The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the topic of Martin Luther King Jr, the civil rights campaigner's assassination in 1968 and how thirty-four years after his death, King's assassination still remains controversial. It shows how King was a volatile and frightening figure to the white community and to the many blacks who did not agree with his violent policies. It evaluates the circumstantial evidence surrounding his shooting and the evidence in the trial of James Earl Ray, accused of shooting King. It assesses some of the surrounding theories such that Ray was really a "front man," working for someone else. The author concludes that there are too many unanswered questions, and too much controversy surrounding the assassination to leave it alone and certainly unsolved.

From the Paper:

"The entire investigation surrounding the assassination seems to have been bungled and set up to frame Ray. There had been death threats against King before his fateful visit to Memphis, but he only had two police guards at the time of the shooting, reduced from eight, and one of them was absent due to a "mysterious threat." Even King's own family now believes Ray did not shoot King, Jr. and justice has not been served. "'Having met with James Earl Ray, I believe and my family believes this man is innocent,' King told reporters after the March 27 meeting. 'This visit has long been anticipated. This visit for me was a spiritual experience'" (Overbeck)."

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