1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to the MLK Tapes, a production of I Heart 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Radio and Tenderfoot TV. The views and opinions expressed in 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: individuals participating in the podcast, and do not represent those 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: of I Heart Media, Tenderfoot TV, or their employees. Listener 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: discretion is advised. We had witness statements, outlines of arguments. 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: I mean, we had a complete ready file. He came 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: through Birmingham and we offered him that file. We offered 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: to sit down with him, We offered to outline our 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: defense with him, to give him the witness state, every 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: everything that we had. All he wanted to do, and 12 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: all we did was feeding steak and scotch whiskey at 13 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: the club in Birmingham and hear him ramble on about 14 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: what a fabulous lawyer he was. Truth of the matter is, 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: Percy Form was the biggest fraud and blow hard I 16 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: ever encountered in over fifty years of practicing law. I 17 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:12,919 Speaker 1: saw absolutely no evidence, ever, either directly or second hand, 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: of any inclination or willingness on his part to defend 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: that case as it should have been defended. I called 20 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: the Union Hall. I said, it's a matter of life 21 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: and death. I said, I think these people of planning 22 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: to kill Dr King. The authorities were parade. Oh, we 23 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: found a gun that James L. Ray bought in Birmingham 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: that killed Dr King. Except it wasn't the gun that 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: killed Dr King. James Lvy was upon or the official 26 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: story from my Heart radio intended for TV. The plan 27 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: was to get King to the city because they wanted 28 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: it handled in Memphis for dead in them could hamon 29 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: and I've lived with us alone, monsieur, and they skied 30 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: for me. The Lord told me to not the word. 31 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: I've been wanting to tell it all my life. I'm 32 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Bill Claybury and this is the MLK tapes, speaking from experience. 33 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: When one tries to open a conversation about who shot 34 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: Martin Luther King, if the person you're talking to knows 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: anything at all about the case, they immediately come back 36 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: with but the guy said he did it, And the 37 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: answer to that is a patient no he didn't. He 38 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 1: always denied it, but of course James Earl Ray did 39 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: in the end plead guilty. So how did that plea 40 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: come about? And what does it tell us about the murder? 41 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: As we heard in the last episode. Arthur Haynes Junior 42 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: and Senior were criminal defense attorneys who came to represent 43 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: James Earl Ray, the man accused of killing Martin Luther Kane. 44 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: Ray was an escaped con He had been in Memphis 45 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: that day and there did seem to be some connection 46 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: between him and the murderer, Dr. King. But despite all 47 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,679 Speaker 1: the public posturing by the prosecution, Ray's attorneys were surprised 48 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: to find that the actual case against Ray was weak. 49 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: It seemed to them that the connection to the murder 50 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: was that their client had been set up. They investigated, 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: interviewed witnesses, and worked on the case for four months. 52 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: As the trial approached, they thought they had good chances 53 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: for an acquittal. Then the night before the trial was 54 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: to begin, they were handed a note that said they 55 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: had been removed from the case. Why did Foreman push 56 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: his way into the case? Did you ever wonder about that? 57 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: Did we ever wonder why and how Foreman got in 58 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: the case? Only every day from that day until the 59 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: day my father died. When I sat down with Ark 60 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: Haynes Jr. In Birmingham, he tried to explain how famous 61 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: criminal defense attorney Percy Foreman had pushed them aside, there 62 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: were pressure points. How to pay for the defense was 63 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: one of them. Ray had no money, and Haines father 64 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: and son could not afford to work for nothing and 65 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: pay all the costs of the defense. As well. Haines 66 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: knew a successful investigative writer named William Bradford Huey, who 67 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: was also from Alabama and who was interested in writing 68 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: about the King murder. Huey's books included The Americanization of Emily, 69 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: The Execution of Priva Slavik, and The Revolt of Mami Stover, 70 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: all of which were made into movies. He also wrote 71 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: Wolf Whistle, the story of the murder of the young 72 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: Emmett Till, and Three Live from Mississippi, which told of 73 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: the murders of the three civil rights workers in Nashoba County. 74 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: The forward to this book was written by Martin Luther King. 75 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: No one at the time knew what the real story 76 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: was with Ray and King, but Hughey sense there was 77 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: a book there and possibly a movie, and he was 78 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: willing to put money up front to get access money 79 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: that was needed to fund the defense of James Earl 80 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: Ray two Art Haynes. It seemed like a promising offer 81 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: and he brought it to James William Bradford hue the 82 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: author who was writing for Look magazine, whom we had 83 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 1: encouraged Ray to hire. Because Hughie was was a noted 84 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: uh anti George Wallace, he was in the middle of 85 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: a series of articles for Esquire, he had every credential 86 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: being in DUCTR. King's camp, and he was from Alabama 87 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: and close to us, so we we encouraged him to 88 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: hire Hughie Haines Sr. Brought a deal to Ray where 89 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: in simple numbers, Ray would receive of whatever Huey's books 90 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: and articles brought in, Hughie would get and Haynes Judge 91 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: Preston Battle would not permit anyone besides his attorneys and 92 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: his immediate family to visit it or talked to Ray. 93 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: So the arrangement was made for Hughie to submit questions 94 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: to Ray and for Ray to write out his answers 95 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: in Longhand. All that summer I had carried questions from 96 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: Hughie to Ray and raise handwritten answers back to Hughie. 