Truth At Last: The Untold Story Behind James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

by John Larry Ray, Lyndon Barsten

A re-examination of the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., argues that convicted killer James Earl Ray did not act alone, offers a look at Ray's life, his encounters with the feds and the mob, and the crime itself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

211 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conspirators in the federal government funded a Mafia "hit" on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. according to this book, co-written by the brother of James Earl Ray. John Larry Ray says that his little brother was not racist, was not stalking Dr. King, and did not shoot him. Instead, he was the patsy in a Mafia-style assassination conducted with the knowledge and assistance of the FBI. John Ray says his brother was the victim of mind-control experiments in the Army and turned to crime after his discharge. He was later allowed to escape from prison, given thousands of dollars, and employed as a diamond smuggler by people working for the CIA, FBI and organized crime. This story has blackmail, crooked prosecutors, bank robbers, a body-double, a Nazi hypnotist… Who needs fiction? My only complaint is that it suffers from a few clichés of Conspiracy Land, for example the over-use of leading questions to imply information the author doesn't have. This is the rhetorical style of wing-nuts and could easily be cut without damaging the book's tell-all purpose. John Larry Ray has personal knowledge about the assassination of Dr. King and also went to prison shortly after his brother did because he says that he knew too much about the case. At one point in prison, the two bothers were bunked together and John had his chance to ask James why he plead guilty if he says he didn't do it, and who really killed King? Truth At Last is a sincere attempt to set the record straight and answers these questions.

[Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a good conspiracy theory book, but this is not one. A sloppy mish-mash of memories and anecdotes and justifications for all sorts of bad behavior.

And then we're supposed to believe his claims about his brother being framed, which I think is probably true, but not because of this book.

[Adam Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy can't answer nor write anything straight if his life depended on it. Everything is a frame job, someone else's mistake or misunderstanding, and he repeatedly says what a decent person his brother James is while telling us how he continually breaks the law, associates with the mob and other criminals, lies, obfuscates, and generally engages in questionable behavior (read deviant) at the drop of a hat.
One of the thing that bugs me to no end is his interchangable usage of James and Jimmy when talking about his brother. Additionally, whenever he or his brother enter a room everyone is named John, James, Mike, or Joe. Leafs to confusion.
Bottom line there's a reason why this guy's eyes are brown...

[Ice · Rating 3 out of 5]

An innocent, brain-washed "patsy," not a racist killer: that's the verdict on James Earl Ray delivered by this rambling, aggrieved King-assassination conspiracy theory (published in time for the 40th anniversary of King's murder). John Larry Ray, James's brother, assisted by King-assassination researcher Barsten, detects the hidden hand of "the feds" and the Mafia orchestrating James's misadventures, from his 1948 shooting of a black soldier (probably induced by a federal "mind-control experiment"), to his long criminal career and pre-assassination wanderings at the direction of mystery-man Raul.

