TELEVISION - April 6, 1993

The Verdict’s In: James Earl Ray, serving a 99-year sentence for the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was found “not guilty” by a jury at the conclusion of a three-hour mock trial on HBO Sunday night. The jury reached its unanimous verdict after 10 hours of deliberation. The $3-million HBO production, filmed during a 10-day “trial” in a Memphis courtroom to mark the 25th anniversary of King’s assassination, featured real prosecutors and defense attorneys, a retired federal judge and a witness list that included Ray himself testifying via satellite from his Nashville prison. Ray pleaded guilty to the murder in 1969 and was sentenced to prison without a trial. He subsequently recanted. After watching the cablecast from prison, Ray, 65, said: “I am pleased that finally an independent jury has examined the state’s case and found me not guilty. I hope this will lead to a declassification of all records held . . . and that I will eventually be set free.”