97 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: We had facilitated that all two hundred pages of Ray's 98 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: answers to Hughie's questions have been preserved and make for 99 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: an interesting read if you can decipher Ray's handwriting. It's 100 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,799 Speaker 1: the same story Ray has told before of his prison 101 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: break and is moving about the country at the direction 102 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: of a man named Raoul. Hughie took these notes and 103 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: actually traced race travels and found the people Race that 104 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: he had worked for or met along the way. The 105 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: one exception was Raoul. This was not surprising because Ray 106 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: didn't know Raoul's last name, his address, or even if 107 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: Raoul was his real first name. Race spent a great 108 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: deal of time writing these pages, and at first he 109 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: was satisfied with how his attorneys were going about things, 110 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: but not everyone was. I suppose we were naive and 111 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: that we thought we were lawyers hired to defend a 112 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: murder case and that's what we were doing. There were 113 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: all kinds of reported witness hangers on and people involved 114 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: who wanted to be a part of it. Well. Jerry 115 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: Ray was one of those. He wanted to come to 116 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: Birmingham and have us support him and let him be 117 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: part of the defense. Truthfully, we didn't have time for that. 118 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: We were trying to manage our practice at the same 119 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: time get that case ready for trial, and we just 120 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: didn't have time or inclination to food Jerry Ray. We 121 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: were polite but not responsive to that. But Jerry Raid 122 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: did get himself involved. He visited James in prison, his 123 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: attorneys in Birmingham and author William Bradford, Huwey and Huntsville, 124 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: and he was also in touch with a certain attorney 125 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: in Texas who had soon arrived in Memphis. According to 126 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: everyone close to the case, James Earl Ray very much 127 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: wanted to go to trial. As Jerry Ray would say, 128 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: he didn't kill King, and he wanted his chance to 129 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: prove it in court. He need but this is where 130 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: the trouble started. James imagined a trial where he would 131 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: be able to tell his story, where he, James Earl Ray, 132 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: would be able to look the jurors in the eye 133 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: and have them believe that he did not shoot Martin 134 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: Luther King. But Arthur Haynes Senior was an experienced attorney 135 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: and he knew that great danger awaited a defendant when 136 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: he took the witness stand, especially if the defendant had, 137 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: like Ray, a long record of criminal conduct that the 138 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 1: prosecution could explore in great detail until less pretty much 139 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,079 Speaker 1: all the jury would remember as they concluded that such 140 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: an outlaw should get what he deserved. So, as Arthur 141 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:59,079 Speaker 1: Haynes explains, they were not ready to promise Ray that 142 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: he would take the stand. Our view of it was 143 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 1: that we wouldn't know whether Ray was gonna testify or 144 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: need to testify until the end of the state's case. Obviously, 145 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: if he had testified, that would have killed the value 146 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: of Hughey's connection to him. This is how Jerry Ray 147 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: saw it. On Whomber firston making is sistime, I blew 148 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 1: out in the heart build Alabama and talked to you, 149 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: you take my way down because he want another contact 150 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 1: beside the journey. So he was showing these contracts and 151 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: so I told he hope. He said only again, and 152 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: now you go back and tell James. He's not about 153 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: to understand. He doesn't go. So I went back and 154 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: told James you on the phone hand because when he's 155 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: running stas So with a little help from brother Jerry, 156 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: James began to fear that the case was not being 157 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: pursued with his best interests in mind. He wanted to testify, 158 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: and it seemed that Huey and his book was now 159 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: standing in the way. And then the weekend before his 160 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: trial was to begin, he received a visit from a 161 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: famous Texas lawyer named Percy Foreman. Foreman was six foot 162 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: four and weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, and had 163 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: a huge reputation to go with it. He had grown 164 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: up poor in the wiles of East Texas, quit school 165 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: when he was fifteen, and made something of himself because 166 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 1: he had an agile mind and a quick tongue. He 167 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: put himself through law school and came out ready for bear. 168 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: He had a knack for talking in a way that 169 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: juries liked, and he was especially good at representing people 170 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: accused of murder. In his forty years a criminal law 171 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 1: he claimed to have represented over one thousand of those. 