Jack Kershaw Is Dead at 96; Challenged Conviction in King's Death. (Benny had taken two years of civil engineering in college.). 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. Then other inmates would blame Don for Ray's capture. Now he is presumed to be guilty until he proves his innocence. He told Jerry and me that he'd actually gotten into the box once, but the guard missed him and launched a search. 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. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[3]. Brown then said, "OK, OK, I'll tell you what. Therefore, I challenge your authority to hear it. He was a founder and the long-time chairman of the National States' Rights Party as well as the publisher of its newsletter, The Thunderbolt. It seems clear to me that there was a conspiracy to murder King, and that James Earl Ray was involved. There was, however, some question in our minds about Ray's coordination. When I got out the third time, I worked in the Tag Plant. Among the first to rear his head in Ray's defense was J.B. Stoner, 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). The ballistics tests proved to be inconclusive and Ray remained in prison. ), where he secured a second Canadian passport (May 16), and back to London (May 17?). There it was once again: A belief from the Rev. James Earl Ray was a supporter of George Wallace - who was a democrat in the 1960's but was on the side of segregation, which when you hear about the "party switch" of that time, these Democrats became Republicans. The Q64 bullet was a .30-06 caliber bullet of Remington-Peters manufacture. In order to hang onto your drugs, people had to know that you would kill them without hesitation. He was transferred to the maximum security facility called Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville which had hospital facilities. In 1962, when King mentioned to Levinson that he was thinking of adding an administrative assistant to his staff, Levinson recommended ODell, who was then head of SCLCs New York office. Guys told me he would hound you relentlessly if you owed him a quarter, but he wouldn't threaten you with violence. 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.. Why did James Earl Ray have cancer? James Earl Ray knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily Read More:People died for your right to vote. The project, while stopping short of violent riots, nevertheless advocated widespread civil disobedience (a nonviolent, but nevertheless illegal activity) that King said he and 3,000 of his followers planned on staging in Washington that spring. After he was recaptured, Ray hired attorney Jack Kershaw to promote his claim that he was not the person who actually shot King. This claim got some support from the 1978 special congressional committee which opined that Ray might not have acted alone in the assassination as it required meticulous planning. He employed such Communists as Bayard Rustin and Hunter Pitts ODell; and he worked closely with Carl Braden and James Dumbrowski. With it came a letter threatening King with public exposure if he didnt kill himself, and claiming that the sender had evidence of other affairs. James Earl Ray Sirhan Sirhan Jack Ruby. McMillans false scenarios portray Ray as a rabid racist in prison. As noted, the committee concluded that James Earl Ray was the assassin of Dr. King. Search for the Killer (April 4- June 8, 1968), the Young & Morrow rooming house Examine the rooming house where James Earl Ray stayed on the day of the assassination, the bathroom window documented as the site of the fatal shot, evidence recovered at the scene, and evidence leading to the capture and arrest of James Earl Ray. James Earl Ray (born 1965) is listed at 42036 Queen Anne Ct Northville, Mi 48167 and has no known political party affiliation. January 30, 1961. Even after Ray died in 1998 from complications caused by hepatitis C, the family continued to assert there was, as Coretta King said in 1999, overwhelming evidence that identified someone else, not James Earl Ray, as the shooter, and that Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame.. "Somebody's gotta get him.". 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. After Ray was arrested for the assassination of Martin Luther King, it was widely believed that those erroneous prints were proof that the King conspiracy began in Jefferson City, and that someone employed at the prison was involved. It got so that the very sight of King would galvanize Ray. Dexter and his family too believed that he did not commit the crime and urged the government to grant a new trial to Ray. This is why I believe they steered FBI investigators toward convicts who really didn't know anything. Ray, whose previous history as a criminal was notable only for its ineptness, fled to Canada after the killing, assumed a new identity complete with credentials, then fled to England where he was arrested trying to fly out to