James Earl Ray | |
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![]() Mug shot of Ray taken in 1955 | |
Born | |
Died | April 23, 1998 | (aged 70)
Cause of death | Kidney disease and Liver failure caused by Hepatitis C |
Criminal status | Deceased |
Spouse(s) | Anna Sandhu (m. 1978; div. 1993) |
Parent | James Gerald Ray |
Conviction(s) | Murder, prison escape armed robbery, burglary |
Criminal penalty | 99 years imprisonment (one year was added after his re-capture for a total of 100 years) |
James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was the man who was convicted of murdering Martin Luther King, Jr on April 4, 1968. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison.[1] At first he said that he had shot King, but he later said that he did not do it. There are multiple conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination.
He was born in Alton, Illinois. He was convicted of burglary, robbery, theft and forgery during the 1950s.
He escaped from prison in 1967.[2]
He died in Nashville, Tennessee from liver failure caused by hepatitis C.[1]