James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was born in Alton, Illinois, United States on March 10th, 1928 and is the Criminal. At the age of 70, James Earl Ray biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
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James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998), an American fugitive and felon who was found guilty of murdering Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.
After entering a guilty plea to forego a jury trial and subsequently sentenced to 99 years in prison for King's murder, he was found on his 41st birthday and sentenced to 99 years in prison.
If he had been found guilty by a jury's verdict, he would have been eligible for the death penalty.
After serving half of his term (49 1/2 years), he would have been eligible for parole in 2018, which would have occurred when he was 90 years old.
He had served 29 years of his probation at the time of his death in 1998.
Early life and education
Ray was born in Alton, Illinois, on March 10, 1928, the son of Lucille Ray (née Maher) and George Ellis Ray. He had ancestry from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as well as a Catholic upbringing.
Ray's father, who went by the name Speedy, passed a bad check in Alton, Illinois, and then moved to Ewing, Missouri, where the family shortened their name to Raynes to avoid law enforcement. Ray was one of nine children, including John Larry Ray, Franklin Ray, Jerry William Ray, Melba Ray, Carol Ray Pepper, Suzan Ray, and Marjorie Ray. Marjorie died in a fire as a young child in 1933. Ray left school at the age of 12. At the end of World War II, he joined the US Army and served in Germany. Ray tried to adjust to military life but was eventually dismissed for ineptitude and lack of adaptability in 1948.
Activity in early 1968
Ray was born on March 5, 1968, and after that, he underwent a rhinoplasty, performed by physician Russell Hadley. Ray left Los Angeles on March 18, 1968, and began a cross-country ride to Atlanta, Georgia.
Ray checked into a rooming house after arriving in Atlanta on March 24, 1968. He acquired a map of the area. When they searched the room in which he was staying, FBI agents discovered this chart later. The church and Martin Luther King Jr.'s home were marked on the map.
Ray was back on the road and sped his Mustang to Birmingham, Alabama, shortly. He bought a Remington Model 760 Gamemaster.30-06-caliber rifle and a box of 20 cartridges from the Aeromarine Supply Company on March 30, 1968. He also bought a Redfield 2x-7x scope, which he had mounted to the rifle. He told the store owners that he and his brother were going on a hunting trip. Since his time in Mexico, Ray had used the Galt alias, but he gave his name to Harvey Lowmeyer when he made this purchase.
Ray returned to Atlanta after purchasing the rifle and accessories. Ray spent his time reading The Atlanta Constitution. According to the paper, King's planned return to Memphis, Tennessee, which was scheduled for April 1, 1968, was postponed. Ray carried a backpack and sped away from Memphis on April 2, 1968.