James Earl Ray

Lore & Background

He was the oldest of nine children and left school at age 12. He served in the U.S. Before the King assassination, Ray had a criminal record including burglary, armed robbery, and mail fraud, and he escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary on April 23, 1967, by hiding in a bread truck. After his escape, Ray traveled under aliases, including Eric Starvo Galt and Harvey Lowmeyer. He was captured in London after traveling through Canada and Portugal. Ray pleaded guilty in 1969 to avoid a possible death sentence and was sentenced to 99 years.

Reader's Guide

James Earl Ray's conviction for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. remains a subject of controversy and dispute. Although Ray pleaded guilty in 1969, he later made numerous unsuccessful attempts to withdraw his plea and be tried by a jury. In 1994, restaurant owner Loyd Jowers claimed he was part of a conspiracy to assassinate King and that Ray was a scapegoat. A 1999 Memphis civil trial jury unanimously concluded that Jowers was liable, that King was the victim of a conspiracy, and that various U.S. governmental agencies had conspired to murder King and frame Ray. The King family has consistently stated they believe Ray was innocent, pointing to Memphis Police Department Lieutenant Earl Clark as the true murderer, though the U.S. Ray's political alignment with segregationist views and his support for George Wallace's campaign contextualize his actions, but the unresolved questions about a broader conspiracy continue to shape historical debate. His legacy is thus tied both to the assassination itself and to enduring doubts about the official account.

Did You Know?

• Ray escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary on April 23, 1967, by hiding in a truck transporting bread from the prison bakery.
• After the assassination, Ray fled to London, where he was captured; he had planned to live in exile in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
• In a 1999 Memphis civil trial, a jury unanimously concluded that Loyd Jowers was liable for the assassination and that King was the victim of a conspiracy involving U.S. governmental agencies.