. . Sunday, April 26, 1998 ■ family's alliance with with Ray, Martin Luther King III, president of the Southern Christian • Sons of slain civil-rights leader believe Leadership Conference his father helped found, joined his younger convicted killer's claims of innocence brother in proclaiming Ray's inno- • ' WASHINGTON (AP) — The "I'm mystified," Bond said last cence. .dreamer's son and -killer week of the King-Ray alliance. "I "I have always felt it was a , spoke only a few minutes that day 13 have never seen any evidence that conspiracy," King III said at the months ago. But the prison meeting shows that did not time. "Mr. Ray has just been used as between a deathly it James Earl pull the trigger. I'm open to the a patsy." Ray and Dexter King, son of Martin argument that others were involved, Following Ray's death, the fam- • Luther King Jr., left many in the but to say Ray wasn't involved is ily released a statement saying it civil-rights movement cringing. impossible to me." was "deeply saddened" and again Ray peered into the eyes of A high-school dropout and petty proclaiming his innocence. Dexter King and mumbled, "I had criminal, Ray confessed 11 months Author Gerald Posner re-exam- after the shooting to assassinating ined the assassination of the new . nothing to do with shooting your and con- •father." King, then fled to London. He was book Killing the Dream Replied King, seated 3 feet captured, brought back and tried. cluded that Ray, possibly with the away, "I believe you." • Three days after receiving a 99-year help of others, did shoot King. In that meeting on March 27, prison sentence, he recanted the Posner said the King family's willingness to ignore the evidence I 1997, America's first family of civil confession. and accept Ray's innocence repre- rights seemed to deliver absolution The rifle used in the shooting • to a man who by was traced to sents "a final victory" for Ray. nearly all ac- him. "For the King family to exoner- counts was re- "I'm open to the Ray's fin- ate Ray is a complete perversion of sponsible for argument that others were gerprints were the truth," Posner said in an inter- killing King. found in the view. "Sadly, it allows Ray to go to In the after- involved, but to say Ray room from his grave knowing he pulled off the . math of Ray's wasn't involved is where the shots -':death Thursday, impassible to me." were fired. the King fami- Bond A witness •ly's relationship Julian testified seeing with the convict- NAACP board chairman Ray at the hotel ed murderer room moments stands as one of the more bizarre after the attack. twists in the 30-year ordeal set off by A House of Representatives King's shooting on a Memphis motel committee investigated and conclud- balcony. ed in 1978 that Ray shot King but "I simply don't understand it," that others may have been involved. said Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, pastor Attorney General Janet Reno, of Monumental Baptist Church in acting on a request by King's widow, Memphis and a former King aide agreed this year to consider a rein- who stood alongside the civil-rights vestigation. leader as the fatal shots were fired in Last month, the district attor- 1968. ney's office in Shelby County, Tenn., "I would much rather have seen released a voluminous report on the Dexter say, 'In the spirit of my evidence and stated that the state father, I forgive you. Now tell me "remains absolutely convinced of who else was involved.' But to say James Earl Ray's guilt" that he believes in Ray's innocence "The evidence against him is when everything points right there, overwhelming," the report read. I just ..." In recent years, Ray and his Kyles didn't complete the sen- attorney William Pepper waged a tence. He didn't need to convey his high-profile campaign for a new tri- incredulity, a sense shared by Julian al, and members of the King family Bond, another former King aide who became some of Ray's strongest sup- now is board chairman of the porters in the effort. NAACP. Days after Dexter King met al* atilnabas Tiltspatth Page 7A Ray leaves observers baffled murder and pulled one over on the King family." Posner said the government campaign led by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI to discredit King may have made the family susceptible to the idea Ray was framed. He added that Pepper is a "very effective presenter of his evidence." "He seems loaded with docu- ments and new witnesses, but his information always falls on its fare," Posner said. "It's sad the family is willing to put their stamp of approval to it. They've bought the whole kit." Pepper could not be reached for comment. So while Ray may have taken the truth with him to the grave, some hike Bond are left to wonder why the people with the greatest reason to shun Ray chose to embrace him. "I just hope the Kings know something that no one else knows," Associated Press Bond said. "And I'd like them to tell , widow of slain civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., the rest of us what the information talks to reporters as her son, Dexter, looks on following a meeting earlier this is?) month with Attorney General Janet Reno.