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(1077)

Would You Rather Be An Average Person Today or a Billionaire 100 Years Ago?

Would You Rather Be An Average Person Today or a Billionaire 100 Years Ago?

It's good to be as rich as a Rockefeller. John—the patriarch of the family—rose from a lowly Ohioan bookkeeper to the leader of Standard Oil, which owned 90 percent of America's petroleum until it was...

25 Aug 20177min

Why Wasn’t There a Scientific Revolution Under the Romans?

Why Wasn’t There a Scientific Revolution Under the Romans?

Scientific progress has moved steadily forward across much of the world for centuries, with few examples of abatement. The Scientific Revolution is often considered to have begun at Copernicus's 1543 ...

24 Aug 201711min

What if the Nazis Had Won World War Two?

What if the Nazis Had Won World War Two?

This episode is fifth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. The Man in the High Ca...

23 Aug 201715min

If I Were Sent Back in Time to the Roman Empire, How Would I Take Over?

If I Were Sent Back in Time to the Roman Empire, How Would I Take Over?

This episode is fourth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Lest Darkness Fall, w...

22 Aug 201710min

A Vietnam POW’s Story of 6 Years in the Hanoi Hilton — Amy Shively Hawk

A Vietnam POW’s Story of 6 Years in the Hanoi Hilton — Amy Shively Hawk

A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic. -Joseph Stalin When consider major historical events that involved millions of people— World War 2, the Great Depression, the Cold War—it'...

21 Aug 20171h 6min

What if Byzantium Had Never Fallen?

What if Byzantium Had Never Fallen?

This episode is third in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Today's book is Harry ...

18 Aug 201711min

What if China Had Discovered the New World?

What if China Had Discovered the New World?

This episode is second in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Today's book is Kim S...

17 Aug 201712min

Could One Marine Corps MEU Destroy the Entire Roman Army?

Could One Marine Corps MEU Destroy the Entire Roman Army?

This episode is the first of a five-part series in our Alternate History Week—our version of Shark Week, if you will. We are looking at famous books of alternate history, and I'm discussing why I thin...

16 Aug 201710min

Populært innen Samfunn

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