The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More than just a civil rights leader, King had become a moral force challenging the very foundations of power in America—opposing segregation, poverty, and the Vietnam War. By 1968, he was no longer simply calling for civil rights; he was demanding economic justice and denouncing American militarism. He had made powerful enemies, and the FBI was watching him closely. When he arrived in Memphis to support the striking sanitation workers, he was already being tracked, photographed, and monitored. Days later, he would be dead—shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel by an alleged lone gunman, James Earl Ray.

This episode traces King’s final months, his growing isolation, the hostile political atmosphere, and the tense buildup to his trip to Memphis. It explores the garbage strike that brought him there, the failed marches, the growing fears among his team, and the chilling tone of his final speech—“I may not get there with you.”

Then comes the killing. The shot. The chaos. The manhunt. We follow James Earl Ray’s mysterious journey: his escape from prison, his aliases, his global flight path, and his ultimate capture in London. But with every mile, the questions only deepen. How did an escaped convict with no known connections evade capture for months? Who helped him? And why did he later claim he was set up?

In the final hour, the episode dives deep into the murky waters of conspiracy. Was Ray a patsy? Did government agencies—either actively or passively—allow King to be killed? Why did the FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, wage a years-long campaign to discredit him? And why did a 1999 civil trial conclude that there was a conspiracy involving multiple parties?

Packed with historical context, rare details, and a careful look at both official narratives and dissenting voices, The MLK Assassination confronts the uncomfortable possibility that the full truth about King’s death has yet to be told. This is not just a story about who pulled the trigger—it’s a story about power, fear, and a country that never fully reckoned with the price of silencing its prophets.

Originally released in 3 separate parts in January of 2024

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