James Earl Ray was an American criminal best known for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Ray was born on March 10, 1928, in Alton, Illinois, and had a troubled early life, which included multiple arrests and prison time. After the assassination, Ray fled the scene and was captured two months later at London's Heathrow Airport. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Ray maintained his innocence throughout his life, claiming he was set up, but he died in prison on April 23, 1998.