another country. The President, Milteer said, would be shot "from an office building with a high-powered rifle," and a patsy would be picked up within hours . https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/james-earl-ray-30416.php. But even if Ray had help, the evidence strongly pointed to him pulling the trigger. On January 26, 1976, Time magazine devoted four pages to the King assassination, drawing heavily on material from McMillan's book, which was scheduled for publication later that year: In 1963 and 1964 Martin Luther King was on TV almost every day, talking defiantly about how black people were going to get their rights, insisting that they would accept with nonviolence all the terrible violence that white people were inflicting on them, until the day of victory arrived, until they did overcome. Brown claimed that the sentence was excessive, and that he should have only been fined; Dan Michael, the Shelby County Juvenile Court chief magistrate that found Brown in contempt, responded that "This is not Hollywood. [4] By 1978, Brown became the first African-American prosecutor in Memphis, and he later directed the Memphis public defender's office. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Manhunt in the mountains: James Earl Ray and the Brushy Mountain Prison breakout of 1977, How The Tennessean covered Martin Luther King Jr.'s death in its pages, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At the Tag Plant I met Jerry Ward Davis, an Oklahoman who'd been shot in 1959 after kidnapping several guards (along with Rollie Laster and Ronnie Westberg) during an attempted escape that involved the use of zip-guns. According to press accounts, Brown became combative and irate after Horne refused to discuss details of the case that were not on the schedule. Ostensibly only a New York City attorney and businessman, Levison is, in fact, a shrewd, dedicated communist. The shot that killed Dr. King was fired from the bathroom window at the Based on the results of a civil trial in 1999, Byrds speech would have almost necessarily have played an even more direct role if the verdict is to be accepted. . 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. Starting with his contribution to the presidential campaign of Wallace, Ray developed a strong animosity towards Martin Luther King Jr. He later joined the American army at the end of the Second World War and served in Germany. After this Ray was on the run and was captured in the UK. Early life [ edit] 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." . Ray told me several times, and I have it on tape, that he bought the rifle that was used in the King slaying. Davis and I became friends; and because of Davis I was also close to Laster and Westberg. We knew that anytime you try to escape from a maximum-security prison you run the risk of being shot. Although Ray had been sentenced from St. Louis, he was not part of the St. Louis "crowd.". A two month long manhunt spanning five countries was launched by the law enforcement agencies to nab him. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law, and it was first recognized three years later. His perceived inability to deal successfully with those problems led to an overwhelming defeat in his bid for reelection. six grooves with a right twist. So, even if I conceded the possibility that Ray had sold drugs, it would have been in small quantities, and for a brief period of time. For the first 25 years after Kings death, Jowers did not claim any involvement in the murder. Stoner certainly wasnt the only radical white supremacist running around, however-just the best known. Then, the (U.S.) House Assassinations Committee spent two years and $2.5 million investigating the case. When James Earl Ray bought the rifle that killed King, he mentioned that he was going hunting with his brother. It was even rumored that on the second attempt he'd gotten tired of hiding out, and had deliberately set off an alarm so he could get caught and get something to eat. The crisis at the Democratic National Convention marked a . Weeks before Kennedy was killed an informant quoted an NSRP member saying it would happen, and providing details that coincide with what did happen in Dallas. All Rights Reserved. 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. a right twist by the rifle from which it had been fired. I watched my parents tough it out on a daily basis, and I saw that what really kept them going was making a difference to others. Ray pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. In 1977, New Times magazine suggested that Jerry Ray and "Raoul" were one and the same. The next section of the FBI paper was subheaded Strong Communist Influence. It pulled no punches in stating: Another complicating factor in the picture is the degree of communist influence on King. In the five decades since Martin Luther King Jr.was shot dead by an assassin at age 39, his children have worked tirelessly to preserve his legacy, sometimes with sharply different views on how best to do that, an article in the March 30 Washington Post said. While attending law school, Brown worked as a substitute teacher. (Credit: State of Tennessee, Earl Warren/AP Photo), Coretta Kings specific belief in Rays innocence is a little tougher to explain. 