Monday, January 19, 2009

Conspiracy to Kill MLK

Here's a letter I recently submitted to the Observer Dispatch. Unfortunately I received no response.

The Conspiracy to Kill Martin Luther King

In 1999, Memphis bar owner Loyd Jowers and co-conspirators were brought to trial in a wrongful death civil suit on behalf of members of the King family. Proceedings lasted one month during which attorney William Pepper called 70 witnesses and detailed a plot to murder Martin Luther King that - with Jowers as a go-between- involved J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, Richard Helms and the CIA, the U.S. military, Memphis police and organized crime figures from New Orleans and Memphis. Alleged motives were King's public opposition to the Vietnam War and plans for the encampment of 500,000 of the nation's poor in Washington D.C.

Jurors took one hour to decide in favor of the King family. The verdict read that Jowers had participated in a conspiracy to harm Martin Luther King and that others, including government agencies, were party to this conspiracy.

The plaintiffs were awarded their requested amount of $100 in damages. The judge apportioned liability at 30% to Jowers and 70% to all other co-conspirators.

Pepper chronicled the trial in his book "An Act of State." Transcripts of the entire trial are available at thekingcenter.org via the News and Information link.

10 comments:

Andy said...

Good work, Herb!

I'm not surprised the Utica Observer-Dispatch didn't acknowledge it. The Duchess Donovan has effectively obtained her print monopoly in the city, with the Life and Times of Utica stopping publication and the Pennysaver now owned by the O-D. Duchess Donna doesn't have to print ANYTHING that falls outside the "official" two sides of happy Hegelian controversy.

What we basically have left is the Utica Phoenix (a monthly of uneven quality) and the Clinton Courier (which is read by people in Clinton). And the Evil Internet, which local morons will continue to disparage.

As journalism, the Observer-Dispatch is the perfect thing to come between the dog urine and the linoleum.

Herb said...

Thanks.

Did send it to the Phoenix but am awaiting a response. Apparently the Rome Observer is still in business so I'll send it to them.

Too bad about the Life and Times.

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