Loyd Jowers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Loyd Jowers was the owner of a restaurant (Jim's Grill) near the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. In December 1993, Jowers appeared in ABC's Prime Time Live and related the details of an alleged conspiracy involving mafia and the U.S. government to kill King. According to Jowers, James Earl Ray was a scapegoat, and not involved in the assassination. Jowers believes that Memphis police officer Earl Clark fired the fatal shots.
In 1998, the King family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jowers and "other unknown co-conspirators" for the murder of King. A Memphis jury found Jowers responsible in December 8, 1999 and that the assassination plot contained also "governmental agencies."
United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division started investigation on Jowers claims August 26, 1998. The investigation was completed in June 2000, and found no reason to believe Jowers' allegations.
Jowers died from a heart attack May 20, 2000 at the age of 73.
