Truer Crime — “Did the Government Kill Martin Luther King Jr.?”

Host: Celisia Stanton
Release Date: January 19, 2026 (MLK Day re-release)

Episode Overview

In this probing episode of Truer Crime, Celisia Stanton tackles the enduring and controversial question: Was the U.S. government involved in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? On the anniversary of the civil rights leader’s death—and in light of ongoing state violence—Celisia reexamines official narratives, uncovers buried trials, and asks why so many questions about that fateful day in Memphis have yet to be answered. Drawing parallels between the 1960s and present-day America, she encourages listeners to resist accepting sanitized history and to keep questioning.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Vulnerability and Foresight of Dr. King — The Final Days

• King’s anxiety and threats: In the days leading up to his assassination, King faced increasing threats, including a bomb scare on his flight to Memphis (5:00).
• Mountaintop Speech (07:25): King's prophetic words the night before his assassination echo his sense of imminent danger.
  • “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land...” (07:25)

2. Official Narrative: The Case Against James Earl Ray

• Main elements of the prosecution's case:

  • Rifle and fingerprints found near the scene (09:05).
  • Ray’s fugitive status, timeline, and confession.
  • “Case closed, right? Well, not quite.” (10:13)

• The King family’s doubts:

  • The 1997 prison meeting between Dexter King and James Earl Ray:
    • Dexter King: “Did you kill my father?” (10:23)
    • James Earl Ray: “No. I didn’t.” (10:25)
    • Dexter King: “I want you to know that I believe you, and my family believes you.” (10:28)

3. The 1999 Civil Trial — The Forgotten Verdict

• King Family v. Government Entities:

  • Coretta Scott King and family sued stating a conspiracy involving local, state, and federal agencies (12:50).

  • The jury, after a three-week trial and hearing from 70 witnesses, found the government to be part of a conspiracy—deliberating for just an hour (13:30).

  • Coretta Scott King’s statement:
    “This verdict is not only a great victory for my family, but also a great victory for America and a great victory for truth itself.” (13:51)
    “The jury was clearly convinced that a conspiracy of the Mafia, local, state and federal government agencies were deeply involved in the assassination of my husband.” (14:03)

• Media silence and public ignorance:

  • The trial received minimal media attention, and few Americans know about its outcome (12:30–14:30).

4. The Sidelining of King's Security in Memphis

• Security detail disbanded:
  • On King’s final trip, his usual all-Black police detail was replaced and then disbanded (16:50).
  • Two Black firefighters were also abruptly reassigned from the firehouse overlooking the Lorraine Motel (18:30).
  • Detective Ed Redditt was removed from his surveillance post due to claims of a threat against him—later determined to be unfounded (20:09).
  • Celisia’s reflection:
    “But it is weird, isn’t it, that King was casually left unprotected while the Secret Service seemed willing to pull out all the stops for a random police detective?” (23:18)

5. Challenging the Official Case Against Ray

• Background on Ray:

  • Petty thief, escapee, but no history of violence or white supremacist ties (24:48).
  • Ray’s claim: “Raul” orchestrated events—including purchasing the murder weapon and checking Ray into the boarding house (26:52).
  • Ray’s own lawyers believed in his innocence (26:36, 30:13).

• Plea deal under coercion:

  • Ray switched lawyers to Percy Foreman, who pressured him into pleading guilty—possibly as part of a broader effort to suppress a public trial (30:48–32:15).
  • Later, Foreman was indicted for a similar coercion/racketeering case, supported by large bribes from powerful individuals (32:15).

• Problems with the evidence:

  • Main eyewitness, Charlie Stevens, was intoxicated at the time and unreliable (35:35).
  • Ray’s alibi was supported by withheld FBI evidence, placing him away from the scene before the shooting (36:04).
  • The rifle could not be definitively matched to the fatal bullet, and the only forensics were circumstantial (38:50).

6. The Alternate Theories — Mafia & Local Conspiracy

• Jim’s Grill and Lloyd Jowers:

  • Eyewitness Betty Spaitz saw owner Jowers with a smoking rifle moments after the shooting, dirty knees, and acting panicked (41:20).

  • Jowers, on ABC in 1993, admitted he knew who was paid to kill King (42:24).

    • Sam Donaldson: “Did James Earl Ray kill Dr. Martin Luther King?”
    • Jowers: “No, he did not.” (42:24)
    • Sam Donaldson: “Do you know who killed Dr. King?”
    • Jowers: “I know who was paid to do it.” (42:33)

  • Jowers connected the conspiracy to Frank Liberto, a mob-connected Memphis businessman, and to “Raul” (43:00).

