James Earl Ray, was a convicted murderer who assassinated James Earl Ray, was a convicted murderer assassinated Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement, on which date, in Memphis, Tennessee?
James Earl Ray James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was a convicted murderer who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray was convicted on his 41st birthday after entering a guilty plea to forgo a jury trial. Had he been found guilty by jury trial, he would have been eligible for the death penalty.
Bust of Martin Luther King Jr. (Alston) A bronze bust of Martin Luther King Jr. was made by African-American artist Charles Alston in 1970, two years after King was assassinated. Alston received a commission from the Reverend Donald S. Harrington, of the Community Church of New York, to create a bust of King for $5,000. Five bronze busts were cast in 1970, each approximately 32 cm high.