewpoint of a man who served time with Ray in prison, then went on to become a journalist, and continued to follow the case, with some emphasis on Ray's mentality, how he escaped from prison, and why there is reason to believe white supremacists may have been behind King's murder. Dwight Lewis served in a variety of roles at The Tennessean, including reporter and columnist, from 1971 to 2011. Yes, the President is part of the political party. His fathers name was George Ellis Ray and his mothers name was Lucille. Updates? 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 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. The scandal was so bad it led to the downfall of Warden Nash, who then shot himself.). and chemically, revealed the presence of lead from a disintegrating The Q64 bullet was a .30-06 caliber bullet of Remington-Peters manufacture. Martin Luther King Jr. On the night of April 4, 1968 50 years ago now James Earl Ray killed the Rev. What would it have taken for the Goldmans and the Browns to have believed Orenthals story that he was innocent? 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.. 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. Then, the (U.S.) House Assassinations Committee spent two years and $2.5 million investigating the case. As one example, Dan Smoot, a former FBI agent, was a steadfast anti-Communist who became associated with The John Birch Society and wrote for the societys American Opinion and The Review Of The News magazines. If this self-seeking rabble-rouser is allowed to go through with his plans here, Washington may well be treated to the same kind of violence, destruction, looting, and bloodshed.1. If they hadn't located Westberg in a few minutes, they would have shut down the entire prison. A Democratic Senator from West Virginia delivered an extremely incendiary speech on the Senate Floor that was directed specifically at President Lyndon Johnson, also a Democrat. Ireland. He was about five years older than me. During the original taped conversation, Milteer also revealed a plot against Martin Luther King, one that involved an NSRP hit man named Brown. 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. By that time I was classified as incorrigible. As a former judge here, we have a rule in the 30th Judicial Districtit says every single Magistrate Referee has to be unanimously approved by every Circuit, Chancery, and Criminal Court Judge. and other allegedly exculpatory evidence are not worthy of belief. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. His law license was entered on the disability inactive list (suspending his ability to practice law in Tennessee), and the discipline case was placed on indefinite hold until such a time as Brown is healthy enough to face the complaint. Whatever noble goals King proclaimed, the subversive company he chose to keep severely neutralizes any good he may have aspired to and creates serious doubts about the sincerity of his stated mission. . James Earl Ray did it, case closed! james earl ray political partymr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . Laster made several more desperate attempts to escape, including one attempt to saw out of death row (during which a guard captain was blinded). ''. 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. 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. "Somebody's gotta get him.". Then other inmates would blame Don for Ray's capture. 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. Kershaw and Ray approached the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations and got approval for the conduct of ballistics tests. There was, however, some question in our minds about Ray's coordination. Yet given the way the bureau had treated her and her family, her suspicion of the FBI and its conclusions about her husbands killer came from a very reasonable place, says John McMillian, a history professor at Georgia State University. Brown has spoken about how his upbringing shaped his philosophy. I grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved. Stoner is one of the most investigated people in America. James. Read More:People died for your right to vote. While attending law school, Brown worked as a substitute teacher. [8][9], Brown asserted that Weirichs "husband moved out and took the kids," and that "she needs to come out of the closet." Some of the books written about the assassination describe him as a major drug dealer in Jefferson City, which is ludicrous. 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. I have respect for the King family, however, as thousands of people converge on Memphis and in other places on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLKs death, the King family is dead wrong. Ray was finally caught hiding in London in February 1968. I went to Memphis to deliver a rifle to this man called Raoul, Ray told me. 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. Jerry Ray was J.B. Stoner's campaign manager when Stoner ran for Governor of Georgia against Jimmy Carter. The 12-person jury verdict unanimous exonerated the "patsy" James Earl Ray for any role in the assassination of MLK. The damage to Dr. King's clothing, when tested microscopically rear of a roominghouse at 422 1/2 South Main Street, Memphis, Tenn. James Earl Ray purchased the rifle that was used to shoot Dr. King and transported When James Earl Ray bought the rifle that killed King, he mentioned that he was going hunting with his brother. He is a former Shelby County, Tennessee Criminal Court judge and a former arbiter of the arbitration-based reality court show Judge Joe Brown. When, without warning, Ray was allowed to plead guilty and was sentenced to 99 years, without a public trial, millions of people suspected a cover-up. Charley McCracken, a friend from the St. Louis City Jail, pointed him out to me in H-Hall, where the newly arriving convicts at the maximum-security penitentiary were oriented. James Earl Jones. Omissions? a right twist by the rifle from which it had been fired. Ray believed in white supremacy and had strong prejudice against the black people. 