Saturday, March 8, 2008

Did James Earl Ray Kill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?


I have a problem with scenarios in which a single person is accused and held accountable for the assassinations of major political figures. I am sorry, I just don’t believe things are as simple as all that. The deaths of JFK, RFK, Malcolm X, are much more complex than one man could manufacture single-handedly. There is a new book by the brother of James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing Dr. Martin Luther King, which sets out to prove that Ray was not Dr. King's murderer.

“TRUTH AT LAST: The Untold Story Behind James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.” is a book written by John Larry Ray and Lyndon Barsten. In the book the 75-year-old brother of James Earl Ray, claims that there's forensic evidence that proves his brother did not assassinate Dr. King. The book also includes conversations between the brothers where James thinks he was being set up.

"Martin Luther King Jr. was a man admired by millions, but my brother didn't kill him," John told the New York Daily News. "I believe my brother was not only misused by conspirators within our government but also greatly misconstrued as a 'racist' and a 'murderer' by the media."
James Early Ray confessed to shooting Dr. King, but recanted three days later. He died in 1998.

What do you think about a possible "government conspiracy"?

7 comments:

Malcolm said...

A govt. conspiracy is entirely possible. We often hear the words "he didn't act alone" in regards to the murder of major political figures... I am inclined to agree. The timing of the book is probably not an accident (coming almost 40 yrs to the day after MLK's assassination). I am interested to see what the reaction to this book will be.

pjazzypar said...

Hey Malcolm, I did think about the book and how the authors were cashing in on the anniversary of Dr. King's death. I seem to remember some years back that the King family also did not believe that James Earl Ray was the true culprit. You can bet whatever the reaction is to the book, Al Sharpton will be waiting in the bushes to further his agenda.

X. Dell said...

If you have ever seen my blog, then you'd know what I think about the possibility of a conspiracy is.

Whether it was government executed or ordered would be the real question. I'm beginning to think that such assassinations originated more from private industry than it did from government, although rogue government elements would most likely be involved in the cover-up if not the commission of the crime.

pjazzypar said...

x.dell, I have been to your blog and I knew you would see the rationalization in the conspiracy angle. I never thought about these actions being privately motivated, but why the hell not. 40 years ago those thoughts would be far-fetched, but now I am not so sure.

Anonymous said...

Good for people to know.

Anonymous said...

I dated a guy that was a prison guard at Petros Tennessee where James Earl Ray was held and he told me that he had many long conversations with James Earl Ray. He said that James Earl Ray told him he was set up to take the hit for the murder by the mafia. CLK

Anonymous said...

James Earl Ray was a knucklehead, career two-bit criminal and perfect character for a couple of novelists.