James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was a confirmed racist and small-time criminal who plotted and assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Criminal
May 10, 1929
Taurus
April 23, 1998
68
Alton, Illinois
James Earl Ray, born on March 10, 1928, in Alton, Illinois, was an American criminal and fugitive notorious for the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. With a history of petty crimes such as robbery, burglary, and mail theft, Ray had served multiple prison sentences before committing the infamous murder. After the assassination, he escaped the United States and was eventually captured in the United Kingdom. Pleading guilty to the murder, Ray received a 99-year prison sentence. He passed away on April 23, 1998, due to liver failure caused by hepatitis C. Notably, Ray was a confirmed racist and small-time criminal who meticulously planned and executed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.