The Truth About The Intense Manhunt Of James Earl Ray

As reported by ABC News, the customs official who ultimately detained Ray stopped him for being in possession of multiple passports at London's Heathrow Airport. However, the officer did not know the man's true identity, or that he was the subject of an international manhunt. During a subsequent interview with Scotland Yard police, authorities learned the true identity of their detainee. Then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover ordered his agents to travel to London to escort Ray back to the United States, where he was formally charged with the murder of Martin Luther King.

On March 10, 1969, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 99 years in prison. However, as reported by VOA, Ray later claimed he was coerced into confessing to a crime he did not commit.

Finding Dulcinea reports that Ray was serving time In Tennessee's Brushy Mountain State Prison when he planned and carried out a successful escape. On June 10, 1977, Ray and six of his fellow inmates distracted guards and scaled a 14-foot wall to escape the penitentiary. Although six of the inmates were found and captured within two days, Ray was on the run for nearly five days before he was found in the Cumberland Mountains and returned to the prison without further incident.

James Earl Ray attempted to escape at least one more time, but was unsuccessful. He died of liver disease and kidney failure on April 23, 1998.

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