Video of James Earl Ray Autopsy for Sale

Associated Press Online ^ | 4/5/2005 | Associated Press

[JennysCool]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A videotape of James Earl Ray's autopsy is up for sale, the brother of Martin Luther King Jr.'s confessed killer said Monday.

Jerry Ray said he hopes to sell the two-hour video for up to $400,000, though no firm price has been set.

"A lot of people have an interest in things like that," Ray said.

Ray made the announcement on a sidewalk near the National Civil Rights Museum on the site of King's assassination on April 4, 1968.

Ray intended to hold a news conference just below the balcony where King was felled by a rifle slug. He left without argument when told to move on.

The museum was hosting visitors on the 37th anniversary of King's death.

"For him to come and besmirch the memory of one of the greatest leaders of the world, on today of all days, is unacceptable," said Gwen Harmon, the museum's marketing director. "Freedom of speech, I'm all for. He has that freedom, but he can do that press conference in the middle of (Interstate) 240 or on Main Street. But not here."

Ray said he planned to offer the videotape on eBay. The Internet trading site said, however, that it does not handle morgue pictures or videos.

Ray said he needs money to continue a legal fight over the .30-caliber hunting rifle identified as the firearm used to kill King. Tennessee courts say the rifle belongs to the state, and it is on display at the civil rights museum.

The Conspiracy Museum in Dallas has offered $100,000 for the rifle, and Ray said he has gotten offers of up to $250,000 in the past.

James Earl Ray died of liver disease in Nashville in 1998 while serving a 99-year prison sentence for King's murder.

[JennysCool]

Ray said he planned to offer the videotape on eBay. The Internet trading site said, however, that it does not handle morgue pictures or videos.

[Michael.SF.]

CSI-miami, Las vegas, NYC et al: BTT

[sinkspur]

Does anybody really care about the cause of James Earl Ray's death?

Autopsies aren't all that interesting, anyway.

[explodingspleen]

For a moment, I was thinking of James Earl Jones and was like, "Hey, I'll buy that! That guy was friggin' awesome!"

But I don't think I'll be making any investments in Mr. Ray.

[JennysCool]

Somehow, your screen name seems apropos to this thread...

[Paleo Conservative]

I guess he was too old to slice up for a high resolution 3D computer model.

[opinionator]

"For him to come and besmirch the memory of one of the greatest leaders of the world, on today of all days, is unacceptable," said Gwen Harmon, the museum's marketing director.

In other words, "No one else is allowed to make a living off of Dr. King's name."

[wafflehouse]

i dunno.. if you've seen one set of innards, you've pretty much seen 'em all i would think.. why is this news? is it shocking or something? or is it that this guy is an attention whore, and pimping this out with spectacularly bad taste?

[Duke Nukum]

I'd only buy it if it were an autoautopsy.

I was just thinking of James Earl Jones last night, thinking about that god-awful JFK conspiracy special he hosted in the early 1990's where it looked like someone had a gun to his head and his guests heads as they stumbled over their lines, live on TV.

[IncPen]

James Earl Jones...

We took the kids to DC in Feb. and went to Mount Vernon

We were in Washington's study and the tour guide said, "... and up there on the shelf is a bust of John Paul Jones. And I have to tell you that last week I made a mistake and said 'James Earl Jones' and of course, everyone looked at me like I was crazy. And you know, the entire tour group was African-American. Every one of them! I was so embarassed!"