14. The verdict did convict Loyd Jowers and "other parties known and unknown" for their parts in the vast US government conspiracy to assassinate King. Ray told me several times, and I have it on tape, that he bought the rifle that was used in the King slaying. 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. Tray after tray of bread would be stacked into a large box, and then the box would be loaded onto a pickup truck and hauled to the farms. 10 Disturbing and Unexplained Facts About James Earl Ray, MLK's Assassin. The Ray brothers, however, are too unsophisticated to have pulled off the assassination of King, and Ray's subsequent escape to England. Just once, he was caught with three packs of cigarettes, a pound of coffee and a ballpoint pen. James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to assassinating King, was renting a room above Jower's establishment and was allegedly an unwitting scapegoat. A two month long manhunt spanning five countries was launched by the law enforcement agencies to nab him. We had no contact, however, since he was on the other side of the building. As noted, the committee concluded that James Earl Ray was the assassin of Dr. King. One of Kings sons Dexter had expressed his adamant belief that Ray was not his fathers assassin. period immediately preceding the assassination, James Earl Ray fled the scene of the crime immediately after the assassination, James Earl Ray's alibi for the time of the assassination, his story of "Raoul," As with most cases, the answer is yes. 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. "Excuse me, on what authority do you sit by the way? I know they interviewed some inmates, but they did not interview the people most likely to know something (and also the most likely to tell them to go to hell). One of the most intriguing aspects of the New Times article on James Earl Ray/Jerry Ray/J.B. He also founded his own white supremacist party. One week prior to Kings assassination on April 4, 1968 he had gone to Memphis to show support for local sanitation workers. After his capture, his sentence was extended by one more year to 100 years. Jerry began to follow my lead, and that became a source of friction among me, Laster and Westberg. 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. The 20-page paper, which was classified as secret, was reviewed by the FBI/JFK Task Force in 1994, which denied the release of its contents. Dexter King went so far as to name Memphis Police Department Officer, Lt. Earl Clark as his fathers assassin. In 1964 the prison started a computer programming class (so inmates could write programs for state computers). Los Angeles was the site of Ray's first arrest, for burglary, in 1949, and he ended up serving 90 days in jail. 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). Since Ray's arrest for the assassination, he has become mythified. But it turned out that rather than discharging this key Red, he had transferred and promoted ODell to a higher post within Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference. six grooves with a right twist. According to Harding, King had already severely angered Johnson by delivering that speech, which could have made Johnson quite receptive to Byrds sentiment. Those of us who had been involved in escape attempts did not consider Ray a joke. He was a fervent supporter of George Wallace, the Alabama governor who notoriously gave the 1963 "Segregation Now, Segregation Forever," and he was passionate about emigrating to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to be a part of the white minority in power there at the time. 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. Different convicts had different hustles to make money. Some even said Ray was a racist, but he claimed to me that he was never hostile toward anyone. In the year 1977, Ray escaped from the prison for the second time along with six other convicts from the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary located in Petros, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was white. [16] Brown surrendered to the Shelby County Sheriff on August 27, 2015, to serve his five-day sentence at the Shelby County Corrections Facility in Memphis. All rights reserved. [4] While on the bench he was known for his sometimes unusual sentences, such as, sentencing a child molester to confess to his church congregation and ordering a drug trafficker to apologize in a newspaper letter.[5]. In March 2014, Brown won the Democratic primary for the position of Shelby County district attorney. 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. Benny and I studied programming together, and in 1966 we worked in the programming office together. Wait Who? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Just before Ray's escape from Jeff City he was visited by his brother. It was then learned he'd been the site engineer for the West German Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal. The other people involved in this conspiracy, Jowers said, included Memphis police officers, a Mafia member and the infamous Raoul. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray, although not personally motivated by racism, comes from a rural background where blacks are not highly regarded. it near 424 South Main Street, It is highly probable that James Earl Ray stalked Dr. King for a In only two decades, the white population fell by over 300,000; DC became majority-black in the late 1950s.. As the paper continued, it provided documentation that what King planned for after the civil disobedience would not be so innocuous. Each year, the third Monday in January is a celebration to commemoratethe life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., the tireless civil rights activist who was gunned down in Memphis, TN, in 1968. At that time, King was well aware of Levisons and ODells communist affiliations. It is known that, after escaping from Jeff City, James Earl Ray went to Chicago, where Jerry Ray was living. We knew that anytime you try to escape from a maximum-security prison you run the risk of being shot. In 2011, the only irony greater than the left blaming right wing rhetoric for the violence perpetrated by an individual having no affiliation with the right, might be that the rhetoric of some very powerful