At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was hit by a sniper's bullet. He had been standing on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot. The .30-06-caliber rifle bullet entered his right jaw, traveled through his neck, severing his spinal cord and finally stopped at his shoulder blade. He was immediately taken to a St. Joseph's Hospital but was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m when he was only 39 years old.
On the morning of April 4, Ray used information from the news as well as from a newspaper to discover where King was staying in Memphis. Around 3:30 p.m., Ray, using the name John Willard, rented room 5B in Bessie Brewer's rooming house that was located across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Ray then visited the York Arms Company a few blocks away and purchased a pair of binoculars. At 6:01 p.m., Ray shot Martin, mortally wounding him.
On the morning of April 4, Ray used information from the news as well as from a newspaper to discover where King was staying in Memphis. Around 3:30 p.m., Ray, using the name John Willard, rented room 5B in Bessie Brewer's rooming house that was located across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Ray then visited the York Arms Company a few blocks away and purchased a pair of binoculars. At 6:01 p.m., Ray shot Martin, mortally wounding him.
Immediately after the shot, Ray put his rifle and binoculars into a box and covered it with a green blanket. Once outside, Ray dumped his package outside the Canipe Amusement Company and then drove away, just before police arrived.
Nearly immediately, the green package was discovered. By comparing fingerprints found on the items in the bundle, with those of known criminals, they knew they were looking for James Earl Ray.He was finally captured on June 8 at London's Heathrow Airport. Ray pleaded guilty and was given a 99-year sentence in prison. Ray died in prison in 1998.
Martin Luther King's funeral was held in Atlanta, Georgia (his home town) on April 9, 1968, only four days after his death.
Nearly immediately, the green package was discovered. By comparing fingerprints found on the items in the bundle, with those of known criminals, they knew they were looking for James Earl Ray.He was finally captured on June 8 at London's Heathrow Airport. Ray pleaded guilty and was given a 99-year sentence in prison. Ray died in prison in 1998.
Martin Luther King's funeral was held in Atlanta, Georgia (his home town) on April 9, 1968, only four days after his death.