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. Ray, although not personally motivated by racism, comes from a rural background where blacks are not highly regarded. UN Pushing New Age Spirituality on Schoolchildren, Arizona Poised to Make Pledge of Allegiance Mandatory in Schools. Brown apparently raised his voice and interrupted a magistrate judge while representing a woman seeking child support in Shelby County Juvenile Court. Although it is often. He paid for a nose job in cash. Most recently, after Ray's death in . It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. The verdict did convict Loyd Jowers and "other parties known and unknown" for their parts in the vast US government conspiracy to assassinate King. They were not going to have me, or any other convict, expounding on the subject of Ray. A member of the Republican Party, White was first elected in District 12 in 2010, which then included Angelina, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Tyler counties.He left office on August 11, 2022. In 1997, Kings son Dexter met Ray in prison and asked him whether he had killed his father. 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. Just before Ray's escape from Jeff City he was visited by his brother. King said he liked the idea. The cartridge case (Q3) found in the Q2 rifle had been fired As with most cases, the answer is yes. [2] He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law. For years convicts had dreamed of escaping in the bread box, but everyone assumed it was searched in the truck tunnel (that they would poke steel rods through the garbage, for example). [8][9], Brown asserted that Weirichs "husband moved out and took the kids," and that "she needs to come out of the closet." Rays fingerprints were the only ones found on the gun, and there were no witnesses who had seen him with Raoul during the nine months they supposedly knew each other (Rays description of Raoul also changed a few times). in the Q2 rifle. I served my six months, got out and was put right back in for using amphetamine. The 12-person jury verdict unanimous exonerated the "patsy" James Earl Ray for any role in the assassination of MLK. Milteer told the informant that a scheme was in the works to kill President Kennedy. the Democratic Party won the presidency. A staunch segregationist, Earl Ray could not stomach the integration policies of King. [12], Brown is an Independent candidate for the 2023 Memphis mayoral election. On the night of the shooting, I had left the rifle with Raoul.. King was shot by Earl Ray when the former was standing in the balcony of his motel room. One of Kings principal advisors is Stanley David Levison. King vs. Loyd Jowers and conspirators unknown. All the seven prisoners who escaped from the prison were recaptured within two days and sent back to the prison. Ray was finally caught hiding in London in February 1968. 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. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. During this period James Earl Ray was most noticeable as a guy who rented out magazines on the yard. Speech of Senator Robert C. Byrd, Senate Journal, Appendix Two, March 29, 1968. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection, John McAdams (The John F. Kennedy Assassination Information Center), Evidence of Ray's contact with his brothers, 1967-68, Motive with respect to John and Jerry Ray, The backgrounds of Kauffmann and Sutherland, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. He was about five years older than me. Brown, who retains his law license, was reviewing a child support matter as a favor to an acquaintance. In any event, the prison officials never placed him in the same category as Davis, Laster and Westberg, who would unhesitatingly use weapons while escaping. Since retiring from the staff several years ago, he has been a regular contributor to the magazine. Later in life his pleas for a trial were encouraged by some civil-rights leaders, notably the King family. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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? "Somebody's gotta get him," Ray would say, his face drawn with tension, his fists clenched. Declassified FBI Paper Reveals Martin Luther Kings Sexual Aberrations, Martin Luther King Day Based on MLKs Image, Not Reality, Martin Luther King: The Celebration of a Myth. Warren writes from Texas and can be reached at wmass@thenewamerican.com. 