but it didn't end for james earl ray. because after james earl ray shot martin luther king on that balcony in memphis in 1968, he got away. he got in his car, drive away. drove back to atlanta. spent three more days driving north. he crossed the u.s. border into canada. he stayed in canada for a month. somehow got himself at least one fake passport there. he through to europe. spent some time in portugal of all places. ended up in london. it wasn't until two months after he assassinated martin luther king that james earl ray was finally arrested. he was arrested at the airport in london, as he was preparing to fly on to another country. james earl ray was extradited back to the united states to face trial. he admitted he did it. he confessed. pled guilty. he was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the assassination of martin luther king. but then a couple of things of note happened thereafter. one thing to note that happened thereafter, he escaped from prison. he had previously been an escapee and even after he was sentenc

and in the spring of 1968, james earl ray moved to atlanta. he had been moving on the west coast, he moved to atlanta where martin luther king lived, and where he preached at this church james or earl ray appears to have gone to atlanta specifically in pursuit of dr. king. and in april of 1968, king took a trip to -- memphis tennessee. it was widely publicized that he was going to do, and he went to memphis to support these striking sanitation workers there. james earl ray followed martin luther king to memphis, and he killed him there. he shot and killed dr. king as king stood on the balcony of a motel. and for much of america, it must have seemed like time stopped in that moment. part of our history absolutely did stop in that moment. but it did not and for james earl ray, because after he shot martin luther king on that balcony in memphis in 1968. he got away. he got in his car, drove away, drove back to atlanta where he had been living. and he spent three more days driving north. he strove into canada, he stayed in canada for a month. someh

the man who killed him was james earl ray, seen here in handcuffs. d out of the army in the late '40s. he was at of prison for years. he escaped from prison in

martin luther king the man who killed him was james earl ray, seen here in handcuffs. gationist. he was a real racist. he was kicked out of the army in the late '40s. he'd been in and out of prison for years. he'd actually escaped from prison in missouri, in 1967, the year before he killed king. he spent time in mexico. spent time in california. by 1968, he was reportedly intoxicated with the reactionary campaign of george wallace, the segregationist alabama governor, who ran for president in 1968 on an anti-civil rights,

the man who killed him was james oral ray, seen here in handcuffs. james earl h