John M. Branion; Wife Killer Was Physician to Rev. King, Amin

John Marshall Branion, 64, a doctor convicted of killing his wife and who served as physician to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Branion was convicted in 1968 of killing his wife, Donna, and was sentenced to 20 to 30 years for murder. He fled to Uganda while his case was under appeal. He served as Idi Amin’s doctor until he was arrested in 1983 and returned to the United States to serve his prison term. Earlier, Branion was King’s personal doctor whenever the civil rights leader was in Chicago. Branion suffered from a brain tumor and heart ailment. Last month, Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson commuted his sentence to time served. In Chicago on Sept. 8.