172 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: Only one, as the story goes, was ever executed, and 173 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: according to Foreman, only sixty six of the thousand spent 174 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: even a day in jail. The more obviously guilty, the 175 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: easier it seemed for him to get them off for 176 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: a price. He was hated by the prosecutors he faced, 177 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: and also hated by his clients when they felt the 178 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: most vulnerable, as when he could have them sign over 179 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: every asset they had. I don't represent wealthy clients, he 180 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: once said, if they aren't poor when they come to me, 181 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: they are when they leave. Foreman had been talking to 182 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: Jerry Ray, so he knew all the right buttons to push. 183 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: He told James that Haynes should not have made a 184 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: deal like that with Hughie. Who is Hughie to give 185 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: advice to his attorney based on what might or might 186 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: not be good for a book. Foreman talked about all 187 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: the famous people he knew in all the cases he 188 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: had won, and how James's case would be the easiest 189 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: one he ever argued, and added to that, Foreman said 190 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: that unlike the Haines defense team, he was wealthy, wealthy 191 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: enough to move forward without any literary contracts, and they'd 192 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: figure out how to pay his fee after the trial. 193 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: But for a retainer, he had James sign over the 194 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 1: title to his Mustang and the Remington thirty six that 195 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: he purchased in Birmingham, the one that was said to 196 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: have killed King. Here's Ray for King jail the same made. 197 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: He told me that if I would just miss things 198 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: and are him, he wouldn't get involved in literary contrast, 199 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: he financed trow trows over and he would get used 200 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: to be then, so I agreed, and I signed some 201 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: time and paper decade just missing Haynes and all right 202 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: him well. On one of the national herring for the 203 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:38,119 Speaker 1: trial work, Foreman promised Batting would get involved any litter contracts. 204 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: At that time, I didn't know he was negotiating with 205 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: Hie to think for Hayes interesting to contract and said 206 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: that at that time so Foreman's big promise to Ray 207 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: was the case would not be driven by literary contracts, 208 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: that he Foreman was rich enough to defend Ray without them. 209 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: But a week after he had taken over the case, 210 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: Foreman and Huie for Luncheon dallas Key described that meeting 211 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: in his book he slew the dreamer quote Mr Foreman, 212 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: like my three way contract. All he wanted was for 213 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: Mr Haynes to get out of the way so he 214 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: could have what Mr Haynes had. So you get Haynes 215 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,439 Speaker 1: out of the way, he said, and then god damn it, 216 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: get to work and write us a good book, make 217 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 1: us a good movie, and make us some money. I 218 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: didn't think him myself. And then subsequently, in January of 219 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: nineteen six nine, he came up there with a literary contract. 220 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: Yes idea, and I signed in fair Way third. Yes, 221 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: signed a literary contracts A thing I got to go 222 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 1: to him. The contracts that Foreman had Ray signed on 223 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: January nine and February three essentially stripped Ray of every 224 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: remaining asset he had or might have. So why did 225 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: he sign them? As Ray would explain later, Foreman had 226 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: come to see him in late January saying the case 227 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: was going very well, but he needed to bring in 228 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: another attorney, John J. Hooker, and that was going to 229 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: cost money. So Ray, not really having a choice, signed 230 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: everything over to Foreman. Now, a Foreman had been telling 231 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: the truth about representing from the start that a plea 232 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: bargain was their only option, there would have been no 233 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: reason for Ray to enter into these contracts. So as 234 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: late as February three, Foreman was saying that they were 235 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: going to trial and things were looking good. But just 236 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: ten days later, after Foreman had plucked his client clean, 237 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: as Bradford Huey would describe it, Foreman came back with 238 00:14:42,560 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: bad news where he had to plead guilty. Now, I 239 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: want to think we're thirteen. He came into prisiness Jerman 240 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: Heart Danton, and he uh suggested a human playing, he says, 241 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: and there's me and don't in thankfully and well anyway, 242 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: when he came back to see me next time, he 243 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: was talking about he said they might prosecute my brother 244 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: Jerry rag and expiracing words and also he said they 245 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: might be pressed my father James brother Jerry tells the 246 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: same story a forman's about face and the first before 247 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: we gave it said it's little busy because he's I 248 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: read a lot, I erst whoever they are followed it 249 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: and he did that up until uh a month before 250 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: the Guildy plays that he started cries that they're gonna 251 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: acute and they're going to do this, but so Jade 252 00:15:54,880 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 1: fans to read me paiously little problem nyway and it 253 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: would resigned. At this point, James Earl Ray was boxed in. 254 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: He was stuck with Foreman, and Foreman refused to perform. 255 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: He kept telling Ray that the prosecution wanted to turn 256 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: him into barbecue form his word. Then he told Ray 257 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: that if he insisted on going to trial, they would 258 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: put his father and brother in jail. When Ray said 259 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: he still wanted to trial, Foreman said flat out that 260 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: he wouldn't defend him. He didn't feel up to it. 261 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: Here is an interchange between Bill Pepper and Jerry Ray 262 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: at the nine civil trial, not invisibly. He told me 263 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: to the last my sier he still had made up 264 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: the money he's still to fight doing for and he 265 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: he told he told me that foreman told him if 266 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: he did both of my hand and my John Earl 267 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: back in the twenties, and is both charged me being 268 00:16:54,680 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: the assessed of the word, I'm pretty sure you left, Jerry. 