Martin Luther King Jr. assassination conspiracy theories
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On the afternoon of April 4, Ray checked into a boarding house in Memphis, which had a bar called Jim’s Grill on the first floor. He paid $8.50 for a week's stay. The rear of the boarding house faced the Lorraine Motel across Mulberry Street. Ray was identified through fingerprints found on the gun he left behind, [[Martin Luther King III]] said, "That weapon was not the weapon. You're going to kill somebody and then drop the gun right there?" |
On the afternoon of April 4, Ray checked into a boarding house in Memphis, which had a bar called Jim’s Grill on the first floor. He paid $8.50 for a week's stay. The rear of the boarding house faced the Lorraine Motel across Mulberry Street. Ray was identified through fingerprints found on the gun he left behind, [[Martin Luther King III]] said, "That weapon was not the weapon. You're going to kill somebody and then drop the gun right there?" |
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On April 24, James Earl Ray obtained a Canadian passport and purchased plane tickets from Toronto to London, where he was apprehended by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] on June 8.{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/timeline-mlk-assassination-and-investigation-his-killing|title=Timeline of MLK Assassination and Investigation Into His Killing|website=Voice of America|access-date=2019-08-12|archive-date=2020-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426145518/https://www.voanews.com/usa/timeline-mlk-assassination-and-investigation-his-killing|url-status=dead}} He was allegedly trying to reach the white-minority-ruled [[Rhodesia]]. On March 10, 1969, Ray plead guilty to murdering King and received a 99-year prison sentence, thereby avoiding a trial. His plea saved him from the likelihood of the death penalty. During his |
On April 24, James Earl Ray obtained a Canadian passport and purchased plane tickets from Toronto to London, where he was apprehended by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] on June 8.{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/timeline-mlk-assassination-and-investigation-his-killing|title=Timeline of MLK Assassination and Investigation Into His Killing|website=Voice of America|access-date=2019-08-12|archive-date=2020-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426145518/https://www.voanews.com/usa/timeline-mlk-assassination-and-investigation-his-killing|url-status=dead}} He was allegedly trying to reach the white-minority-ruled [[Rhodesia]]. On March 10, 1969, Ray plead guilty to murdering King and received a 99-year prison sentence, thereby avoiding a trial. His plea saved him from the likelihood of the death penalty. During his sentencing hearing, Ray "leapt to his feet" when the prosecution and his defense lawyer, [[Percy Foreman]], agreed that there was no conspiracy. Ray explained that his guilty plea did not necessarily mean others weren't involved. But a few days after his plea, Ray recanted his confession and claimed he was innocent. |
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In 1998, Ray died in prison of complications due to a chronic [[hepatitis C]] infection. Ray's cremated remains were distributed in Ireland because he did not want his final resting place to be in the United States due to "the way the government [had] treated him".{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9804/24/ray.autopsy.pm/index.html|title=CNN – Autopsy confirms Ray died of liver failure – April 24, 1998|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-date=August 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164601/http://www.cnn.com/US/9804/24/ray.autopsy.pm/index.html|url-status=live}} |
In 1998, Ray died in prison of complications due to a chronic [[hepatitis C]] infection. Ray's cremated remains were distributed in Ireland because he did not want his final resting place to be in the United States due to "the way the government [had] treated him".{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9804/24/ray.autopsy.pm/index.html|title=CNN – Autopsy confirms Ray died of liver failure – April 24, 1998|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-date=August 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164601/http://www.cnn.com/US/9804/24/ray.autopsy.pm/index.html|url-status=live}} |
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