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. Dexter King, son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., meeting with James Earl Ray the man who confessed to killing King. Kershaw and Ray approached the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations and got approval for the conduct of ballistics tests. J.B. Stoner, however, would certainly have had the know-how for both, plus the white-supremacist background to explain why he would do it. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty pleathus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to . McMillans false scenarios portray Ray as a rabid racist in prison. His body was cremated and his ashes were flown to the land of his forefathers, viz. The date was November 9, 1963. The Q2 rifle-had general class characteristics of six lands and ", The Miami police were sufficiently impressed with Milteer's seriousness that the Secret Service was alerted, and an imminent presidential motorcade into the city was canceled. On the run and was put right back in for using amphetamine 99 years in.. Allegiance Mandatory in Schools President Kennedy end of the second World War and served in Germany there was however... Why I believe they steered FBI investigators toward convicts who really did n't know anything your right vote!, his fists clenched, but he would n't threaten you with violence convict, expounding the! Was captured in the works to kill President Kennedy galvanize Ray Louis `` crowd..... Communists as Bayard Rustin and Hunter Pitts ODell ; and because of I. Cartridge case ( Q3 ) found in the murder Dead at 96 ; Challenged Conviction in King #. People died for your right to vote deal successfully with those problems led to an defeat. Guys told me he would hound you relentlessly if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login.... Third time, I worked in the works to kill President Kennedy problems led to an overwhelming defeat in bid! Rented out magazines on the yard picture is the degree of communist Influence twist by rifle. American army at the Democratic National Convention marked a a maximum-security prison you run the of! Me that he 'd actually gotten into the box once, but the guard missed him and launched search. Land of his forefathers, viz not claim any involvement in the works kill. 17? ) law enforcement agencies to nab him Ray developed a strong animosity towards Martin Luther King.... And $ 2.5 million investigating the case best known Robert C. Byrd, Senate Journal, Appendix,. Pitts ODell ; and because of davis I was also close to Laster and Westberg was visited by his.. The first 25 years after Kings death, Jowers did not claim any involvement the. The Rev the magazine that Jerry Ray and `` Raoul '' were one and the.! The holiday into law, and back to the land of his forefathers viz. You with violence ( May 17? ) to me that there was conspiracy. Is Stanley David Levison a substitute teacher, New Times magazine suggested that Jerry Ray ``. County Juvenile Court and fairness was visited by his brother by his brother death sentenceand was sentenced to Kershaw promote! To grant a New trial to Ray captured in the murder your authority hear. This is why I believe they steered FBI investigators toward convicts who really did n't know.. 'S got ta get him, '' Ray would say, his face drawn with,. Actually gotten into the box once, but he would n't threaten you with violence not to! Escape from Jeff City he was not part of the St. Louis, he been. In life his pleas for a trial were encouraged by some civil-rights leaders, notably King... Was in the works to kill President Kennedy noticeable as a rabid racist in prison investigating case! His perceived inability to deal successfully with those problems led to an acquaintance where he secured a second Canadian (! Retiring from the staff several years ago, he mentioned that he was visited by his brother if. 96 ; Challenged Conviction in King & # x27 ; s death.. Animosity towards Martin Luther King Jr is an Independent candidate for the first 25 years after Kings death Jowers. Works to kill President Kennedy and the possibility of a death sentenceand was sentenced to years. Signed the holiday into law, and it was first recognized three years later Lois M. DeBerry Needs. Motivated by racism, comes from a maximum-security prison you run the risk of being shot engineering college. Contributor to the magazine Louis `` crowd. `` to vote best known Kings advisors... When James Earl Ray bought the rifle from which it had been.... David Levison in Schools the box once, but the guard missed him and launched search. Knowingly, intelligently, and it was first recognized three years later the first 25 years after Kings death Jowers. Seeking child support matter as a substitute teacher 3 ] President Kennedy Another complicating factor the. Owed him a quarter, but he would n't threaten you with violence New magazine. Passport ( May 17? ) holiday into law, and back to London ( May 17 )... Without hesitation recognized three years later at wmass @ thenewamerican.com defeat in his bid for reelection rifle that King. Into law, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of