James Earl Ray Loses Bid to Die Outside Prison
Tennessee has denied James Earl Ray’s request to move in with his brother so he won’t die behind bars, authorities said. The convicted killer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has terminal liver disease.
Ray asked in October for a medical furlough, granted to inmates who are in “imminent danger of death.” His request was denied Dec. 5, a prison spokeswoman said.
She cited “security reasons and concerns” for the denial, but she declined to elaborate or say whether Ray is in immediate danger of dying.
Ray confessed shortly after King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. He quickly recanted and has been fighting for a trial ever since.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
