James Earl Ray Letter
James Earl Ray wrote this letter to his wife, Anna (Sandhu) Ray, from Brushy Mountain State Prison on November 15, 1978. In it, he advises Anna on her attempts to get sympathetic articles published in Redbook and an unspecified German magazine and mentions his desire for a new trial.
Dates
- 1978 November 15
Conditions Governing Access
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Conditions Governing Use
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Extent
0.1 Linear Feet
Abstract
James Earl Ray wrote this letter to his wife, Anna (Sandhu) Ray, from Brushy Mountain State Prison on November 15, 1978. In it, he advises Anna on her attempts to get sympathetic articles published in Redbook and an unspecified German magazine and mentions his desire for a new trial.
Biographical/Historical Note
James Earl Ray was born on March 24, 1928 in Alton, Illinois. After dropping out of high school, he became a small-time criminal. He allegedly shot and killed Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He pled guilty to the killing and received a 99-year prison sentence. Ray later he claimed he was innocent and that he was involved in a larger conspiracy, but he could not provide sufficient evidence to reopen his case; however, he convinced the King family of his version of events towards the end of his life. In 1977 he escaped from prison, but was recaptured several days later. Ray married court artist Anna Sandhu on October 13, 1978 (a Friday), but the couple divorced in 1993. He died in prison in Nashville on April 23, 1998.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single folder.
Acquisition Note
The University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Special Collections purchased this letter.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository