1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the MLK Tapes, a production of iHeartRadio and 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: Tenderfoot TV. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: are solely those of the podcast author or individuals participating 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: in the podcast, and do not represent those of iHeartMedia, 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: Tenderfoot TV, or their employees. Listener discretion is advised. 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis traces the history 7 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: of slavery in America and then follows the nation's long 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 2: struggle for human rights. Its rooms portray lunch counter sit ins, 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: freedom rides, bus boycotts, and burned churches. To walk through 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: its halls is a moving experience, made all the more 11 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 2: exceptional because the museum is built into the shell of 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 2: the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was murdered. 13 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 2: Being at the Lorraine also helps to bring into focus 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: some of the unresolved questions surrounding the death of doctor King, 15 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: more so because in two thousand and two, the museum 16 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 2: acquired the neighboring rooming house from where James Earl Ray 17 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 2: was said to have fired the fatal bullet. The rooming 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 2: house has been renovated to accommodate the public and its 19 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: access from the museum by way of a tunnel. Its 20 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: interior is dedicated to displays that pertained to the assassination, 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: such as a rifle said to be the murder weapon 22 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: and a replica of Ray's famous white Mustang. But a 23 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: few places had been preserved in the condition in which 24 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: they were found after the murder, such as the bedroom 25 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: that Ray had rented and the bathroom from which he 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 2: was said to have fired the shot. When I visited 27 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: Memphis last year, I was joined by historian Ryan Jones, 28 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 2: who accompanied me through both the Lorraine and the rooming 29 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: house sections of the museum. I was not permitted to 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: record any sound, so the voice of mister Jones that 31 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: you'll hear in this segment was recorded at a later date. 32 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: Mister Jones had grown up in Memphis and has been 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: with the museum for ten years. He is an expert 34 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 2: on the King assassination, and I asked him what God 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: him interested in the case. 36 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 3: It wasn't until I moved back to Memphis in nineteen 37 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 3: ninety seven. 38 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 4: I think I was watching a talk show. 39 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 3: It may have been Montell Williams to be exact, and 40 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 3: the King family, some of his children appeared on that 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 3: talk show and they were talking of getting James Olray, 42 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 3: the accused assassin, a trial here in Memphis, which he 43 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 3: never got in nineteen sixty eight and sixty nine. And 44 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: I really didn't get back into it until I began 45 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: starting to work at the museum. 46 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 4: And it was there when I realized that the. 47 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 3: Museum holds all of the state's evidence against James Alray 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 3: and its collections, and I just began to go by 49 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 3: box by box, file by file. 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 4: I left no foul, you know, unturned. 51 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 3: So I just began to do my own individual research 52 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 3: and began to interview people. And almost ten years later, 53 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 3: you know, I feel like I have a pathway of 54 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 3: what truly happened here in Memphis at the Lorraine on 55 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 3: April fourth, nineteen sixty eight. 56 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: It should be noted here that on the issue of 57 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: whether James Earl Ray was the lone assassin or if 58 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: others were involved, the museum itself takes what it calls 59 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: a neutral position. The people who work there are entitled 60 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 2: to their opinions, But we should remember that Ryan Jones 61 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 2: is speaking here on his own and not for the 62 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 2: museum itself. Of course, working at the museum in the 63 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: old Lorraine motel. Jones is in an excellent position to 64 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: have an informed opinion about certain matters. For example, did 65 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: King always stay at the Lorraine when he came to Memphis, 66 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: has some said? Or did he usually stay at other 67 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: places and was shamed or maneuvered into staying at the 68 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 2: Lorraine because a certain reception had been planned. 69 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 3: There is this myth that has been floating around for 70 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 3: the past fifty two years that doctor King was a 71 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: normal guest, and even that he stayed at the Lorraine 72 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 3: on numerous occasions. 73 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 4: This is, however, not true. This is indeed false. 74 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 3: The Reverend James Lawson, who lived in Memphis at the time, 75 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 3: whom King met with the day before his assassination, stated 76 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 3: affirmatively many times that when he came to Memphis, they 77 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 3: would stay at his house, they'd go to the Peabody, 78 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 3: They'd stayed at the Admiral Bimbo. 79 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 2: On March twenty eight, the night following the Memphis March 80 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 2: that became a riot, King stayed at the Rivermont Hotel 81 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: and held a press conference there the next morning, where 82 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: he condemned the riot but couldn't say for sure how 83 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 2: it had started, though there were those in his camp 84 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 2: who believed the window smashing and looting had somehow been 85 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 2: arranged in advance. Seven years later, in congressional hearings, it 86 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: would be revealed that the same morning that King was 87 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 2: speaking to the press, document was being produced by the 88 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 2: FBI in Washington. It was in the form of a 89 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 2: press release that criticized King for staying at the Rivermont 90 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 2: and specifically named the Lorraine Motel as the more appropriate 91 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: place for him to stay. It bore the approving initials 92 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 2: of J at Gar Hoover and was to be circulated 93 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 2: to what the FBI called friendly news outlets. 94 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 3: The very next day, on the twenty ninth, there is 95 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 3: a press release calling doctor King a hypocrite, and it 96 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 3: pretty much states that you are staying at a predominantly 97 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 3: white business and you're asking African Americans to boycott white 98 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 3: merchants when you're not even given business to the lavish 99 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 3: and plus Lorraine Motel. This was an FBI memorandum that 100 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 3: was released on March to twenty ninth, nineteen sixty eight. 101 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 3: Whyou the FBI care where doctor King stays at this 102 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 3: time unless the Lorraine Motel was a particular area that 103 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 3: they needed him to be at, and of course, you know, 104 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 3: he was eventually moved from his original room which was 105 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 3: down below, and was moved upstairs to three of six. 106 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 2: And just how did this room change come about? There 107 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 2: are two stories. Both come from the owner of the Lorraine, 108 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 2: Walter Bailey. 109 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 3: Mister Bailey told this story to an investigative reporter by 110 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 3: the name of Wayne Chastain, and the story states that 111 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 3: someone who appeared to be very tall and athletic with 112 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 3: it like complexion, came to missus Bailey, who did all 113 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 3: of the hotel reservations, and stated that doctor King did 114 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 3: not want this nice room inside and away from the 115 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 3: original trajectory, and that he wonted room three US six 116 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: on the second floor. The second story is that it 117 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 3: was a phone call from Atlanta that was made so 118 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 3: that the Bailey's got a phone call from Atlanta a 119 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 3: day or two before they arrived, stating that doctor King 120 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 3: specifically won at room three oh six. 121 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 2: Why two stories, both supposedly from mister Bailey, we don't know, 122 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 2: But if the real story involved the phone call from Atlanta, 123 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 2: why would Walter Bailey make up another story of a tall, 124 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: athletic man coming to the Lorraine to make the room change. 125 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 5: It makes no sense. 126 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 2: But if it were the other way around, and the 127 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 2: room was changed by someone posing as an advanced man, 128 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: a description of that man might, upon further thought, be 129 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 2: a dangerous story to tell and give birth to the 130 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 2: supposed phone call. Of course, a quick conversation with missus 131 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: Bailey who changed the room could clear up the situation, 132 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 2: but as mister Jones explains, that was never possible. 133 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 3: Her name was Laurie Bailey, and she really was the 134 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 3: one who ran the Loraino Motel. On the afternoon of 135 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,679 Speaker 3: April fourth, nineteen sixty eight, doctor King speaks with Missus 136 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: Bailey standing on the balcony and he says, listen, Missus Bailey, 137 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 3: if the food over at Reverend Kyle's's home is not good, 138 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 3: I'm going to come back and count on you. And 139 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 3: she kind of blushed and said, of course, anything for you, 140 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 3: Doctor King, And then they go back into the kitchen 141 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 3: area of the diner of the Lorraine. Then the shot 142 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 3: rings out and the Baileys hear it from inside. They 143 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 3: walk outside and they see doctor King Worley wounded on 144 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 3: the second floor outside of room three of six, and 145 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 3: immediately Missus Bailey says, why why, why? She took her 146 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 3: hand and she kept hitting the side of her temple 147 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 3: to the point where he could see her blood vessels 148 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 3: moving oddly enough, mister Bailey left the Lora Hotel a 149 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 3: few hours he lays his wife when there's police and 150 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 3: investigators all over the motel's grounds, and he goes to 151 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 3: his other job at the Holiday Inn on Lamar Avenue, 152 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 3: and he gets a call from his brother, Beatrice Bailey, 153 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 3: and Beatrice says Laurie, he's not an answering, She's not answering, 154 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 3: And then they finally get to her, and they found 155 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 3: her slumped over and she's gone into a coma to 156 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 3: a stroke where she never gains consciousness again and actually 157 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 3: dies at nine am on April and ninth, nineteen sixty eight. 158 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 3: We know now that a bud vessel ruptured in her brain. 