Hailey Tran
Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent civil rights leader who, in the mid-1950s, began receiving death threats due to his involvement in the civil rights movement. On April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, King was assassinated by a gunshot wound to the chin and neck. He was pronounced dead at 7:05 pm at St. Joseph Hospital. Despite the fact that James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the murder, conspiracy theories have emerged claiming that King was not killed by the gunshot but was instead suffocated in the hospital. These theories, however, have been deemed false.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the person who killed Martin Luther King Jr. | James Earl Ray |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound to the chin and neck |
| Date of death | April 4, 1968 |
| Location of death | Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Hospital where he was pronounced dead | St. Joseph Hospital |
| Time of death | 7:05 p.m. |
| Autopsy location | John Gaston Hospital |
| Autopsy doctor | Dr. Jerry Francisco |
| Autopsy report conclusion | Death was the result of a gunshot wound to the chin and neck with a total transection of the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord |
| Killer's sentence | 99 years at the State Penitentiary |
| Killer's cause of death | Liver failure caused by hepatitis C |
| Killer's date of death | April 23, 1998 |
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What You'll Learn
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a single gunshot while standing on the balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old escaped convict, was identified as the assassin. Ray rented a room across the street from the motel and fired the fatal shot from the bathroom window, striking King in the chin and neck. King was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital at 7:05 p.m.
Ray fled the scene immediately after the assassination and was eventually captured, thanks to an extensive FBI investigation that uncovered his fingerprints at the crime scene and in an apartment in Atlanta. On March 10, 1969, Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis, Tennessee, to assassinating King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He died in prison in 1998 at the age of 70.
Despite Ray's guilty plea and conviction, conspiracy theories and doubts about his sole responsibility for the assassination persisted. Some, including King's family, believed that Loyd Jowers, a Memphis restaurant owner, was involved in a conspiracy with "governmental agencies" to kill King. These theories were fuelled by revelations of extensive FBI and government surveillance of King. In 1999, a civil verdict of wrongful death was won against Jowers by King's widow and children, but the Justice Department's internal investigation found no evidence to warrant further investigation.
While there were questions about the extent of Ray's involvement, the fact remains that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and his death had a profound impact on the civil rights movement. King had been the target of death threats due to his prominent role in the struggle for equal rights, and his assassination highlighted the deep racial tensions and injustices prevalent in American society at the time.
It is important to note that claims of King being suffocated in a hospital are false. A photograph circulated online, allegedly showing King recovering in a hospital bed after being shot, but this photo was actually taken in 1958, ten years before his assassination, after King was stabbed during a book signing.
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Ray pleaded guilty to the murder but later denied it
James Earl Ray, an escaped convict, was arrested at London Heathrow Airport on June 8, 1968, for the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. Ray was trying to flee to Belgium, with the ultimate goal of reaching Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), which at the time was a haven for white supremacists.
On March 10, 1969, his 41st birthday, Ray pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a Memphis court. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Ray entered a guilty plea to avoid the death penalty by electrocution, which would have been a possible outcome of a jury trial. However, unbeknownst to Ray, a death sentence would have been commuted as unconstitutional under the de facto moratorium in place since 1967.
Three days after pleading guilty, Ray recanted his confession. He dismissed his attorney, Percy Foreman, and claimed that a man he had met in Montreal in 1967, who used the alias "Raoul", had been involved in the assassination. Ray asserted that he did not "personally shoot Dr. King". Ray's story kept changing, and for the next 28 years, he maintained his innocence. In 1977, Ray told his new attorney, Jack Kershaw, that although he did not ""personally shoot King", he may have been "partially responsible without knowing it". Kershaw presented evidence to the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he believed exonerated his client, but the tests did not prove conclusive.
Despite Ray's denial and the lack of conclusive evidence, multiple investigations by the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Shelby County, Tennessee, district attorney’s office, and the U.S. Justice Department have all concluded that James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King Jr. In addition to the mountain of evidence against him, such as his fingerprints on the murder weapon and his admitted presence at the rooming house, Ray had a clear motive for assassinating King: hatred. According to his family and friends, he was an outspoken racist who had expressed his intent to kill King.
It is important to address a false claim that has circulated about Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. A photo has been shared online, allegedly showing King alive in a hospital bed after being shot in 1968 and then suffocated with a pillow. However, this photo is from 1958, when King was recovering from surgery after a mentally disturbed woman stabbed him with a letter opener during a book signing in Harlem. King survived this attack, and the photo was taken ten years before his assassination in 1968.