The authors' flimsy proofs include glitches in James's military records that supposedly hint at CIA links; alleged associations with hypnotists; anecdotes about his fondness for African-Americans; dubious ballistics data; and an assassination-eve meeting of the two brothers in which James brooded murkily about a set-up. Alas, the author's attempts to discern a sinister master-plan-a string of grocery-store robberies, they conjecture, was an intelligence "operation" to get James "held in a prison for possible use later"-fall flat. Also an apologia for John's own extensive rap sheet ("I was wrongly accused of trying to blow up the warden's office with nitroglycerine"), the book fails to inflate the Ray brothers' sad picaresque into grand injustice.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 4 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “JAMES EARL RAY: CIA/FBI/MAFIA “PATSY” OR MARTIN LUTHER KING ASSASSIN?”
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I must start off this review by stating for the record that I have never been one of those “CONSPIRACY NUTS”. In fact I have never even paid such claims a second thought. I even made fun of Oliver Stone. But the detail provided in this book by James Earl Ray’s brother, John Larry Ray and Lyndon Barsten, a lay historian is quite compelling! John takes the reader all the way back through the entire history of the Ray family, “warts” and all. In fact the “warts” (criminal activity) are an essential element that adds veracity to the conspiratorial intersection of the CIA, FBI, Mafia and the United States Government. Aiding John’s real-life firsthand knowledge regarding the people, organizations and events that culminated in Martin Luther King’s (MLK) assassination is Lyndon’s expert use of the “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT” (FOIA) which freed up TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW PAGES OF NEW MATERIALS ON THE MLK ASSASSINATION.
When James went into the Army he became a military policeman “for a year and a half in the 382nd MP Battalion. Later, he joined a new organization largely formed out of the old OSS, (Office of Strategic Services) which had been the Army’s wartime intelligence service”, but after 1947, the outfit was generally known as the CIA. “When James joined the Central Intelligence Agency, he was given a new U.S. Army serial number.” James involvement in the Army with the OSS/CIA and his civilian criminal contacts would haunt and control him for the rest of his life. James would later say: “When you join the OSS, it’s like joining the Mafia, you never leave.” According to the authors, the CIA is probably the closest thing to a worldwide Mafia that ever existed. James was assigned a “handler” that would manipulate and direct him the rest of his life. “James would frequently say that when he joined the Army, it put him on the road to ruin. From the time he left the service in 1948 until his death in 1998, James Earl Ray spent forty-three of those fifty years in prison.” In my opinion, if it wasn’t for the FOIA the things I’m about to tell you would seem like science fiction. “Documents clearly indicate that the CIA was busy trying to reprogram people, and it was doing it in 1948. Several thousand mostly financial documents on mind control, drugs, and many other subjects the public would consider crazy survived a document-destruction project ordered by the director of Central Intelligence, Richard Helms, and Sidney Gottlieb, head of mind control studies, as they left the CIA in 1973. Today you can get the surviving several thousand pages of CIA mind control documents on three CD’s that detail the bizarre experiments done in the name of “national security.” The Army had their own programs that paralleled the CIA’s: tens of thousands of surviving government documents detail, among other subjects, how they endeavored to create HUMAN ROBOTS to be used as killing machines. The CIA’s own documents say it best. This document, “Hypnosis and Covert Operations” (written May 5, 1955) is released through the FOIA by the CIA as MORI 428311.” “The CIA’s MK-Ultra brainwashing program included feeding Army soldier’s mescaline, sodium pentothal, depressants, amphetamines and LSD both on base and at local bars.”
On many of the occasions that the post-military James was ordered to report to his “handler” he was directed to smuggle weapons in and out of Mexico. The potential reader should be made aware that the CIA and FBI had a very close working relationship with the Mafia. “They used the Mob for clandestine operations so that they could maintain plausible deniability if the operation went wrong.” Just a few of the documented examples are Lucky Luciano in World War II and the planned assassination of Castro in Cuba. So because of James’s relationship with certain mob figures, when he met his “handler” in the time leading up to the MLK assassination he was led to believe he was going to be a “wheel-man” in a diamond heist. (In fact one of the hardest things for the government to cover-up was the money they gave James to keep him available and indebted to them when the conspiracy was questioned years later.) He was even directed to buy the rifle that the government would attempt to say killed MLK. The flophouse bathroom that the government said James shot MLK from was proven to be too narrow to fit the length of the rifle in at the proper angle without James either making a ten-inch-deep hole through the wall or hanging out of the window.
It gets more insane from there as FOIA documents later proved that while James was given a lawyer from a government approved list, the FBI was secretly giving an author bogus incriminating evidence about James to be published in “LOOK” and “LIFE” magazine before James ever got his “fair” trial. By this time Coretta Scott King “was now openly and publicly beginning to discuss her suspicions of government conspiracy in her husband’s death and in the death of her brother-in-law.” Add to this, Judges about to approve an appeal dying of heart attacks, new lawyers handling James’s case dying of heart attacks, and witnesses dying of heart attacks. NOTE: “One of the most common methods used by intelligence agencies for murder is HEART ATTACKS!” There is so much more documented detail in this expose that even if you start reading this book with a closed-mind… by the end of this book it will be opened to the possibility that…???