269 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: That's certainly the James little Ray Black versus Forman got 270 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: all about. This is the day of a letter Archer 271 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: that m March Watson Arch nine, nineteen fifty and when 272 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: is it going to be played here? Uh? Right, right right? 273 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: I was right, was March following that this is a 274 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: letter from his council on the eve of trop and 275 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: this letter offers you offers hand five hundred dollars. What 276 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: conditions was the over five hundred dollars we have abdybe 277 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: played to the lea built embarrassment in coort and it 278 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: was agreed with We understand that five hundred dollars was 279 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: to be taking the higher a new lawyer and her 280 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: decided a sad Yet this agreement signed the day before 281 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: Ray entered his guilty plea as a strange document. Foreman 282 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: signs on for a fee of a hundred and sixty 283 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars if such is produced by books for movies, 284 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: and Ray is handed five dollars. The purpose of the 285 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: five hundred is not stated in the contract, but according 286 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: to both James and Jerry, it was so Ray could 287 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: go find a lawyer to overturn the plea, as if 288 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,920 Speaker 1: five dollars could accomplish such a thing. But Ray is 289 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: to get the five hundred only if he meets to conditions. 290 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: He enters a plea of guilty of murder in the 291 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: first degree, and he doesn't make a scene of any 292 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: kind at the proceeding. And that's what unfolds. Are you 293 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: leading murder in the place degree in this case because 294 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: you killed Dr Martin lives the king under sex secumstances, 295 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: it would make you legally guilty. But in the place 296 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: degree under the law is explained to you by your lawyer. 297 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 1: Ray's answer was barely audible on the recording system used 298 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 1: by the court. What he said was quote yes, legally guilty. 299 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 1: According to attorney Mark Lane, who would later represent Ray, 300 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: Ray told him that when Foreman was using every kind 301 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: of argument to put him into a plea. Ray blurted 302 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: out that he didn't want to plead guilty because he 303 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: hadn't shot king. Doesn't matter, replied Foreman. If you were 304 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: involved in any kind of illegal activity with those who did, 305 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: you are legally guilty. You are as guilty as the 306 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: man who pulled the trigger. Foreman was referring to the 307 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: concept of felony murder, where if three people say agree 308 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: to rob a store, and they all agree that no 309 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: one is to be heard, but something goes wrong and 310 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: one man pulls a gun and kills the store clerk, 311 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: all three men are legally guilty of the murder. Most 312 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: states have such laws, though it is far from clear 313 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: that such a concept would apply in a case where 314 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: one man is purposely deceived about the crime and brought 315 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: along only for the purpose of taking the blame. But 316 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: Foreman's little lesson was most likely how the phrase legally 317 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: guilty became part of raise plea. After the plea was entered, 318 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: Ray's attorney, Percy Foreman, was invited to speak. He stood 319 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: up and addressed the court. This is what he had 320 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: to say. It's an honor to appear in this court. 321 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 1: I never expected or had any idea when I entered 322 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: this case that I would be able to accomplish anything 323 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: except perhaps save the defendant's life. All of us, all 324 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: of you, were as well informed as I was about 325 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: the facts of this case, due to the fact that 326 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: we have such an effective news media. Took me a 327 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: month that convinced myself of that which the Attorney General 328 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: of the United States and Jed Grohover of the FBI 329 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: announced last July that there was no conspiracy. After that 330 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: bit of self congratulations from Percy Foreman, Ray asked Judge 331 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: Battle if he might say something. The judge agreed, and 332 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: I'll read a slightly edited version of what followed Ray. 333 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: I don't want to change anything that I have said. 334 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: I don't want to add anything onto it either. The 335 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: only thing I have to say is I don't exactly 336 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: accept the theories of Mr Clark. In other words, I'm 337 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: not bound to accept the theories of Mr Clark. This 338 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: is an aside. But Percy Foreman, who had just referred 339 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: to Attorney General of the United States, doesn't know who 340 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: Ray is speaking about, so he asked, who is Mr Clark? 341 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 1: Ray Ramsey Clark Foreman Oh Ray and Mr Hoover Foreman 342 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: Mr who Ray, Mr j Edgar Hoover. I'm not trying 343 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: to change anything. I just want to add something onto it. 344 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: Judge Battle, you don't agree with those theories, Ray, I 345 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: mean on the conspiracy thing. There is a bit of 346 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: cross talk, and no one seems inclined to ask Ray 347 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 1: what it is he's trying to say. Judge Battle then 348 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: asks if he is still pleading guilty to first degree murder, 349 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: and Ray says that he is. It was a short, 350 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,920 Speaker 1: tense moment. Ray had gone off script, but he hadn't 351 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: cost a huge scene, so he would still get his 352 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: five dollars. Three days after recording his guilty plea, James 353 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: Earl Ray wrote to Judge Preston Battle and asked to 354 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: have the plea overturned and allow him to go to trial. 