159 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 2: Mister Jones and I walk through the tunnel to the 160 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 2: basement of the rooming house and then take the elevator 161 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: up to the second floor. We come upon a glass 162 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 2: case displaying the rifle that was found on the street 163 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 2: just minutes after the shooting. Mister jo Jones gives a 164 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 2: small laugh and informs me that the scope on the 165 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 2: rifle is still not properly sighted. The rooming house has 166 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 2: been gut renovated, so on the inside it doesn't look 167 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: like it did in nineteen sixty eight, but the room 168 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 2: that Ray rented and the bathroom down the hall had 169 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 2: been recreated to be replicas of what was found right 170 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 2: after King was killed. Over the years, a lot has 171 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: been made about Ray choosing room five B because of 172 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 2: its window rather than the only other room, which had 173 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 2: no view but did have a stove. I asked Jones 174 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: about five B and what problems it might present to 175 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 2: a would be assassin. 176 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 3: You are able to see the Lorainotel, and you are 177 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,559 Speaker 3: able to see the second four balcony of the Lorainmotel 178 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 3: as well. Now, however, if your purpose is to assassinate 179 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 3: Martin Luther King Jr. And you're using a rifle, you 180 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 3: have a significant problem. In order to get a sufficient trajectory, 181 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 3: have to walk outside of the bedroom of five B, 182 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 3: down the hall and into a community bathroom in order 183 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 3: to even get an attempt. 184 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 2: The problem with that window was although you could see 185 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 2: the rear part of the Lorraine Motel, you could not 186 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: see room three h six, where doctor King was staying. 187 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 2: Without opening the window and leaning out, and no one 188 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 2: has ever said the shot was fired from there. I 189 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 2: asked mister Jones to describe the bathroom, but I encourage 190 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 2: the listener to look on her website to see the 191 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: photo of the tiny room to better understand the issues 192 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 2: at play here. 193 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: When you look inside of this very small community bathroom 194 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 3: that was shared by other people who were staying on 195 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 3: the same floor, you see a commode, you see a 196 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 3: very small sink, and until the left and the corner 197 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 3: right beneath a partially open window, there's a bathtub. Now 198 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 3: here's a significant red flag with that. James Olray was 199 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 3: six feet in height, and the weapon that he admitted 200 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 3: to buying in Birmingham, Alabama, a few days prior to 201 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 3: doctor King's death is not a small weapon at all. 202 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 3: It's a fairly large weapon with a scope as well. 203 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 3: And James Alray, we know, was a right handed marksman. 204 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 3: I about six feet, I'm about five to nine, and 205 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 3: I've gotten into that bathtub with a rifle that's not 206 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 3: the size of the one that rifle is accused of musing. 207 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 3: And it was almost impossible for myself, also right handed, 208 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 3: to have gotten a sufficient trajectory and My honest estimation 209 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 3: is that if there was a shot fired from that 210 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 3: community bathroom, which I don't think happened, you will have 211 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 3: had to have been a left handed marksman to situate 212 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 3: yourself in the bathtub in a very uncomfortable position. 213 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 2: The bathroom window is small and leaves very little room 214 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 2: for a weapon and a body to gain the needed 215 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 2: angle to make the shot not impossible, But it's not 216 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 2: like someone would just walk up to this window, take aim, 217 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: and shoot something directly in front of it. As it 218 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 2: exists today, the window is now open, just a matter 219 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 2: of benches, as it apparently was on the day of 220 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 2: the murder, and it appears to me as though the 221 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 2: wooden bottom frame of the window would block or partially 222 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 2: block the view through the scope of the rifle, even 223 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 2: assuming it was properly sighted. But what got me most 224 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: when I looked at the bathroom is the tub, a small, narrow, 225 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 2: old fashioned bathtub with steep sloping sides. So instead of 226 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 2: spreading his legs and creating a secure base for a 227 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 2: difficult shot, our presumed shooter, mister Ray has to stand 228 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 2: with his feet close together inside this narrow bathtub and 229 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 2: get all balanced and squared away at just the time 230 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 2: the King came out of his room at the Lorraine. 231 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: Then Ray fired the only bullet he had loaded into 232 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: his gun because he was that certain of his skill 233 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 2: with the rifle he had only owned for four days. 234 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 2: Then there is the question of what needs to happen 235 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 2: in the next couple of minutes. As soon as the 236 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: fatal shot us fired. Ray would need to return to 237 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 2: Room five B, place the rifle in the box, and 238 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: throw his personal belongings into a bag made from a bedspread, 239 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: if he hadn't already done that before making his way 240 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: down to his car. But instead of just throwing his 241 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: stuff into his car, he leaves the bag and the 242 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: gun on the street. Harold Weisberg's nineteen seventy one book 243 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 2: Frame Up was the first to call into question the 244 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 2: official story of the king murder, and we all owe 245 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 2: him a debt. He died in two thousand and two, 246 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 2: but I'd like to play for you here. His take 247 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 2: on the stuff found on the street with Ray's rifle ridiculous. 248 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 6: He's required of going to his room in the flophouse 249 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 6: and picked up the why does collection of junk bobby pins, 250 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 6: bobby pins, cans of beer that hadn't been opened. You know, 251 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 6: a guy has been a crime like that and he's 252 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 6: playing for his life. You're going to pick up a 253 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 6: couple of cans of beer or bobby pin. The box 254 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 6: didn't hold the rifle. He had to put the rifle 255 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 6: in that all sorts of other junk, ridiculous collection of it. 256 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 6: The one thing that that bundle served to do was 257 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 6: the point a finger it ready. 258 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 2: Ryan Jones agrees with Weisberg's doubt about the likelihood that 259 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 2: Ray was the one who left the bundle with the 260 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 2: rifle on the street. 261 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 3: Why he would have ever have done that will always 262 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 3: be a mystery. The car wasn't parked right in front 263 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 3: of Jim's drills. 264 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 7: Parked a little closer to the firehouse, but it's close 265 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 7: enough to where he does not have to like run 266 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 7: a significant long way. 267 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 3: He had more than enough time. It was probably safer 268 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 3: for him to just put the rifle and his car 269 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 3: and drive off. 270 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 2: It was strange to stand on South Maine with Ryan 271 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: Jones and try to imagine things that had happened. 272 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 5: Fifty years ago. 273 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 2: There's no question that James Earl Ray rented Room five 274 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: B from Bessie Brewer the day of the murder, but 275 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 2: all the rest of it seems unlikely. I was grateful 276 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 2: for the time Ryan Jones spent with me, so I 277 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 2: asked him if he had anything else he wanted to say. 278 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 3: I think that this would have been a very very 279 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 3: interesting trial had Ray gone to trial. We have this 280 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 3: weapon and it's never you know, the ballistics and trajectory 281 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 3: are not tested. The room changed, Why the weapon was 282 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 3: found when it was found? Who supplied Ray? The aliases 283 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 3: of Gault Lobyer, Willard Bridgeman, Snay and you know what, 284 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 3: this was a hate crime. You know I'm not buying 285 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 3: it is said, hey crime, any ku kluks klansmen could 286 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 3: have gotten doctor King of Montgomery. They could have got 287 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 3: him in Reachville, Georgia. They could have gotten him in Birmingham. 288 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 3: They could have got him in Saint Augustine Selma, Chicago, 289 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 3: walking the two hundred and twenty one mile distance from 290 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 3: Memphis to Jackson at the March against Fear. But no, 291 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 3: they don't get him until he is opposing the Vietnam 292 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 3: War in April of nineteen sixty seven. For the very 293 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,959 Speaker 3: last year. They wait and get him when he proposes 294 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 3: on December fourth, nineteen sixty seven to the Poor People's Campaign, 295 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 3: where he wants to bring black and white people who 296 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 3: are stricken by poverty to the nation's capital and to 297 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 3: demand that the country, you know, write the check to 298 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 3: the people out in their backyard versus an a war. 299 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 3: I think that the story that we've been given for 300 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 3: the past fifty three years is just fictional. It's laughable 301 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,399 Speaker 3: in certain areas that this limon was sold to the 302 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 3: American public, that this insignificant man is James Olray was 303 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 3: able to kill Martin Luther King Junior standing on the 304 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 3: balcony of a Memphis hotel room, and to flee and 305 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 3: get away untouched, not once. At the end of the day, 306 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 3: when we look at it, the people who hated him 307 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 3: the most yetbi who was committed to discrediting him, to 308 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 3: destroy him, who urged him to commit suicide in January 309 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty five, are the same people responsible for investigating 310 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 3: his death. If that's done a disservice to justice in 311 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 3: this country, I don't know it is. And I feel 312 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 3: that the story will never rest, and I will never 313 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 3: rest until we get it to the bottom of it, 314 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 3: until we give the justice that's due and served to 315 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 3: doctor King's family into history. 316 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 5: One of my court reporters was down at the Shelby 317 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 5: County Courthouse and said there was a British English producer 318 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 5: named Jack Saltman there and he was going to be 319 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 5: doing this teletrial that never occurred, the trial of James 320 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 5: Earl Ray. I thought it was a hoax at first, 321 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 5: but I threw on my coat, ran down seven blocks 322 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 5: on a cold winter's day, and there was Jack Saltman 323 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 5: with contract in hand. He said, I need a real 324 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 5: time court reporting for this trial I'm doing. It's going 325 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 5: to be a real trial for all intents and purposes, 326 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 5: but it will have no judicial weight. Trial of James 327 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 5: Earl Ray is what it was called. 328 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: I'm in Memphis, a block away from the Formula Rainbow 329 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 2: Tel talking to Brian de Minski, who is a court 330 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 2: reporter and someone who has lived in Memphis. 