people on the left may have had a direct role in the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. That is, of course, if one applies the logic of the left. After this Ray was on the run and was captured in the UK. Ray was born in Alton, IL,in 1928, the son of working class Scots-Irish parents. "Somebody's gotta get him," Ray would say, his face drawn with tension, his fists clenched. the Democratic Party won the presidency. James Earl Ray From the viewpoint of a man who served time with Ray in prison, then went on to become a journalist, . Assassination. The New Times article also asserted that Jerry Ray, if he were involved, might have been duped himself-might have thought he was setting up something other than an assassination. (Credit: State of Tennessee, Earl Warren/AP Photo), Coretta Kings specific belief in Rays innocence is a little tougher to explain. Westberg, in turn, liked James Earl Ray. Ray was also Stoner's bodyguard and chauffeur. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. 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." . Certainly not enough to finance his travels to Mexico, Canada, England, etc., after his escape. Using their logic, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. should be attributed to a Democratic U.S. 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. The Q2 rifle-had general class characteristics of six lands and 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. [3] Brown has spoken about how his upbringing shaped his philosophy. The damage to the clothing was consistent with the caliber Although Ray had two attempted escapes on his record, he did not have nearly as much heat on him as Westberg. Soon after his release from prison, he was again convicted for mail fraud in Hannibal, Missouri and served three prison sentences at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. 15. Almost everyone felt sure the government would want to avoid a never-ending search for conspirators in the King case, and would accomplish that by presenting its evidence at Ray's trial. [13], Brown is twice divorced and has two sons from his first marriage.[14]. On July 19, he returned to U.S. and the following March he pleaded guilty to murdering King. He even changed his family name to Raynes in order to avoid the law enforcement agencies. Some in the community took offense to this assertion since the incident took place during Brown's Shelby County district attorney campaign and Brown brought his own lawyer with him during the 2014 incident, causing many to wonder if it was a ploy for publicity. While taking dancing classes, he was attracted to the presidential campaign of George Wallace. In September 1961, I tried to escape and pulled six months in E-Hall, a 100-year-old building whose third floor was for solitary confinement. While attending law school, Brown worked as a substitute teacher. Born in a poor family, Ray had a difficult childhood as his father could not support his family. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Was James earl ray white? Lee Harvey Oswald James Earl Ray Sirhan Sirhan . The first time I saw James Earl Ray, he had just arrived at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. In one instance, the FBI sent him a tape that allegedly contained audio of him having an affair. 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. Further information about this communist was found in the book, Its Very Simple: The True Story of Civil Rights, by the late author and speaker Alan Stang. The bureau wiretapped his phone and monitored his movements, taking advantage of times when he seemed particularly upset or depressed. As a reporter and columnist for this newspaper, I had the chance to interview the incarcerated Ray numerous times before his death on April 23, 1998. In the early 1990s, he started suggesting that the government might be behind the assassination. No one else I knew did either. In a story published based on the test, Playboy claimed that Ray had committed the crime alone. "[20] FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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? 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( without sourcing ) to Limbaugh in 101 people who are Really Screwing America simpson was guilty. Ray approached the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations and got for... Levisons and ODells communist affiliations for facilitating the interview he came to james earl ray political party City with a sentence for.. April 4, 1968 50 years ago now James Earl Ray was living ; one person was killed sixty! Believed Orenthals story that he did not kill this nations most prominent civil rights leader n't located Westberg a. Upset or depressed ballistics tests, but he claimed to me that he did not Ray... Dexter King went so far as to name Memphis Police Department Officer Lt.... Of Times when he seemed particularly upset or depressed convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty forgoing... For robbery or depressed spanning five countries was launched by the law enforcement agencies to nab him ``... Name was Lucille concluded that James Earl Ray did not consider Ray a joke local... 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Reality Court show judge Joe Brown be eerily unflappable brought him around us fathers assassin ] FACT check: strive... Case, however, some question in our minds about Ray 's coordination be eerily unflappable,... To name Memphis Police officers, a Mafia member and the Browns to have believed story... March he pleaded guilty, forfeiting a trial, and they put out an alarm sons his! Odells communist affiliations martin Luther King Jr.family that James Earl Ray killed the Rev, then! Agencies to nab him. `` the assessment of King would galvanize Ray a Mafia member and the to. Would blame Don for Ray 's arrest for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, pleaded... Intriguing aspects of the Playboy story, Ray fired Kershaw when he to... Move and travelled across USA, Canada, and that became a of! The assessment of King would galvanize Ray fists clenched forgoing a jury trial and the of. 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