[Walt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am willing to believe that James Earl Ray was a patsy. Even the King Family believes he did not kill MLK. But this book probably does more to harm that perception than merely staying silent. The title implies that Ray's brother will reveal who killed MLK....It was the government. This book ticks off most stylistic devices used by extreme conspiracy theorists: mass data flung at the reader, poor organization, leading questions without answers, mystery men, questionable data and logic, and misdirection.

I picked up this book because of my interest in organized crime. It is through this lens, rather than interest in the assassination, that I review this book. I knew that St. Louis mob figure John Paul Spica was a cellmate of James Earl Ray, and I wondered if there was any further connection between them before or after prison. Spica testified before a Congressional committee investigating the MLK Assassination shortly before his death. The author of this book asks if the Government might have killed Spica because of his testimony. The book was published in 2008, so the barest research would reveal that Spica was killed in a dispute between organized crime factions. There are informants, recordings, and convictions resulting from that murder.

Spica is barely mentioned in this book. However, Ray fixates on another mobster, James "OB" O'Brien, allegedly affiliated with the Wortman organization in East St. Louis. I say allegedly because the vast data available on the Wortman Gang does not mention this guy. It is possible that he was one of the lesser-known gangsters; but Ray portrays him as an important guy in Wortman's group - even operating a gambling concession next to Wortman's headquarters. He certainly does not appear to be in Wortman's inner circle. Also, Ray indicates that OB disappeared shortly after the MLK Assassination. However, Wortman's FBI files does not mention anything of the sort. Normally, if a mobster disappears or is killed, it lights up on the FBI's radar. Nothing.

But OB is a crucial connection in Ray's outlandish conspiracy. According to this book, the CIA and FBI were such good friends with the Chicago Mafia, they paid them a lot of money to kill MLK. The Chicago Mob passed the buck to their East St. Louis representative (Wortman) who passed it on to OB, who contacted James Earl Ray - a petty criminal with only fringe connections to the mob - to kill MLK. Or, the CIA used mind control powers to manipulate Ray. Actually, the CIA began using Ray for mind control experiments in post-War Europe where Ray allegedly shot an African-American serviceman named "Washington" (never further identified) and maintained some sort of control and surveillance over Ray until 1968. Good grief!

I have little knowledge of the MLK Assassination. This is my first dive into that rabbit hole. I cannot critically assess much of what is written because I am utterly confused by the data that is flung at me on each page. Organization could have helped this project immensely. Slowing down and explaining the plethora of connections may have helped. Ray does not even reference that mock trial the King Family orchestrated for Ray in the late 1990s. The evidence against Ray appears to have been spotty at best. But he confessed to the crime because another mysterious government agent threatened to reveal the "Washington" shooting in Europe. Huh? That is it.

Overall, this is a (mercifully) short book riddled with errors and misdirection. It describes the pattern of illegal behavior for James Earl Ray and the whole Ray Family. It clearly makes a case that no government conspiracy would hand over wads of cash to the mob to nudge Ray to Memphis, especially if they had been controlling and monitoring him for decades, just in case???? I do not recommend.

[Kaylee Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not an academic work, more like one man's story, but I found it really credible. If you are afraid to think that the government could murder people, you won't believe it.

I was introduced to this book because the information in it is found in much of Jesse Ventura's 'American Conspiracies' in the MLK chapter, and I wanted to know more. I have been told that if you want to know about the JFK murder read 'Harvey and Lee'. If you want to know about the MLK murder read 'Murkin Conspiracy' or 'Truth At Last'. I do wish someone would take much of the information in this book and research it more into an academic book. Kind of a complex story, but it makes sense.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary to think of how the government and the Mafia probably worked together and the power that they had together. John Larry Ray, now an old man, reveals his memories of the people and events relating to his brother, James Earl Ray, convicted killer of Martin Luther King, Jr.