331 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 5: For most of his life. 332 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: For the last three decades, he's had a front row 333 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 2: seat for some of the more important events in the 334 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,120 Speaker 2: ongoing challenge to the story of how Martin Luther King 335 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 2: was murdered. As we just heard, Brian's entrance into the 336 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,719 Speaker 2: case began when he offered himself as a court reporter 337 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 2: to an English producer who was attempting to stage a. 338 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 5: Mock trial of James Earl Ray. 339 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,919 Speaker 2: The trial was to mimic in all possible ways a 340 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 2: real trial, with a retired federal judge presiding, attorneys arguing 341 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 2: both sides, and an impartial jury to hear the evidence 342 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 2: and to come to a verdict. This is in nineteen 343 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 2: ninety three. An edited tape of the trial was televised 344 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 2: on HBO on the twenty fifth anniversary of the murder 345 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 2: of Martin Luther King. 346 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 5: It was a little surreal doing my job as a 347 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 5: court reporter, but so that my left is a track 348 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 5: with a journey on it and a big television camera 349 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,479 Speaker 5: filming me. It was cool stuff. I enjoyed it. 350 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:48,360 Speaker 8: And who were the attorneys involved? 351 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 5: Bill Pepper, William Pepper and Pickman Ewing Junior, who was 352 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 5: our United States District Attorney for the Western District of 353 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 5: Tennessee prior to that he had left that post and 354 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 5: they hired him as the prosecutor against versus Bill. James 355 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 5: Rolry tested via satellite for two full days and one 356 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 5: of the days was a vigorous cross examination by Hickman 357 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 5: Ewing Jr. The jury was sequestered every evening. It was 358 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 5: done airtight, better than the ones that I actually would 359 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:19,719 Speaker 5: handle in my other court reporting life. 360 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 2: And for our listeners who were not in class that day, 361 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 2: what was the result of the trial. 362 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 5: That Ray was not guilty of the assassination of Martin 363 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 5: Luther King? 364 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 2: Okay, so tell us about Bill Pepper? What was he like? 365 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 5: He was very difficult during that entire time. He was frankly, 366 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 5: he was an ass to everybody. And as you and 367 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 5: I know, he's a charming, wonderful man. But during that 368 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,479 Speaker 5: trial it was so intense because he was having his 369 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 5: shot now. He was extremely intense and he was difficult 370 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 5: to everybody. He even made his co consul cry during 371 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 5: the trial. April Ferguson made her cry because I don't 372 00:21:58,119 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 5: know what the issue was, so she left the table 373 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 5: during one of the days in tears. 374 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,120 Speaker 8: Did you feel going into the HBO trial that there 375 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 8: was something wrong with the King murder or did you 376 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 8: basically think that Ray had done ed? What was your 377 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 8: mindset before you went in or did it change during 378 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 8: the trial. 379 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 5: I had an open mind. As the days unfolded, though, 380 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 5: I was just astounded at what I didn't know and 381 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:22,719 Speaker 5: then what I was learning. 382 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 8: What witnesses stick out in your mind from that trial, Well, 383 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 8: there's there's Lieutenant Hamby who is sent to a coroner 384 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 8: of Francisco's office to pick up the slug and bring 385 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 8: it back to Director Holloman's office, the head of Fire 386 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 8: in place of Memphis. 387 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 5: He saw it was an intact bullet. And now even 388 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 5: at the Civil Rights Museum across the street from where 389 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 5: we're at, there was this three fragments of a bullet. 390 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 5: I recall they were going to put Lloyd Jowers on 391 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 5: the stand. I think he actually was on the stand, 392 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 5: and there were certain questions that Judge Frankel said, we're 393 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 5: not going there. You're not going to ask this. Well, 394 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 5: Pepper tried to ask it anyway. He asked, mister Jowers, well, 395 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 5: you know what were you doing behind your bar and 396 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 5: grilla in that day? And Judge Frankel said, you'll see 397 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 5: me in chambers right now. And they went into the chambers, 398 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 5: hic Youing and Jowers, lawyer Lewis Garrison and Bill and 399 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 5: they came back out and they took Jowers off the stand. 400 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 8: Frankel had some objection to asking Jowers whether he was 401 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 8: involved or what he might have been doing. 402 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 5: Correct now. During the HbA trial is when I first 403 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 5: saw the photograph of the open window where they alleged 404 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 5: ray what fired the shot from in the rooming house. 405 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 5: Sergeant Papia testified and he said that he came upon 406 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 5: the scene at approximately six point thirty and goes up 407 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 5: to the rooming house and then requisitions a photographer to 408 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 5: come up there. So that's the exact position of the window. 