Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 138
image_0 image_1
Martin Luther King assassin, James Earl Ray discussing corruption and conspiracy concerns with Donald Freed, investigative journalist
Martin Luther King assassin, James Earl Ray discussing corruption and conspiracy concerns with Donald Freed, investigative journalist
image_0 image_1
Description:

King Martin

Martin Luther King assassin, James Earl Ray discussing corruption and conspiracy concerns with Donald Freed, investigative journalist

 

Single page typed signed letter, 8.5" x 14." Dated "June 14th, 1976," and signed by James Earl Ray as "J.Ray," with his prison identification of "James E. Ray #65477 / Station-A / Nashville, 37203." Page lightly toned else near fine.

 

James Earl Ray writes to investigative journalist and author Donald Freed.  In the 1970s Freed worked for the Citizens Research and Investigation Committee. Freed has written numerous articles on the assassinations of both Kennedy's, and Martin Luther King in addition to covering the  political activities of Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal. At the time of this TLS, he appeared to have been working on a piece with Mark Lane called "Code Name Zorro - The Murder of Martin Luther King," ultimately published in 1978, and reprinted in the early 1990's as "Murder in Memphis." The premise of the investigation led Donald Freed to reach out directly to James Earl Ray.  Based on Ray's response letter to him, the two appear to be interested in accessing the suppressed material and noting "In the H.C. hearing the Judge ruled the subpoena would prevail only 100 miles from Memphis thus effectively block the subpoenaing of any governmental material in Washington" and Ray noted that his last Attorney "was persistently opposed to any civil action against Mr. Huie or anyone else which could have led to subpoenaing FBI files in the case." 

 

He was also informing Donald that "Because of the above situation I have recently initiated a civil suit in Memphis  … which should lead to the published of most heretofore suppresed[sic material including what ever information they have about or against me (as you know their[sic is no geographical limits to the subpoena in civil cases.)"

 

Meanwhile much of Freed's investigative journalism was going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theory, peeling back the the layers covering up this political assassination, which was increasingly leading to a very tangled web :

 

"At the Plaza Hotel, Jack Youngblood, the  CIA mercenary, said that there were two dimensions in the King conspiracy, “rednecks on the ground” and, high behind the local  types, the executive planners calling the shots. The only real question before the nation now is whether Martin Luther King was executed by a major or a minor conspiracy. …  the history of the American poor is one long convulsion of poor White violence against Black people. This violence is not spontaneous; the poor White shock troops are directed, controlled, and managed, as in any other way, by men of wealth and power. " He(Freed) additionally had questions surrounding the proposed theories that King was supporting communism which in itself then supports a higher objective for a governmental conspiracy theory, and that King was threatened by the FBI ( this "theory" remained only a "theory" until 2017  when during the release of the JFK files, it was discovered that a highly revealing letter from a secret FBI  dossier, dated only three weeks before Dr. King's assassination in April 1968, confirms this belief that for the last 50 years was denied. Stating that:

"King is a whole-hearted Marxist who has studied it (Marxism), believes in it and agrees with it, but because of his being a minister of religion, does no dare to espouse it publicly."

And in another part says: "During the early 1960s, the CPUSA [the communist party was striving to obtain a Negro-labor coalition to achieve its goals in this country… Martin Luther King, Jr, and his organization were made to order to achieve these objectives."

With all this spiraling out of control at the time of this letter from James Earl Ray, Ray himself was also trying to get the suppressed files exposed. But perhaps most revealing was even the King family did not believe James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King. They were already aware that King's phones had been tapped and that the FBI had initiated other dirty schemes. In fact William Sullivan, of the FBI, was about to testify and air the dirty laundry of "Code Name Zorro", the super-covert program that J. Edgar Hoover initiated to use to tarnish King's image and influence, but Sullivan was conveniently killed in an accident days before his testimony. The odd and perplexing ending to this saga occurred in 1997,  a year before James Earl Ray's death, when King's son Dexter had a meeting with Ray and asked him, "I just want to ask you, for the record, did you kill my father?" Ray replied, "No. No I didn't," and King told Ray that he, along with the King family, believed him; the King family also urged that Ray be granted a new trial. Dr. William Pepper, a friend of King in the last year of his life, represented Ray in a televised mock trial in an attempt to grant him the trial he never received. In November 1999 Pepper represented the King family in a wrongful death civil trial against Loyd Jowers, a restaurant owner in Memphis who was brought to civil court in December 1999 and sued for being part of a conspiracy to murder Martin Luther King Jr. He was found legally liable, and the King family accepted $100 in restitution, an amount chosen to show that they were not pursuing the case for financial gain. The jury, concluding on December 8, 1999, found that Loyd Jowers as well as others, including governmental agencies had been part of a conspiracy. The King family has since concluded that Ray did not have anything to do with the murder of Martin Luther King Jr.

 

James Earl Ray died in 1998, along with his secrets.


WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000