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King died from a gunshot wound to the chin and neck
On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent civil rights activist, was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old.
King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital but was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. An autopsy was later performed by Dr. Jerry T. Francisco, who concluded that King died from a single "gunshot wound to the chin and neck." The bullet entered the right side of King's face, about 1.5 inches from below the angle of the mouth, fracturing his jawbone and exiting through his right cheek. It then re-entered through the base of his neck, severing vital arteries and causing severe damage to the spinal column.
The alleged assassin, James Earl Ray, an escaped convict, was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport and charged with the murder. Ray pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. However, he later made numerous attempts to withdraw his plea, claiming he was not directly responsible for the shooting. Despite these claims, there is strong evidence, including eyewitness accounts and ballistic analysis, that Ray was indeed the shooter.
It is important to address a false claim that has circulated regarding King's death. Some have alleged that he was suffocated with a pillow in the hospital, but this is untrue. The cause of death was clearly established by Dr. Francisco's autopsy as the gunshot wound, and King's head was briefly supported by a pillow only after it was determined that he had no pulse. This detail may have contributed to the spread of misinformation.
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King's widow, Coretta Scott King, sued the state
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital at 7:05 p.m. An autopsy was later performed at John Gaston Hospital.
James Earl Ray, a convicted armed robber who had escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary, pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Dr. King in March 1969. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. However, conspiracy theories surrounding King's assassination have persisted, with some believing that Ray was framed and not the actual assassin.
Among those who questioned Ray's guilt was King's widow, Coretta Scott King, who, along with other members of the King family and their closest associates, believed that the Memphis Police Department failed to conduct a proper investigation of the murder. In 1998, the King family brought a civil suit against Loyd Jowers, a Memphis restaurant owner who had claimed in a 1993 television interview to have been a part of a larger conspiracy to assassinate King. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the King family, awarding nominal damages of $100 as requested by the family's attorney. This verdict led many to question Ray's conviction and assert his innocence.
In a statement about the civil suit, Coretta Scott King expressed her belief in a major high-level conspiracy in her husband's assassination and applauded the jury's verdict, calling it "a great victory for my family, but also a great victory for America. It is a great victory for truth itself."
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King was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers
Martin Luther King Jr. travelled to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of striking African-American city sanitation workers. On February 1, 1968, two black sanitation workers were crushed to death by a trash truck. This tragic incident sparked a strike for better wages and working conditions, as well as union recognition. The strike began on February 12, with over 1,100 of the city's 1,300 black sanitation workers participating.
The workers faced many challenges, including a lack of city-issued uniforms, restrooms, and a grievance procedure for underpayment. These issues were exacerbated by the unsympathetic attitude of Mayor Henry Loeb, who refused to recognise the union and improve working conditions. King was invited to lend his support to the striking workers by Reverend James Lawson, an adviser to the strikers.
On March 18, King arrived in Memphis and addressed a crowd of about 25,000 people, the largest indoor gathering the civil rights movement had ever seen. He praised their unity and encouraged them to continue their struggle for equal rights. King then led a march on March 28, which unfortunately ended in violence. Deeply upset by the failure of the march, King left Memphis but returned on April 3, determined to lead a peaceful demonstration.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He was shot by James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Despite King's untimely death, the strike continued, and on April 16, 1968, it concluded with important concessions, including union recognition and higher wages.
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Frequently asked questions
No, this is a false claim. King was assassinated by a gunshot wound to the chin and neck on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He died in prison in 1998.
No, despite receiving aggressive emergency resuscitation, King's injuries were not salvageable. An autopsy confirmed a transection of the right subclavian artery and spinal cord, which would have left him quadriplegic if he had survived.
Yes, there have been conspiracy theories suggesting that King was killed by someone in the hospital or that the US government was involved in a plot to assassinate him. These theories have been circulated on social media platforms and were contradicted by official reports and eyewitness accounts.
The congressional report from 1979, eyewitness accounts, and hospital records all supported the conclusion that King died from a gunshot wound inflicted by an assassin. While there were claims of a government conspiracy, these were not supported by evidence, and the source of many conspiracies can be traced to Ray's guilty plea, which some believe stopped his trial from presenting all available evidence.