409 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 5: And in the Civil Rights Museum there is a photograph 410 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 5: of that on the wall. And when you look at 411 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 5: that window, it is open. We couldn't go in the 412 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 5: bathroom and measure it three four inches max. If you 413 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 5: take the Remington game Master with scope and you put 414 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 5: it into that window sill, the scope then a butts 415 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,120 Speaker 5: into the wood of the window sill. That's the first 416 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 5: time I came across that evidence. After the HBO trial, 417 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 5: we left shaking hands and he went on his way. 418 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 5: I went on my way, thinking I'd never hear from 419 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 5: him again. About three years later, he calls me up 420 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 5: out of the blue and says, I need to use 421 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 5: your services and your conference room, Brian, and I want 422 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 5: you to be the court reporter. We have another trial 423 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 5: coming up, a civil trial involving doctor King's death, and 424 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 5: this one will be in Shelby County Circuit Court, and 425 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 5: we need to take some depositions. Can you do that? 426 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 5: And of course I said yes, And it was a 427 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 5: different William Pepper this time around. I like to say 428 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 5: that once that aired on HBO and national television, it 429 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 5: shook things loose because people saw that and they said 430 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 5: I was there that day too, or I know this, 431 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 5: and they started contacting William Pepper or others saying I'd 432 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 5: like to come forth and give you my testimony of 433 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 5: what happened. So that was a real watershed event for 434 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 5: the case. 435 00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 8: So who did you depose? 436 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 5: We had a series of people like Glinda Grabo, the 437 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 5: captain of the fire station, Carthel Whedon, taxi drivers. We 438 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 5: deposed the Jowers. Although I didn't do Jowers deposition, one 439 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 5: of my associates did. At that day. A lot of 440 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 5: the people that appear in the ninety nine trial were deposed. First. 441 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 8: Now, you said you deposed Glinda Grabo. Tell me about 442 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 8: Glenda Grabo, Well. 443 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 5: She was extremely nervous. She was going to testify a trial, 444 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 5: but she became ill. She didn't want to take the 445 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 5: stand in a public forum. But she did give her deposition. 446 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 5: It speaks for itself. But she tied in the fact 447 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 5: that she knew Raoul the operative that we had learned 448 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 5: that was raised operative leading him around the country. 449 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 8: I'm kind of interested in your perception of her as 450 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 8: a person. Did she have some reason to come and 451 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 8: make up a story that you're aware of? 452 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 5: I sensed her she was fearing for her life just 453 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 5: giving her deposition. I mean, she was extremely nervous, and 454 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 5: Pepper had a kind of draw out from her by 455 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,439 Speaker 5: this point that William Pepper is representing the King family, 456 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 5: not James Alray. They've come to him and they said, 457 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 5: you know, we know you're onto something. We believe what 458 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 5: you've got. We'd like to retain you for the civil trial. 459 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 5: What was it like. 460 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 8: I don't know being there with Coreta Scott King. 461 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 5: I'm not a big spiritual person, but when Missus King, 462 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 5: she was the first witness when she took the stand, 463 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 5: the jury hadn't come out yet, and the core reporters 464 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 5: spot was right in front of the witness stand, so 465 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 5: Missus King was standing there and I introduced myself and 466 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 5: we chatted for a moment, and she had this angelic 467 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 5: glow about her, just a specially touched person. And again 468 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 5: I'm not spiritual, but she had just a glower aura 469 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 5: that she was unique. 470 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:42,719 Speaker 2: We are listening to a conversation that I had this 471 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,400 Speaker 2: past summer with court reporter Brian Domnski, who's been involved 472 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 2: in the King case in one way or another for 473 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 2: thirty years. He has told us how he was brought 474 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 2: in as court reporter for the nineteen ninety three hbo 475 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 2: Mont trial, which found James Earl Ray not guilty of 476 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 2: murdering Martin Luther King. Now we served the same function 477 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 2: in the nineteen ninety nine civil trial King Family versus Showers, 478 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 2: which found that doctor King had been killed by a conspiracy. 479 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 2: But in the twenty plus years following the civil trial, 480 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 2: Dominski participated in or was witnessed to a half dozen 481 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 2: events that brought new understanding to the murder of doctor King. 482 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 2: One of those events was something Dominski did on his own, 483 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 2: the publication of the entire transcript of the ninety nine 484 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 2: civil trial. 485 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 5: It took me a good five years because I was 486 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 5: fearful too that if I put this out, particularly under 487 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 5: my name in Memphis I'd have lawyers saying I'm never 488 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,400 Speaker 5: using Dominski again. I finally came to the conclusion. I said, 489 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 5: somebody's going to find this transcript in my attic one 490 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 5: day after I'm deceased and go, oh my god, this 491 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 5: is the ninety nine King trial, and then read it 492 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 5: and go, wait a second. They've just proved that it 493 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 5: wasn't James, all right. 