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Sun 3 Apr, 2011 07:55 am
From Wikipedia:
Born March 10, 1928(1928-03-10)
Alton, Illinois, USA
Died April 23, 1998(1998-04-23) (aged 70)
Nashville, Tennessee
Conviction(s) Murder, prison escape,
armed robbery, burglary
Penalty 99 years imprisonment (one year was added after his re-capture for a total of 100 years)
Status deceased
Spouse Anna Sandhu (divorced)
Parents James Gerald Ray
James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was convicted on March 10, 1969, after entering a guilty plea to forgo a jury trial. If Ray had been found guilty by jury trial he would have been electrocuted. He was sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison. He later recanted his confession and tried unsuccessfully to gain a trial. He died in prison of hepatitis C. - end quote
Martin Luther King's surviving family seems to believe Ray was innocent. However, I have not seen where the evidence could overturn his conviction. Does anybody here have an opinion on this matter?
@edgarblythe,
His middle name was Earl. He had to be guilty.
Why does the King family believe he was innocent?
This is admittedly a cynical opinion, but I tend to think that the positions the King family take have more to do with the continued profit potential of MLK Memories Inc.
Great men and women don't always leave great families behind.
@Finn dAbuzz,
Can't argue with you, finn. The family based their conclusions on a few visits with him. He was apparently fairly persuasive. The Wikipedia article makes his version of events looks silly to me.
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