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James Earl Ray
<html> <head> <title>James Earl Ray</title> <meta name="googlebot" content="noodp"> <meta name="robots" content="noodp"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/silly-nndb-icon.png" /><style type="text/css"> <!-- .fotmbar { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none} .fotmbar:hover { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: underline} .newslink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .newslink:hover { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink:hover { color: blue; text-decoration: underline} .b1f, .b2f, .b3f, .b4f {font-size:1px; overflow:hidden; display:block;} .b1f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 5px;} .b2f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 3px;} .b3f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 2px;} .b4f {height:2px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 1px;} .contentf {background: #e6e6e6; padding: 2px; } .contentf div {margin-left: 5px;} --> </style></head> <body bgcolor=#ffffff> <center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td valign=top><table width=550 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td bgcolor=white><table width="100%" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" background="/nndb.gif"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.nndb.com/"><img src="/title.gif" width="260" height="50" border=0 alt="NNDB"></a></td> <td><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6"> <tr align="center"> <td width="25%" nowrap><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a beta version of NNDB</font></b></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" valign="middle"><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <form action="http://search.nndb.com/search/nndb.cgi" method="get"> <input type="hidden" name="nndb" value="1"></input> <nobr>Search: <select name="omenu"> <option value="unspecified" selected>All Names</option> <option value="living">Living people</option> <option value="dead">Dead people</option> <option value="bands">Band Names</option> <option value="books">Book Titles</option> <option value="movies">Movie Titles</option> <option value="fulltext">Full Text</option> </select> for <input name="query" value="" size=24 maxlength=96> <input type=submit value="Search"> </font></b></nobr></form></td> </tr> </table> <!-- COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --> <!-- NO PART OF THIS WEBSITE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION --> <!-- OF SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS (ON THE WEB, IN PRINT, OR OTHERWISE) --> <!-- --> <!-- SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- PO BOX 4436, MOUNTAIN VIEW CA 94040 USA --> </td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=red height=2></td></tr><map name=fool><area coords="102,0,240,14" href="/people/682/000034580/bibliography/" alt="bibliography"></map><tr bgcolor=F0F0F0><td bgcolor=F0F0F0 style="padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px;"><img src="/red-profile-2.gif" align="right" height=15 width=240 border=0 usemap=#fool><br clear="all"><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=100%><tr><td bgcolor=F0F0F0><font size=+3 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>James Earl Ray</b></font><p><img src="ray2-smaller.jpg" height=300 width=234 align=right hspace=10 vspace=10 alt="James Earl Ray"><b>Born:</b> <a href="/lists/587/000106269/" class=proflink>10-Mar</a>-<a href="/lists/927/000105612/" class=proflink>1928</a><br><b>Birthplace:</b> <a href="/geo/642/000080402/" class=proflink>Alton, IL</a><br><b>Died:</b> <a href="/lists/000/000106679/" class=proflink>23-Apr</a>-<a href="/lists/508/000106190/" class=proflink>1998</a><br><b>Location of death:</b> <a href="/geo/619/000069412/" class=proflink>Nashville, TN</a> <font size=-1><a href="#FN1">[1]</a></font><br><b>Cause of death:</b> <a href="/lists/346/000069139/" class=proflink>Kidney failure</a> <font size=-1><a href="#FN2">[2]</a></font><br><b>Remains:</b> Cremated (ashes scattered)<br><p><b>Gender:</b> Male<br><b>Religion:</b> <a href="/lists/758/000094476/" class=proflink>Roman Catholic</a> <font size=-1><a href="#FN3">[3]</a></font><br><b>Race or Ethnicity:</b> White<br><b>Sexual orientation:</b> Straight<br><b>Occupation:</b> <a href="/lists/192/000068985/" class=proflink>Assassin</a><p><b>Nationality:</b> United States<br><b>Executive summary:</b> Pled guilty in Martin Luther King's assassination<p><b>Military service:</b> US Army (Jul-1946 to 23-Dec-1948)<p>Discharged from the military for "ineptness and lack of adaptability". <p> Pleaded guilty to assassinating black civil rights <a href="/people/085/000028998/">Martin Luther King</a> on 4 April 