  • Jowers later wavered and refused to testify further—but came into unexplained wealth after the assassination.

• Corroborating stories:

  • Multiple witnesses claimed Liberto confessed to orchestrating the killing (49:35–51:00).
  • John McFerrin overheard Liberto, on April 4, telling someone to “Shoot the son of a bitch on the balcony” (51:00).

7. The Role of Federal Agencies — COINTELPRO and the FBI

• Systematic campaign against Dr. King:

  • The FBI (under J. Edgar Hoover) used surveillance, disinformation, and intimidation to undermine King (54:33).
  • Examples:
    • Breaking into his hotel rooms, wiretapping, spreading rumors in the press about his private life.
    • Sent King an anonymous letter urging his suicide (55:49).

• Culture of hostility and fear:

  • King called “the most dangerous Negro in America” by Hoover.
  • LBJ and J. Edgar Hoover were determined to ensure Ray pleaded guilty so the truth wouldn't become public (57:47).

• Money trails and pressure on the defense:

  • Testimony from H.L. Hunt’s assistant about a $125,000 bribe to Ray’s lawyer, Percy Foreman (59:10).
    • “I had a briefcase with $125,000 cash in it… 125,000 reasons why James Earl Ray should plead guilty to killing Martin Luther King.” (59:10)

8. Media Silence and Unresolved Questions

• Official stonewalling:

  • Critical witness statements dismissed because of contradictions—yet the state’s own case against Ray was equally “holey” (61:36).
  • Mainstream outlets described the King family’s findings as “unproven” or “conspiracy,” despite the legal verdict.

• Celisia’s reflection on history and justice:

  • “How are we supposed to trust the same justice system accused of being complicit in King's murder to Deliver us the truth about it?” (61:36)
  • Sanitized narratives about King, focusing only on his peacemaking—ignoring his radical economic vision and the state’s deep hostility—do his legacy a disservice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Dr. King didn’t die because he was violent. He died after years of being watched, undermined and framed as dangerous, after the state decided he was destabilizing and no longer worth protecting.” (3:45)
• “If you could stand face to face with the person who took your father’s life, what would you ask?” (10:13)
• “I can’t lead that kind of life. I’d feel like a bird in a cage. There's no way in the world you can keep somebody from killing you if they really want to kill you.” —Dr. King, as quoted by Celisia (16:50)
• “Everything in the US is the trial of the century… But this, this is the trial of the century. And who’s here?” — Lisbon journalist on the lack of coverage for the 1999 trial (12:40)
• “The bullet was consistent with Ray’s rifle, yes, but it could have been fired from thousands of other .30 caliber rifles.” (38:50)
• “When the gavel fell on that 1999 civil trial, it uncovered hard truths. But the silence that followed revealed a country still reluctant to confront them.” (61:36)
• From J. Edgar Hoover’s assistant Paul Leterski:
  • “I hope the son of a bitch doesn’t die, because if he does, they’ll make a martyr out of him. Those are his exact words, and I’ll never forget it.” (60:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• King’s final speech (“Mountaintop Speech”): 07:25–07:54
• Dexter King meets James Earl Ray in prison: 10:23–10:43
• Introduction & summary of the 1999 civil trial: 12:50–14:33
• Disbanding of King’s security & suspicious law enforcement decisions: 16:50–20:22
• Ray’s background and shifting legal defense: 24:48–32:15
• Problems with prosecution’s evidence: 35:35–38:50
• Jowers’ confession on ABC’s Primetime Live: 42:24–42:33
• Community testimony linking Frank Liberto to conspiracy: 49:35–51:00
• Deep-dive on COINTELPRO and FBI anti-King operations: 54:33–55:49
• H.L. Hunt and financial pressure on Ray’s defense: 59:10–59:41
• Celisia’s reflections and the episode’s conclusion: 61:36–end

Host’s Closing Reflections

Celisia encourages listeners to honor King’s true legacy—which includes agitation, radicalism, and the pursuit of economic justice—by continuing to “ask questions too soon” and refusing to accept sanitized history. She recommends visiting poorpeoplescampaign.org and listening to The MLK Tapes podcast for further exploration (after 61:36).

Takeaways

• The official story of King’s assassination is riddled with unanswered questions, contradictions, and disregarded evidence.
• A 1999 jury found the government guilty as a co-conspirator in King’s death, but this revelation was largely erased from public memory.
• Both King’s life and his death reveal persistent patterns of surveillance, manipulation, and violence against those who challenge entrenched power.
• Asking tough questions about history—and being unsatisfied with easy narratives—remains urgent and important.