I found it a little hard to read, but very interesting. There was so much detail and so many names. If I had the time to research all the names and events, it might be even more interesting.

I hope that some day, the American people are given the truth about all the assassinations.

[Heather Frame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not think I believed in conspiracy theories, until I read this book. It’s hard to believe some larger forces weren’t at play. The writing of the book is a little sporadic. It would’ve been helpful to have a timeline. It definitely seems like there wasn’t much of an investigation. And how did all of these people tied to this just keep dying? My next question, are we sure the moon landing was real? Seems suspicious that they managed to broadcast live TV from the moon in 1969 yet we still don’t have flying cars in 2022. I need NASA to do some explaining.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide how I feel about this book. I want to believe the guy, but the stories seem so bizarre, and I question how well the gov't can plan and maintain these types of conspiracies. Interesting read for sure, though by the end I had kind of lost track of who and what was going on, it was just really all over the place.

[Christopher Heckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

We find out from this book that James Early Ray and his family frequently use pseudonyms, they steal, they rob banks, JER's father was on the run from the law for sixty years, and have blood ties to the Mafia. But JER didn't kill MLK. Gotcha.

[Afum Kwasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

[Jon]

In this book John Larry Ray makes the case for his brother's innocence in the killing of Dr. King. Among the revelations: James Earl Ray was permanently traumatized by his Army experiences, including his involvement in the accidental death of a black soldier, and this may have led the Army to use him decades later as the patsy in MLK's assassination. Supposed "racist" James Earl lived and partied with blacks in New Orleans and LA and did not hate black people. The authorities who, according to John Ray, really killed MLK were surprised at the outpouring of grief resulting from his death--they truly had no idea of his iconic stature. Coretta Scott King, who'd questioned James Earl's guilt, was probably the intended target in the killing of Dr. King's mother in church. John Larry himself was imprisoned on bogus charges for knowing too much about the MLK business. In the finest tradition of American hick radicalism, Ray declares that his family motto has always been "Don't trust the government." Readers of this book are likely to adopt it as well.

[Reneemartinez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was utterly pathetic to me. It was a mash of memories that seemed to be screwed by the author. It was more of a tale about defending his brother then the actual so called "truth." Throughout this book John made far too many excuses for his so called sweet, loving, and unproblematic brother. When in actuality his brother was a liar a cheat and a stealer, whom had been in prison/jail more than twice. A family of criminals and this book tried and failed miserably in my opinion to show anything different. It most definitely seemed like one of those "I can't be racist I have a black friend" moments. Total eye roll of a book and took everything in me to finish it and not chuck it out a window.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

If what John Larry Ray says is true, then "the Feds" as he calls them are very adept at orchestrating scenarios with believable fall guys. The fact that alleged assassin of MLK Jr., James Earl Ray, had a less than honorable discharge from the army, a string of prison stints, and close associations with criminal elements makes him a likely suspect. John Larry's own background casts some doubt on his claims (that may be unfair), but the countless cast of characters in this conspiracy tale also make its validity questionable. It is interesting, and he does reveal some similarity between JER and LHO.

[Sue Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this book after visiting the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis while on holiday in Tennessee. It's not a subject I have ever given much thought to however I found it to be an interesting read. At times it was a little bit hard to keep track of all the details, people, dates, times etc but I'm glad that didn't stop me from finishing it. Whether or not the conspiracy theory is to be believed is up to the individual reader, however the writer does present enough evidence to leave one wondering if Ray really did act alone.

[Jamie]

Well thought out and interesting to learn about the other side of the story. It must have been so much work to get all of those FOIA documents to the surface! (Good job, Uncle Lyndi.) An intersting read for one who is open to listening to other information reguarding the subject of MLK's assasination.

[Tobias · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not convinced by the mass of multiple linked conspiracy theories around the assassination of Martin Luther King, but I think this account does succeed in throwing some doubt on the official version of events

[Lee Ann]

Nothing like a brother in prison justifying another brother's reasons operating in illegal activities. What a joke.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting ! Believable ?