Conspiracy Theories Haunt the Assassination of MLK 55 Years After His Death

Conspiracy Theories Haunt the Assassination of MLK 55 Years After His Death

Doubts about James Earl Ray, Dr. Martin Luther King’s lone assassin, arose almost immediately after the civil rights leader was fatally shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. From the start, his aides voiced suspicions that a conspiracy was responsible for their leader’s death. Over time many Americans became convinced the government investigations covered up the truth about the alleged assassin. Exactly what led Ray to kill King continues to be a source of debate, as does his role in the murder.

However, today’s guest, Mel Ayton, believe the answers to the many intriguing questions about Ray and how conspiracy ideas flourished can now be fully understood. Missing from the wild speculations over the past fifty-two years has been a thorough investigation of the character of King’s assassin. Additionally, the author examines exactly how the conspiracy notions came about and the falsehoods that led to their promulgation.

Mel is the author of The Man Who Killed Martin Luther King, the first full account of the life of James Earl Ray based on scores of interviews provided to government and non-government investigators and from the FBI’s and Scotland Yard’s files, plus the recently released Tennessee Department of Corrections prison record on Ray.


In the short-lived freedom he acquired after escaping from the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967, following being sentenced to twenty years in prison for repeated offenses, he traveled to Los Angeles and decided to seek notoriety as the one who would stalk and kill Dr. King, who he had come to hate vehemently.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(1076)

When Weather Wipes Out Civilization -- Four Cases of Climate Killing Empires

When Weather Wipes Out Civilization -- Four Cases of Climate Killing Empires

The deadliest army on earth can't top the weather for its destructive potential. History's mightiest empires have fallen for no more of a reason than climate change leading to failed harvests and a st...

8 Mar 201851min

George Washington's Guide to Greatness, As Told by His Great Nephew —Austin Washington

George Washington's Guide to Greatness, As Told by His Great Nephew —Austin Washington

George Washington—widely considered a man of honor, bravery and leadership. He is known as America’s first President, a great general, and a humble gentleman, but how did he become this man of stature...

6 Mar 201847min

Medieval Health Care: Bloodletting, Primitive Surgery, and How Surprisingly Good Doctors Could Be Despite Knowing Almost Nothing

Medieval Health Care: Bloodletting, Primitive Surgery, and How Surprisingly Good Doctors Could Be Despite Knowing Almost Nothing

The Middle Ages were a terrible time to get sick. There was no sanitation inside cities and hardly any in rural areas. The common way to relieve pain amongst sick people was to inflict more pain upon ...

1 Mar 201850min

A First-Hand Account of the Battle of Ramadi, Iraq – Maj. Scott Huesing

A First-Hand Account of the Battle of Ramadi, Iraq – Maj. Scott Huesing

From the winter of 2006 through the spring of 2007, two-hundred-fifty Marines from Echo Company, Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment fought daily in the dangerous, dense city streets of Ramadi, I...

27 Feb 201852min

Mesopotamian Civilization (2): Everyday Life of Merchants, Temple Priests, and Prostitutes

Mesopotamian Civilization (2): Everyday Life of Merchants, Temple Priests, and Prostitutes

Welcome to part two in our series on Mesopotamia. The last installment covered the lives of the elites; now let's go several steps down the social ladder. We are going to be covering everyday life in ...

22 Feb 201842min

One Nation Under (the Influence of) Alcohol: Drinking During the Civil War—Mark Will-Weber

One Nation Under (the Influence of) Alcohol: Drinking During the Civil War—Mark Will-Weber

Bloody battles, lionhearted leaders, valiant victories, and lamentable losses—the history of the Civil War has been told time and again. Yet, one monumental component of the Civil War has gone untold…...

20 Feb 201840min

Mesopotamian Civilization: Gilgamesh, Sargon, and Why 1 GB of Information on Cuneiform Tablets Weights as Much as a 747

Mesopotamian Civilization: Gilgamesh, Sargon, and Why 1 GB of Information on Cuneiform Tablets Weights as Much as a 747

Welcome to the first episode in a two-part series on Mesopotamian civilization. In this episode we are going to be covering four topics: 1) The origins of Mesopotamian civilization with Sumeria, its e...

15 Feb 201841min

Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole—Sheldon Bart

Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole—Sheldon Bart

In the age of adventure, when dirigibles coasted through the air and vast swaths of the Earth remained untouched and unseen by man, one pack of relentless explorers competed in the race of a lifetime:...

13 Feb 20181h 43min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
min-barneoppdragelse
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
alt-fortalt
fladseth
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
opptur-med-annette-og-ingeborg
frokostshowet-pa-p5