355 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: A few days later, he wrote again asking for the 356 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: same thing. It was not clear how Judge Battle was 357 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: going to rule on raised petitions. Often, in the interests 358 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: of justice, such petitions are granted. But before Battle could 359 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: make a decision, he was found slumped over his desk, 360 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: dead from an apparent heart attack, and according to various accounts, 361 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: Battle was slumped over raised petitions on which he was 362 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: to rule. A new judge replaced Battle, and he didn't 363 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: allow Ray to reopen the case. So Ray was led 364 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: off to prison no trial. But Percy Foreman's statement at 365 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: the end of the trial is curious. If Foreman was 366 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: so certain that Ray had to plead guilty, why did 367 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: he connive to get himself into the case, And what 368 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: was all this talk about the easiest case I've ever argued? 369 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: Did you ever feel that you could ever do more 370 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: than save his life? Never had any time, and so 371 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: told him from the day I came here, and he 372 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: never expected anything else from the first and I never 373 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: expected to accomplish this. This statement by Percy Foreman, made 374 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: out on the street after race so called trial, is 375 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 1: most certainly a lie, and a big one. Foreman says 376 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: here that he told Ray on the first day that 377 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: they met, that his only hope was to plead guilty 378 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: and take a life sentence. But if that were true, 379 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: why would Ray need to change lawyers. Haines father and 380 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: son already possessed a plea offer from the prosecution, as 381 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: art Hands revealed to me when we spoke, we ever 382 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 1: offered a plea bargain. Oh, absolutely, we were offered a 383 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: better deal that he took. I think there was a 384 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: little anxiety on the part of the prosecution is to 385 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: the strength of the case. Haines said that the deal 386 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: they had been offered was better than the one Ray 387 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: finally had to settle for. But it was better only 388 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 1: in that it allowed him an earlier date from which 389 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: he would be eligible for parole. Not much of a difference, 390 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 1: because no one was going to let the convicted murderer 391 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: of Martin Luther King out on parole. But if Ray 392 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: wished to take a guilty plea in exchange for life 393 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 1: in prison, he already had that. He didn't need the 394 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: services of some fancy outside lawyer. But Ray wasn't thinking 395 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: plea bargain. He was thinking trial, and he went with 396 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: Foreman because Foreman says his would be an easy case 397 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:36,399 Speaker 1: to win. So why was Foreman now saying that he 398 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: had always told Ray that his only chance was to 399 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: plead guilty. Some insights into this are provided by the 400 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: House Select Committee on Assassinations, which published a deposition of 401 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: Foreman pursuant to a lawsuit brought by Ray concerning the 402 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: representation he received attorney James Lassar asked Foreman exactly what 403 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: he had done on behalf of his client. Did he 404 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: hire an investigator? Foreman said he hadn't. Then how did 405 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: he investigate the case? Foreman fumbled about and then said 406 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: he hired six or eight Memphis Law School students who 407 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: worked for him. What did he ask them to do? 408 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: Foreman couldn't quite remember now? What were their names? He 409 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: couldn't remember that either. Well, surely their names could be 410 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: found on their pace ups. Foreman said they had been 411 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: paid in cash. Well, where would their work product be 412 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,479 Speaker 1: Foreman didn't know, but he probably had it somewhere. Foreman 413 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: then said he owned eighty vacant houses which were all 414 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: filled with his case records, but he kept no list 415 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: of what was where. Foreman did say he interviewed some witnesses, 416 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: but he couldn't say where the records of this might 417 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: be found. And so it went. But from these questions 418 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: and answers, it became apparent that Percy Foreman had nothing 419 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: to show that he had done any work on behalf 420 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: of his client, James Earl Ray. When Percy Foreman appeared 421 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: before the House Select Committee, he was asked if he 422 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: had ever compared notes with Ray's previous attorneys. Did you 423 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,640 Speaker 1: ever consult with Mr Haynes, who had also reviewed the evidence, 424 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,199 Speaker 1: to see whether he agreed with you? Did you ever 425 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: consult with with Arthur Haynes? Well? I went to Birmingham 426 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: from Atlanta in November within a week, at ten days 427 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: of accepting the case, and Mr Haynes, his wife and 428 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: brother in law and his wife took me to a club. 429 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: We spent the evening together and we talked as to 430 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: what we said. I don't temporary recall, but I had 431 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: difficulty getting the any information from Mr Haynes. I had 432 00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: to have him sighted for contempted battle to get whatever 433 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: I did get. Foreman was so full of the larky. 434 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: This is Art Hanes Jr. Reacting to Foreman's charge that 435 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 1: he and his father withheld their files from Foreman. It 436 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: should be remembered that Foreman pushed his way into this 437 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: case and was the reason Haynes was dismissed. But the 438 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: four month work product of Haines father and son did 439 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: not suddenly belong to Foreman because Ray was now his client. 