King assassin near death in hospital

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- The man convicted of killing Martin Luther King Jr. was in a coma Wednesday at Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital and was not expected to live.

James Earl Ray, 68, is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, kidney failure, and internal bleeding, a spokesman for Ray's attorney, William Pepper, told CNN.

"His eyes are open, but it's just a dead stare. His survival at this point is not even an option," said the spokesman, who asked that his name not be used. "It's just a matter of how long he'll be able to hold out."

Cirrhosis of the liver led to internal bleeding last weekend, he said, and Ray became disoriented. He was then transferred to Memorial from the hospital ward at the prison where he has been serving a 99-year sentence for the death of King.

The spokesman said the care Ray is getting is acceptable, but he criticized officials at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison for "(allowing) this to progress to the level of him being near death before somebody decided something needed to be done."

Ray's brother Jerry has signed a request for James Earl not to be put on life support, according to the spokesman, and Pepper has contacted a forensic pathologist in Pittsburgh to perform an autopsy after his death.

Speculation that Ray did not act alone

King was killed by a sniper's bullet on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. The assassination touched off race riots across the country.

Ray pleaded guilty to shooting King, but recanted three days later, saying he was set up by a man named Raoul. Ray launched a barrage of appeals of his case from his prison cell.

Jerry Ray -- who said that he wanted to have his brother's ashes sprinkled over the FBI building in Washington -- said that the family believes James Earl Ray is innocent and that "the (one) responsible for killing King is the FBI in Washington, D.C."

There has long been speculation that Ray did not act alone. Some civil rights leaders said they hoped he confessed all he knows before he dies.

"I don't think he had the intelligence to plan, orchestrate and execute any such action," said the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King. "He may or may not know exactly who used him, but I think he knows more than he has revealed."

Confession, Lowery said, "would do a lot for his soul and his salvation."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said that he became convinced Ray was not solely responsible for King's death after visiting him in prison.

"It appears to me that James Earl Ray was a small cog in a big wheel," Jackson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Special section:

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 1996

Related story:

• King's assassin in coma, near death - December 24, 1996

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