James Earl Ray American criminal, murderer Date of Birth: 10.03.1928 Country: USA

Biography of James Earl Ray

James Earl Ray was an American criminal, convicted for the assassination of American activist and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He was born into a poor family in Alton, Illinois. Ray dropped out of school at the age of 15. During World War II, James served in the U.S. Army in the Germany region.

Ray's criminal history began in 1949, when he was convicted of robbery in California. In 1952, he received a two-year sentence for armed robbery of a taxi driver in Illinois, and in 1955, he was charged with mail fraud. Ray received a 20-year prison sentence for armed robbery in Missouri, as a repeat offender. However, he escaped from prison in 1967 by hiding in a bread truck.

Martin Luther King was assassinated by a mysterious sniper on April 4, 1968. Just over two months later, on June 8, 1968, Ray was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport while attempting to leave the United Kingdom with a false Canadian passport. The British authorities soon identified Ray and extradited him to the United States.

On March 10, 1969, James confessed to the crime, although he recanted his statement three days later. He was ultimately sentenced to 99 years in prison, with the possibility of facing the electric chair. Over time, Ray changed his tactics and claimed that he personally did not shoot King, but only played a partial role in his death. He alluded to the existence of a global conspiracy. However, the investigation identified several inconsistencies in his testimony. It became clear that Ray considered himself an incredibly intelligent criminal and believed that he could easily escape justice. He even told journalist William Bradford Huie that he intentionally left a rifle with his fingerprints at the crime scene because he dreamed of fame. James was convinced that after the presidential elections, Governor George Wallace of Alabama would come to power, and his time in prison would be short. His hopes were not fulfilled.

On June 11, 1977, Ray once again made the FBI's most-wanted list after he and six other inmates escaped from prison on June 10. The fugitives were caught and returned to custody on June 13. An additional year was added to Ray's sentence, resulting in a 100-year term.

Afterwards, Ray testified to the House Select Committee on Assassinations, once again asserting that he did not kill King. In 1997, Ray met with Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Dexter, publicly supporting James' quest for a case review. Loyd Jowers, the owner of a restaurant in Memphis, was summoned to court, as it was believed that he was involved in the conspiracy surrounding King's murder. Jowers was found guilty, but the King family received only $100 from him to show that they were not interested in financial gain.

James Ray passed away in prison on April 23, 1998, at the age of 70. The cause of death was attributed to kidney and liver failure caused by hepatitis C. He likely contracted this serious illness through a blood transfusion after being severely injured in prison. Ray's brother, Jerry Ray, told CNN that his brother did not want to be buried in the United States "because of how the government treated him." As a result, Ray's body was cremated, and his ashes were sent to Ireland, the historical homeland of his ancestors.