James Earl Ray didn't do it

[XemaSab]

Discuss.

[1620rock]

1. Oh? Well why don't you tell us who did.

[hedgehog]

2. I've always thought James Earl Ray had significant financial backing -

the guy gets out of jail and just happens to be able to get the right motel room to serve as a sniper post. How did he know where MLK was staying? Then he had a fake passport and got a flight to London? Sure, any petty criminal had those skills back then!

[Archae]

3. Who did?

CIA?

FBI?

Illuminati?

Flying saucer aliens?

[Major Nikon]

17. Some guy named "Raul" apparently

James Earl Ray fingered "Raul" after signing a 150 page confession. He also said he left the rifle in plain sight with his fingerprints because he wanted to become a famous criminal (as compared to the small town crook he actually was). He thought George Wallace was going to be elected president and he would get pardoned. He said he was too smart to get caught (even though he was a career petty criminal who had been caught many times before).

[Archae]

19. "Raul" showed all the signs of having been created by Ray.

In other words, he didn't exist.

[Major Nikon]

21. As far as conspiracy theories go, this has to be the lamest one in history

The DOJ report of the latest investigation reads like a comedy.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/mlk/part2.php#raofind

[dlwickham]

4. does it really matter

Dr. King is dead and has been for some 40 years or so. I guess I'm not into conspiracy theories like others.

[Nevernose]

5. MLK's family agrees with you

Or at least doesn't believe he was acting alone.

Also, personal trivia: I had a buddy named James Earl Ray. No relation, but his parents had the last name Ray and were big fans. My buddy James Earl Ray was married to a black woman; I'm sure his parents were disappointed.

[graham4anything]

6. Dr. King is still here. His dream lives on. And always will.

those that take people away should never have been named, in the past, then, and now.

Dr. King is stronger today than ever.
His Dream lives on.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

7. Every shooting in history is a vast conspiracy: JFK, MLK, RFK, Lennon, Columbine, Newtown...

[XemaSab]

8. I read his autobiography and he denied doing it

I would think that for a real racist, killing MLK would be a feather in his cap.

[GeorgeGist]

12. Well that settles it!

[Major Nikon]

14. His own wife disagrees

Because he told her he did do it.

[johnnyreb]

9. There was a trial and a verdict

There was a three-week trial brought by the King family. Whether or not we believe the American jury verdict that resulted, the lack of awareness of this amazing human interest story should generate a general discussion about the condition of our media:

"James Earl Ray was effectively exonerated of the assassination of MLK, Jr. by Dr. William F. Pepper in a trial at The Circuit Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, 30th Judicial District at Memphis, in 1999."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3101300

The King Center website: Assassination Conspiracy Trial (with full transcript)
http://www.thekingcenter.org/assassination-conspiracy-trial

[Major Nikon]

15. There was also an actual criminal trial which found him guilty

He confessed to the crime. His own polygraph expert concluded he did it. His own wife said he told her he did it. King's Pulitzer prize winning biographer concluded he did it. Two separate Justice Dept investigations after the trial found no evidence of a conspiracy.

The trail you mentioned was a joke. They were suing the guy who claimed there was a conspiracy. Nobody at the trial offered any evidence there wasn't a conspiracy. Jowers refused to testify even though he was the one being sued. So the jury found in favor of a conspiracy. A surprise verdict this was not.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/mlk/part1.php

[Piazza Riforma]

10. This is one "conspiracy" that might actually have some merit

Even Dr. King's family have concluded he didn't do it.

[HiPointDem]

13. so have rfk's family. about both kennedys.

[cthulu2016]

11. He did it. He had help. It was, for once, a conspiracy. IMO.

[Major Nikon]

16. He had help after the fact

I haven't seen any evidence he had help before. Anyone who helped him couldn't have been that smart. James Earl Ray was a moron and a crook, and an escaped convict.

[SidDithers]

18. Kick for Creative Speculation in GD!!...

Whoo-hoo!!

Sid

[aikoaiko]

20. UNLocking.

Last edited Mon Jan 21, 2013, 01:42 PM - Edit history (1)

I originally locked when there was a majority host vote for lock, but now more have voted to open.

So its open.

[SidDithers]

24. ...

Sid

[zappaman]

22. Who did?

Discuss.

[SidDithers]

23. Kick for Creative Speculation in GD!!...

Yay!

Sid