440 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 1: Even so, according to Art Haynes Jr. They were willing 441 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: to share the work they had done. He came through 442 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: Birmingham and we offered him that file. We offered to 443 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: sit down with him, We offered to outline our defense 444 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: with him. All he wanted to do, and all we 445 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 1: did was feeding steak and Scotch whiskey at the club 446 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: in Birmingham and hearing him rambalong about what a fabulous 447 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 1: lawyer he was. I saw absolutely no evidence, ever, either 448 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: directly or second hand, of any inclination or willingness on 449 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: his part to defend that case as it should have 450 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: been defended. Attorney Mark Lane, who represented James Earl Ray 451 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: in the late nineteen seventies, sought out Arthur Haynes Sr. 452 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 1: And was generously given access to his files, as Foreman 453 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 1: would have been had he had the interest. While they 454 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,479 Speaker 1: were meeting, Lane asked Haynes what he thought of Foreman, 455 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 1: especially after their meeting at the club in Birmingham. Mr 456 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: Haynes replied, my judgment is that the man never considered 457 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: trying the case. As far as I can ascertain, he 458 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: never prepared and he never investigated. He never considered giving 459 00:28:46,040 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: James Earl Ray a trial. For what reason, I don't know. Ye, 460 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: so Foreman said that the Haynes boys would not give 461 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,959 Speaker 1: him anything, while Haynes Junior and Senior claimed they were 462 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: shocked by Foreman's lack of interest in the case. So 463 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: who was telling the truth? Smart money would be on 464 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 1: art Haynes Sr. Because, first of all, Judge Preston Battle 465 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: never cited him for contempt in this matter. And second, 466 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: Haynes was upset enough about the whole thing that a 467 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: few days later he felt compelled to take the unusual 468 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: step to write a letter to Judge Battle, a letter 469 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: that is still in the official files. It is my 470 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: distinct impression, he wrote that Foreman is disinterested in making 471 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: a genuine effort to obtain the benefit from the fruits 472 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: of our labor. His brief visit from a layover between 473 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: planes has been the only contact we've had with him. 474 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: At the House Select Committee hearing Congressman McKinney of Connecticut 475 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: question Foreman on his hard cell of the plea bargain 476 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: to Ray, You had a government case where ballistics were weak, 477 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: You had a key eye witness who was an alcoholic. 478 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: You had testimonial conflicts on when the bundle was dropped 479 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: in front of the store. There were no prints found 480 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: in the rooming house or in the bathroom, Solomon Jones, 481 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: for for one, place the shooter outside of the area 482 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: at the time. And finally, Ray had never in his 483 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: background had any history of quote unquote violence. Doesn't that 484 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: bring the odds down to a little better than a 485 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: d I mean, you're a pretty tough lawyer. I've reviewed 486 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 1: some of the work you've done, and wouldn't that give 487 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: you a fighting chance for a reasonable doubt? The Foreman disagreed. 488 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: My experience in a half a century of defending criminal 489 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: case makes me evaluate case of a lot of standpoints 490 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: that is not available to the average this passionate observer. 491 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: So Foreman pulled Frank and said his years in court 492 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: gave him special insight into what was winnable and what wasn't, 493 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 1: even though on many occasions he had gotten people way 494 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: more guilty than Ray appeared to be off scott free. 495 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: But what was missing here was the follow up question. 496 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: Foreman was a busy guy. Why would he push his 497 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: way into a case if he knew from the start 498 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: that all he would do is oversee a plea bargain 499 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: that the prosecution had already offered, and after that deed 500 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: had been done publicly pat himself on the back for 501 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: pulling off this miracle and saving this man's life. None 502 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: of this rings true. Let's return to the House Committee Chairman. 503 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: I wonder if you could ask the committee clerk to 504 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: hand him this reform on a copy of Martin Luther 505 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: King Shibit f Dash two fifty three. I'll describe this 506 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: exhibit for the record. This is a copy of a 507 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: Look magazine article. It's dated April. The title of the article, 508 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: excuse me is against conspiracy. The author is Mr Foreman, 509 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: the witness today captioned his attorney for James Earl Ray. 510 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: Do you recognize the article? Mr Foreman, I do. Did 511 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: you write the article? I wonder if I could direct 512 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: your attention please to the second paragraph in the article, 513 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: and if you'd follow along with me. I'll read that 514 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: for the record. When last November the brothers of James L. 515 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: Ray sought me out and handed me a letter from him, 516 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: the seeching me to represent him. Now this article, that 517 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: language is not mine, Mr. That language is Bradford. You 518 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: he rewrote this. I wrote it all your good writing. 519 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: The issue here is this James Earl Ray said he 520 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: never invited Percy Foreman to visit him in jail, that 521 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: he just appeared and was given entry, and then pitched 522 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: Ray as to why he would be the better choice 523 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: for an attorney. Ray liked the part where he said 524 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: he was rich enough that he wouldn't need to depend 525 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: on literary contracts and that he'd be able to testify 526 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: at his own trial, which is what he wanted. But 527 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: for the House Committee, the issue was whether Foreman had 528 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: been asked to appear by Ray himself, not his brother, 529 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: and if he had not, Foreman was on shaky legal ground. 