494 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 2: The book is titled The Thirteenth Juror, and anyone can 495 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 2: buy it online. It is seven hundred and fifty pages, 496 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 2: a complete record of the civil trial, and it was 497 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 2: a has helped me in the making of this podcast. 498 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 2: Another unique contribution by Domnski was his in depth interview 499 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 2: of Lewis Garrison, the lawyer for the self confessed conspirator 500 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 2: Lloyd Jowers. 501 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,959 Speaker 5: So we have Lewis Garrison, who represented Lloyd Jowers from 502 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 5: approximately nineteen seventy two, and he was his lawyer for 503 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 5: the HBO trial. He was a lawyer for the ninety 504 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 5: nine trial. I know Lewis. He's a Memphis lawyer. I'd 505 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 5: known him over the years. We would chat about the 506 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 5: case because we both intimately involved. So in twenty seventeen, 507 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 5: Lewis calls me he says, Brian, because of your involvement 508 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 5: in the case and being licensed corport as stenographer, I'd 509 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 5: like you to come to my office. I want to 510 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 5: tell you everything I know. Lewis is about eighty nine 511 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 5: at this point eighty seven, and I don't know if 512 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 5: it's a Catharsis or what. But I videoed it as well, 513 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 5: since wasn't an illegal proceeding pending anymore, I just called 514 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 5: it a video affidavit of Lewis Garrison not attaching in 515 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 5: I llegal proceeding. But yet I swore him in under oath, 516 00:28:57,840 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 5: and he being a member of the Memphis barr he 517 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 5: felt that oath was binding. And he testified for about 518 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 5: an hour and a half and he spoke of everything 519 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 5: that mister Jowers had told him over the years as 520 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 5: his lawyer. But he said the Jowers had received one 521 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 5: hundred thousand dollars from mister Loberto and bought the cab 522 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 5: company shortly some time after the assassination, and how he 523 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 5: could have never done that owning a greasy spoon bar 524 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 5: and grill, and he didn't have one hundred thousand dollars 525 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 5: to buy that. And Lewis Garrison said he bought the 526 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 5: cab company with the money he got for acting as 527 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 5: the facilitator. Lewis had said when Lloyd Jowers passing away 528 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 5: on his deathbed, he called Lewis up and the day 529 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 5: before he died he told Lewis that yes, I was 530 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 5: a shooter. Now, that's in juxtaposition to two other stories 531 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 5: that we know. 532 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 2: Dominski was also in the room with Bill Pepper and 533 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 2: Martin king Thid for the two thousand and three sworn 534 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 2: deposition of Lenny Curtis. 535 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 5: Lenny Curtis was a janitor at the MPD shooting range 536 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 5: and Jim and on the day of the assassination. Lenny 537 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 5: Curtis testified that Frank Strauser had came in early that 538 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 5: day and was carrying a rifle and went down to 539 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 5: the shooting range and was constantly firing away. Around noon, 540 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 5: Director Hollman, Mayor Loeb and two people he doesn't know 541 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 5: in suits and ties come and meet with Frank Strauser 542 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 5: in a conference room. He's next door sweeping. He's trying 543 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 5: to listen in and he doesn't quite pick up on 544 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 5: what they're talking about, but they leave. Strausser then goes 545 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 5: and practices a little longer and then leaves in a 546 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 5: sports car with the rifle. 547 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 2: As we heard Curtis tell us in episode eleven, he 548 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 2: felt certain that Strausser was intending to shoot doctor King. 549 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 2: Curtis tried to call a minister he knew to pass 550 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 2: the warning along, but he couldn't get through. Curtis told 551 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 2: his story in the presence of Martin King II, with 552 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 2: a promise that no one could listen to it or 553 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 2: even hear of it until after he had died. But 554 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 2: after Curtis did die, Bill Pepper sought out Frank Strausser 555 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 2: and offered him five hundred if he would have. 556 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 5: Lunch with him. 557 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 2: Strausser agrees, and the two men meet and Brian Demnsky 558 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 2: is sitting at a nearby table. 559 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 5: Ahead of time. Bill asked that I have him wired 560 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 5: for sound, and we did a rudimentary attempt at that 561 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,479 Speaker 5: recorder in his pocket, but Bill welcomed him and they 562 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 5: sat down and they had about a forty five minute 563 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 5: chat about what life was like in nineteen sixty eight 564 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 5: in Memphis and that sort of thing. 565 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 2: In episode eleven, you can hear our recreation of Pepper's 566 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 2: conversation with Frank Strausser that Brian de Minsky overheard and 567 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 2: taped via recorder in Bill Pepper's shirt pocket. Dominski was 568 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 2: also in the room, this time as a court reporter. 569 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: During the stunning seven hours sworn deposition by Ronnie Lee Atkins. 570 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 5: Ronnie Lee was a fascinating interesting man. He was an 571 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 5: iron horseman, biker and his family. They were the Dixie 572 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,600 Speaker 5: Mafia family, not mafia as an Italian mafia. Dixie Mafias 573 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 5: in Southern tough guys that do things, illicit things, and 574 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 5: they still exist. He gave his deposition for seven hours. 575 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 5: At first I was skeptical. He almost looked like Hulk Hogan. 576 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 5: He's had this flowing hair, big mustache. I had to 577 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 5: be two eighty but really built strong. But as he 578 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,720 Speaker 5: gave his testimony over those seven hours, he had so 579 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 5: many intricate Memphis facts. No, he's from Memphis, so it's understandable, 580 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 5: but he had so much detail that he couldn't have 581 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 5: possibly made this up. Bill. He was telling the story 582 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 5: of his life and his family's life back in the day. 583 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 2: As we were beginning to pack up, I asked Brian 584 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 2: Demnsky if looking back, he felt encouraged by all the 585 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 2: people that have braved the storm and come forward and 586 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 2: all the evidence they have brought with them, or was 587 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 2: he discouraged by how immune to it all the lie 588 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 2: surrounding King's murder seemed to be he was upbeat. 589 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 5: Pepper would like this, I'm a wax poetic, but doctor 590 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 5: King used to like to quote the truth crushed Earth 591 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 5: will rise again. So as the years passed, it is rising. 592 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 5: It's coming out. But we're not totally there now. The 593 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 5: ninety nine Trials a wonderful template, and there's more, of course, 594 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 5: the weave on Earth, and there's still a little bit 595 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 5: more that we don't have, but we did a pretty 596 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 5: good job of those two trials. 597 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 2: This is Bill Klaber, creator of the MLK Tapes. Before 598 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 2: we walk away from the podcast, I wanted to play 599 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 2: the interviews you just heard of two people who have 600 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 2: had a front row seat as this story has played 601 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 2: out in Memphis. For most of us, the murder of 602 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 2: Martin Luther King is something that took place over fifty 603 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 2: years ago, but for Ryan Jones and Brian Deminski, it 604 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 2: is a battle between truth and lies that is still 605 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 2: very much alive today. If you are with us this far, 606 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,239 Speaker 2: I would like to think that you now know a 607 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 2: great deal more about the murder of Martin Luther King 608 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 2: than you did before, and considering the importance of the 609 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 2: man murdered, I hope that feels odd to you, and 610 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 2: it should, because US Americans think King was killed by 611 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 2: alone assassin driven by racial hatred. They think this because 612 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 2: for fifty years, the American media has seen fit to 613 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,759 Speaker 2: champion the single corrupt story that was provided to them 614 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 2: and to allow for nothing else. So, for example, if 615 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 2: you have written a book that challenges the official version 616 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: of this crime, as Bill Pepper has done, your book, 617 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 2: no matter how carefully vetted, will not even be reviewed. 618 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 2: Polite people don't talk about the. 619 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:30,919 Speaker 5: Murder of doctor King. 620 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 2: But podcasts offer a way around those gatekeepers. So we 621 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,280 Speaker 2: have put the evidence as we know it into audio 622 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 2: episodes and shot them out into the ether, where from 623 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:41,760 Speaker 2: now on. 624 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 5: Anyone can access them. 625 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 2: Anyone can hear how Percy Foreman was paid to make 626 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 2: sure that James Earl Ray pled guilty, and they can 627 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 2: ask themselves how did this happen and why? And of course, 628 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,720 Speaker 2: none of this could have happened if Bill Pepper hadn't 629 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,839 Speaker 2: decided to investigate the murder of his friend Martin King, 630 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:02,800 Speaker 2: so I want to thank Bill again for those efforts 631 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 2: and for his bravery. I also want to thank Donald 632 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:10,240 Speaker 2: Albright and Jamie Olbright of Tenderfoot TV, and Matt Frederick 633 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 2: and Trevor Young of iHeartMedia for the belief and the 634 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 2: importance of this story and for their confidence in me. 635 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 2: I'm grateful for their exceptional talent and for the spirit 636 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 2: they brought with it. It's not every day that one 637 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 2: gets to shatter a lie as big as this one. 638 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 9: Thanks for listening to The MLK Tapes, a production of 639 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 9: iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV. This podcast is not specifically endorsed 640 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 9: by the King Family or the King of State. The 641 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 9: MLK Tapes is written and hosted by Bill Clayber, Matt Frederick, 642 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 9: and Alex Williams our executive producers on behalf of iHeartRadio, 643 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:52,480 Speaker 9: with producers Trevor Young and Jesse Fonk. Donald Albright and 644 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 9: Payne Lindsay are executive producers on behalf of Tenderfoot TV, 645 00:35:55,920 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 9: with producers Jamie Albright and Meredith Dedman. Original music by 646 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 9: Makeup and Vanity Set. Cover art by Mister Soul two 647 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 9: one six with photography by Artemis Jenkins. Special thanks to 648 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 9: Owin Rosenbaum and Grace Royer at UTA, the Nord Group, 649 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:16,839 Speaker 9: Beck Median Marketing, Envision Business Management, and Station sixteen. If 650 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 9: you have questions, you can visit our website, the emailktapes 651 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 9: dot com. We posted photos and videos related to the 652 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 9: podcast on our social media accounts. You can check them 653 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 9: out at the emailk Tapes. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio 654 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 9: and Tenderfoot TV, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 655 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 9: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,