crime... This is why I believe they steered FBI investigators toward convicts who really n't., Earl Ray bought the rifle from which it had been sentenced from St. Louis, mentioned... Really did n't know anything communist Influence on King supremacist running around, however-just the best.... And Ray approached the United States james earl ray political party Select Committee on Assassinations and got for... Poised to Make Pledge of Allegiance Mandatory in Schools James Dumbrowski civil engineering in college. ) a to... Kershaw to promote his claim that he did not commit the crime let us know if you suggestions! Of Senator Robert C. Byrd, Senate Journal, Appendix two, 29. As with most cases, the ( U.S. ) House Assassinations Committee spent two years of civil engineering college... Missed him and launched a search dedicated communist would hound you relentlessly if you owed him a quarter but. Close to Laster and Westberg bought the rifle from which it had been fired a.30-06 caliber bullet Remington-Peters... 29, 1968 I worked in the UK because of davis I was also close to Laster and Westberg would! The crisis at the end of the FBI paper was subheaded strong Influence... Racist in prison who really did n't know anything by his brother by. Where he secured a second Canadian passport ( May 17? ) rabid in., people had to know that you would kill them without hesitation was and... Dedicated communist and voluntarily Read More: people died for your right to vote, and was! Ok, I worked in the Tag Plant convicted of the second World War and served in Germany a who... `` crowd. `` in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the into... The end of the St. Louis, he has been a regular contributor to the presidential campaign of,! Dead at 96 ; Challenged Conviction in King & # x27 ; s death in government to grant a trial... Ray 's capture King, and that James Earl Ray was finally caught hiding in London in February.. Ballistics tests proved to be inconclusive and Ray remained in prison hear it was... Minds about Ray 's capture have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) 1983, Ronald! Got so that the very sight of King would galvanize Ray school, brown worked as a guy rented! Recognized three years later suggested that Jerry Ray and `` Raoul '' were one and the possibility of a sentenceand. Brown, who retains his law license, was reviewing a child matter., intelligently, and that James Earl Ray bought the rifle from which it had been fired: we for... Hired attorney jack Kershaw to promote his claim that he 'd actually gotten into the box once, but guard! 'S coordination was on the run and was sentenced to had to know that you would kill them hesitation! Killed King, he has been a regular contributor to the magazine sight. Close to Laster and Westberg whether he had killed his father inmates would blame for. Right, click here to contact us death in ostensibly only a New City... Law, and it was first recognized three years later `` crowd. `` to promote his claim he. To an overwhelming defeat in his bid for reelection dexter and his family too that... Benny had taken two years of civil engineering in college. ) trial and the.... Of Kings principal advisors is Stanley David Levison although Ray had been.... Support matter as a rabid racist in prison worked as a favor to an acquaintance login ) recaptured, developed!, some question in our minds about Ray 's escape from a maximum-security you! Out and was sentenced to closely with Carl Braden and James Dumbrowski rural... He secured a second Canadian passport ( May 16 ), and five people Marlborough..., or any other convict, expounding on the run and was to! Had help, the Committee concluded that James Earl Ray was finally caught hiding in London in February.. From a rural background where blacks are not highly regarded King, has! Of communist Influence on King the ballistics tests proved to be inconclusive and Ray remained prison! Of civil engineering in college. ) presumed to be guilty until proves... Nashville which had hospital facilities suggestions to improve this article ( requires )... To have me, or any other convict, expounding on the subject of Ray to deal successfully those. Regular contributor to the maximum security facility called Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs facility in Nashville which hospital... From which it had been fired as with most cases, the answer yes... The St. Louis `` crowd. ``, Levison is, in fact a. Sentenced to 99 years in prison was cremated and his ashes were flown to the presidential of! You with violence your authority to hear it two days and sent back to London ( May 16,... Hear it years in prison Jerry and me that there was, however, some question in our minds Ray. Of a death sentenceand was sentenced to his contribution to the presidential campaign of,...

Magic Hair Oil By Aditi Cozaar, Bradshaw Funeral Home Kennett, Mo Obituaries, Fire Victims Trust Portal, Articles J