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Recanted his confession three days after his conviction. <p> In 2000 a probe instigated by Attorney General Janet Reno concluded that there was no credible evidence to support Ray's conspiracy theory claim. <p> Said he didn't want to be buried or have his final resting place be in the United States, because of "the way the government has treated him". <p> <blockquote> "He couldn't have planned it alone. He wasn't smart enough for that." -- James Gerald Ray </blockquote><p><hr width=25% size=1 align=left><a name="FN1"><font size=-1>[1] Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility, Nashville, TN. </font><p><a name="FN2"><font size=-1>[2] Kidney disease likely caused by hepatitis C contracted from a blood transfusion given after a stabbing at the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. </font><p><a name="FN3"><font size=-1>[3] James Earl Ray, <i>Who Killed Martin Luther King?</i>, page 18. </font><p><b>Father:</b> James Gerald Ray<br><b>Mother:</b> Lucille Maher ("Lucie")<br><b>Brother:</b> Jerry Ray<br><b>Brother:</b> Franklin Ray ("Frank", d. 1963 drowned)<br><b>Brother:</b> John Larry Ray<br><b>Sister:</b> Marjorie ("Margie", d. burns)<br><b>Sister:</b> Carol<br><b>Wife:</b> Anna Sandhu (courtroom artist, m. 13-Oct-1978, div. 1990)<br><p> High School: (did not attend high school, dropped out in 8th grade)<br><p> <a href="/crime/773/000111440/">AWOL</a> Nuremberg, Germany (Apr-1948)<br> <a href="/crime/325/000043196/">Resisting Arrest</a> Nuremberg, Germany (Apr-1948)<br> <a href="/crime/372/000050222/">Drunk in Public</a> Nuremberg, Germany (31-Oct-1948)<br> <a href="/crime/001/000045863/">Disorderly Conduct</a> <br> <a href="/crime/314/000047173/">Burglary</a> Los Angeles, CA (Dec-1949 to Mar-1950)<br> <a href="/lists/735/000134333/">Inmate: Los Angeles County Jail</a> <br> <a href="/crime/845/000054683/">Vagrancy</a> Cedar Rapids, IA (May-1950)<br> <a href="/crime/324/000043195/">Robbery</a> Chicago, IL (6-May-1952)<br> <u>Inmate, Joliet Prison</u> 1952<br> <u>Inmate, Pontiac Prison</u> 1952 to 12-Mar-1954<br> <a href="/crime/314/000047173/">Burglary</a> East Alton, IL (28-Oct-1954)<br> <a href="/crime/845/000054683/">Vagrancy</a> Alton, IL (Nov-1954)<br> <a href="/crime/375/000050225/">Forgery</a> postal money order (Mar-1955)<br> <a href="/lists/693/000134291/">Inmate: Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary</a> <br> <a href="/crime/305/000043176/">Armed Robbery</a> Kroger Supermarket, St. Louis, MO (10-Oct-1959)<br> <a href="/event/700/000172184/">Psychiatric Observation</a> Missouri State Hospital, Fulton, MO (8-Sep-1966 to 17-Oct-1966)<br> <a href="/event/117/000062928/">Escaped from Prison</a> Missouri State Penitentiary, Jefferson City, MO (23-Apr-1967)<br> <a href="/event/375/000111042/">Rhinoplasty</a> Los Angeles, CA (5-Mar-1968)<br> <a href="/crime/301/000043172/">Murder</a> Memphis, TN (4-Apr-1968)<br> <a href="/crime/504/000045369/">Conspiracy</a> <br> <a href="/lists/175/000088908/">FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives</a> 20-Apr-1968 to 8-Jun-1968<br> <a href="/crime/553/000160073/">Carrying a Concealed Weapon</a> loaded .38 pistol, Heathrow Airport, London (8-Jun-1968), charges dropped (18-Jul-1968)<br> <a href="/crime/375/000050225/">Forgery</a> passport, Heathrow Airport, London (8-Jun-1968), charges dropped (18-Jul-1968)<br> <a href="/event/149/000087885/">Extradited</a> from England (19-Jul-1968)<br> <a href="/event/993/000159516/">Polygraphed</a> <br> <a href="/event/206/000101900/">Hunger Strike</a> 18-Apr-1974 to 22-Apr-1974<br> <a href="/event/117/000062928/">Escaped from Prison</a> 10-Jun-1977 (Brushy Mountain, recaptured 13-Jun)<br> <a href="/event/092/000348045/">Stabbed</a> 22 times, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (3-Jun-1981), 77 stitches<br> <a href="/event/305/000071092/">Coma</a> 26-Dec-1996<br> <a href="/event/366/000218709/">Hernia Operation</a> Feb-1998<br> <a href="/event/305/000071092/">Coma</a> 11-Mar-1998<br> <a href="/event/340/000164845/">Autopsy</a> <br> Risk Factors: <a href="/lists/146/000171630/">Hepatitis C</a><br> <p> <b>Author of books:</b><br> <i>Who Killed Martin Luther King? The True Story by the Convicted Assassin</i> (<tt>1993</tt>)<br><p> <br><br><p> <font size=-1>Do you know something we don't?</font><br> <font size=-1><a href="http://commentary.nndb.com/submit/feedback/?id=34580" rel="nofollow">Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile</a></font><br> <p> <br><br><p><font size=-1>Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications</font><p> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </td> <td width=180 align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 0px 0px 8px 25px;"></td></tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>