530 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: Foreman had responded that Ray had written him a letter 531 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: at his office in Houston asking for him to enter 532 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 1: the case. I did receive such a letter. It came 533 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: to my office on the eighth of about the eighth 534 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: seventh or eighth of November, and I was in Wakeo, 535 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: or near Wakeo, trying a law shoot when the letter came. 536 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: It was read to be over the fall who read 537 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: the letters to you by secretary? Did you have an 538 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: opportunity when you return to your office to see Mr. 539 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 1: But James Earl Ray insisted that he hadn't written any 540 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: such letter, and that would be a rather bold story 541 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: to tell because if he had, all Foreman would have 542 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: to do to prove him a liar was produce it. 543 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: But Foreman couldn't, He said, the letter was apparently lost 544 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: with all his other files on the case. Foreman was 545 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: becoming visibly uncomfortable. He had begun this discussion by telling 546 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: the House Committee that he wrote the article in Look magazine. 547 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 1: Then the story was that Hughie had polished a sentence 548 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,399 Speaker 1: or two. Suddenly it seemed safer to say that none 549 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: of the words were his. The entire article was rewritten, 550 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: every line of it. I was right like a lawyer 551 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: with long six cylinder Latin words. Hugh he writes for 552 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 1: the public. He translated to make it readable. I do 553 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 1: not speak literally when I when I say all of 554 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: its mind, I meant the sense and the spirit of 555 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 1: the article. I do not mean the literal word by word. 556 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: So let's take this explanation. What is Foreman's sense and 557 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: spirit of the article and Look magazine? What does it 558 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: tell us? Remember raise guilty plea fixed in the public mind. 559 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: If there had been any doubt that James Earl Ray 560 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: and no one else had murdered Martin Luther King, But 561 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:33,399 Speaker 1: why that was still up for grabs, and who would 562 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: know better than Percy Foreman raised attorney just so everyone 563 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: would understand what a regular guy he was. Foreman said 564 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: early in the article that he always assumed that Ray 565 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: was guilty, but that he took the case to save 566 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: Rai's life. This is most certainly a lie, because, as 567 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: Attorney Art Haines has told us, Ray already had a 568 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 1: plea offer before Foreman showed up. In the article, Foreman 569 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: goes on to group Ray with Oswald and her Hand, 570 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,239 Speaker 1: the alleged killers of John and Robert Kennedy, respectively, all 571 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,839 Speaker 1: of whom wanted, according to Foreman, a shortcut to fame. 572 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: They wanted credit he wrote, top billing headlines, front page pictures. 573 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:15,840 Speaker 1: But Oswald, just before he was murdered, said he was 574 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: a patsy. Sir Hands said he couldn't remember the crime, 575 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 1: and Ray said he didn't shoot Martin Luther King. So 576 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: whatever they did or didn't do, it doesn't seem as 577 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,240 Speaker 1: though any of them was looking for fame. But according 578 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: to Foreman, Ray made special efforts to make sure that 579 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: he got credit for this crime before he fled the 580 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: murder scene. Foreman wrote, James Earl Ray carefully deposited on 581 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: the sidewalk the murder weapon that he had wrapped in 582 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 1: his own bed cover to protect his fingerprints on the 583 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: rifle from being obliterated. Ray thought a war between the 584 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,240 Speaker 1: racest was imminent and he wanted to fire the first shot. 585 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 1: The shooting of doctor King was to him the pearl 586 00:36:55,960 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 1: harbor of that war. The presumption here is that because 587 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: Foreman was Ray's attorney, he knew these damning things about 588 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,719 Speaker 1: Ray because Ray had told him. But Ray always said 589 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: he had nothing to do with the package wrapped in 590 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: the bedspread found on the street. He never told Foreman 591 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:20,800 Speaker 1: that he placed the package there, or that he wrapped 592 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: it carefully so as not to erase his fingerprints. This 593 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: is Foreman's invention. And of course, if Ray had wanted 594 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: the rifle to point back to him so we would 595 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,720 Speaker 1: get credit for the crime, as Foreman was now saying, 596 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: he could have just left it in his room and 597 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,719 Speaker 1: gotten a better start out of town. And Ray never 598 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: said to anyone, much less Foreman, that he wanted to 599 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 1: fire the first shot in a race war that he 600 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: was trying to start. These are lies, rather vicious lies, 601 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: vicious because they would shape the way people all over 602 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: America would see Ray as a ruthless killer driven by hatred, 603 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: So Percy Foreman pushed his way into the case, talking 604 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: about what an easy when it would be, made himself 605 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,480 Speaker 1: scarce as he attended to other business, and then showed 606 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 1: up one day saying that Ray had to plead guilty. 