James Earl Ray and the King Assassination

March 10 was a pivotal day in the life of James Earl Ray, the man who spent nearly 30 years in prison for the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King.

His life began on March 10, 1928, in the city of Alton, Ill. Forty-one years later, to the day, Ray confessed to the assassination of King and was given a 99-year prison sentence. He took the guilty plea on the advice of his attorney to avoid a trial conviction and the possibility of a death sentence.

Three days later, though, Ray recanted his confession. Until his death in prison on April 23, 1998, at the age of 70, Ray claimed that a man he met in Montreal (known to him only as "Raoul") and Ray's brother had been involved in the assassination — but he had not been involved.

He later amended his story, claiming that he didn't shoot King but said he may have been "partially responsible without knowing it," hinting at the possibility of a conspiracy. But, just as it was in the case of Jack Ruby, who shot alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on national television, the suggestion of a conspiracy never went any further than that.

Ray died in prison from complications related to kidney disease caused by hepatitis C after spending years trying to get the trial he never had. His attorney, William Pepper, represented him in a televised mock trial. Pepper also represented the King family in a wrongful death suit against a Memphis restaurant owner, Loyd Jowers, who was found legally liable.

The King family does not believe Ray was involved in the murder. Ray's father did not believe he was smart enough to pull off such a crime. And, in 1978, a special congressional committee investigating assassinations in the United States said there was a "likelihood" that Ray did not act alone.

What was the truth? It has been nearly 41 years since King was murdered. And, if Ray were still alive today, he would be 81 years old. But there was never a trial in the case while Ray lived, and the chance that there would ever be one died with him nearly 11 years ago.

It would be useful for future generations to know the truth, to know who really killed King and why. But it appears destined to remain one of history's coldest cases.