JAMES EARL RAY

JAMES EARL RAY
(1928 - 1998) Assassin of Martin Luther King whom he killed in Memphis in 1968. Good content T.L.S. 'James', 1p. folio, [Tennessee State Penitentiary, Nashville, TN], Feb. 20, 1980, addressed his wife and courtroom artist Anna Sandhu Ray, whom sketched Ray during his trial for a prison escape attempt and later married Ray from prison in 1978. In part: 'What ever you want to do about contacting persons, it is naturally ok with me. I just don't want you to become discouraged...what is important is to have about 4 see that Gov...By the end of the month I will have all the FBI/JD request-suits before the courts...I am not really concerned how the courts rule, if they rule in my favor the material released will help me; if they rule for the J.D., the cover-up will help when we see the Gov... I don't expect Scott to do anything, except he might write another column...You are a very strong creature Anna, you are just involved in something (legal system) you have not had much experience with...' Ray signs at bottom in blue ink, adding the sarcastic alias: 'a/k/a 'Grandma Moses'. Notably soiled throughout, just good condition.