607 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: And after Ray made the plea, Foreman published an article 608 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: where he congratulated himself for saving Ray's life and then 609 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,839 Speaker 1: went on to assassinate his character. What was he doing here? 610 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: Who was he working for? Is there anything in Foreman's 611 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: subsequent history that might give us a clue? Turns out 612 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:31,480 Speaker 1: there is. In nineteen seventy five, Percy Foreman received a 613 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: felony indictment for obstruction of justice from a federal grand 614 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:40,480 Speaker 1: jury in Texas. What did he do? In nineteen seventy 615 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: just one year after Foreman leaned on Ray to plead guilty, 616 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: Herbert and Nelson bunker Hunt, the sons of Texas billionaire H. L. Hunt, 617 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,760 Speaker 1: hired private detective John Kelly to do some illegal wire tapping, 618 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,520 Speaker 1: but he got caught. The Hunt brothers didn't want to 619 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,400 Speaker 1: go to jail, so they offered Kelly money if he 620 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: would not testify against them, but Kelly didn't want to 621 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: go to jail either. Then Percy Foreman shows up, offers 622 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 1: his services to Kelly and promises to keep him out 623 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 1: of jail. Kelly pays Foreman a retainer of one thousand dollars, 624 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: but as soon as the ink is dry on their contract, 625 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 1: Foreman approaches the Hunt brothers and says that he has 626 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: Kelly Quote under control, and if the Hunts will give 627 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 1: Foreman fifty thousand dollars, he will guarantee that Kelly will 628 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: not incriminate them, As the indictment tells us. Foreman has 629 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: paid his money and then goes back to Kelly, acting 630 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: all concerned, and reminds him that the Hunts are very 631 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: rich with mob connections and they would think nothing of 632 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:48,120 Speaker 1: killing him. So it's Foreman's recommendation as his lawyer, that 633 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,960 Speaker 1: Kelly go to jail and say nothing about the Hunts. 634 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: After all, says Foreman, according to the indictment, the government 635 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,000 Speaker 1: can't help you a whole lot if you're dead. But 636 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: by sheer acts sit in, Kelly finds out about the 637 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: double cross, and Foreman and the Hunt Brothers are indicted 638 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:08,360 Speaker 1: for obstruction of justice, a crime that might well have 639 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 1: cost Foreman a license to practice law, But the people 640 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: Foreman is in trouble with are very wealthy and connected. 641 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 1: There are negotiations, time goes by, and the charges are 642 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 1: quietly dropped, but the facts are really not in dispute. 643 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,239 Speaker 1: Foreman found a weak client with powerful people on the 644 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,920 Speaker 1: other side. He signed up the client, chopped him around, 645 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 1: and received fifty dollars for making sure the client pled 646 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: guilty and didn't involve anyone else. Does that storyline sound familiar? 647 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:44,239 Speaker 1: Did Foreman do something of the same with James Earl Ray? Well, 648 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 1: we think he did, and we think we have the 649 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,279 Speaker 1: evidence to prove it. So we will come back to 650 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,120 Speaker 1: this story later in the podcast and take a trip 651 00:40:52,200 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: to Mr Foreman's office in Houston next time. On the 652 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 1: Emilk tapes, Showers was in the frame right from the beginning, 653 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 1: because he was the one who run Jim Squirrel. He 654 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 1: looked back, he has stuck his frame in his socket. 655 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,160 Speaker 1: Lord hair was standing up and he like somebody had 656 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:20,399 Speaker 1: drained all the good d He was so white. Oh 657 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:23,360 Speaker 1: you're so r I said, Lord. I said, you know, 658 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,360 Speaker 1: they've been a lot of discussion about the fact you 659 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,279 Speaker 1: may have been involved in the Martin Luth King assassination. 660 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,799 Speaker 1: And he said, well, a lot of people talking about 661 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 1: he said it. One thing, saure that blanket back is 662 00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,400 Speaker 1: not coming back. But he said when he went to 663 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: the back door, just as he got to the door, 664 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:43,280 Speaker 1: shot right now, and somebody came out of the bushes 665 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 1: and handed him smoking rifle. He wanted me to tell 666 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:50,880 Speaker 1: the truth about seeing him with the rifle. He just 667 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 1: wanted me change just a little bit by saying I 668 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: saw him standing in the back door and a black man. 669 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: Hey in my righte. Did James Earl Ray killed Dr 670 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:06,480 Speaker 1: Mark Luther King? No, they did not. Do you know 671 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 1: who killed Dr King? I know who paid to do 672 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:18,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the m l K Tapes a 673 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio and Tenderfoot TV. This podcast 674 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,920 Speaker 1: is not specifically endorsed by the King Family or the 675 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 1: King of State. D email KA Tapes is written and 676 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 1: hosted by Bill Claper. Matt Frederick and Alex Williams are 677 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,320 Speaker 1: executive producers on behalf of I Heart Radio with producers 678 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: Trevor Young and ben Keebrick. Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay 679 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:41,480 Speaker 1: are executive producers on behalf of Tenderfoot TV with producers 680 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:45,440 Speaker 1: Jamie Albright and Meredith Steadman. Original music by Makeup and 681 00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: Vanity Said. Cover art by Mr Soul two six with 682 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:53,800 Speaker 1: photography by Artemis Jenkins. Special thanks to Owen Rosenbaum and 683 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,919 Speaker 1: Grace Royer at U t A, The Nord Group, back 684 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 1: Median Marketing, Envisioned Business Management, and Station sixteen. If you 685 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 1: have questions, you can visit our website, the email k 686 00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:08,040 Speaker 1: tapes dot com. We posted photos and videos related to 687 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:10,759 Speaker 1: the podcast on our social media accounts. You can check 688 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: them out at the email k Tapes. For more podcasts 689 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,800 Speaker 1: from I Heart Radio and Tenderfoot TV, please visit the 690 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,919 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 691 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:20,800 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows,