The MLK Tapes

iHeartPodcasts and Tenderfoot TV

According to the official story, on April 4th, 1968, a lone gunman assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. That man, James Earl Ray, pled guilty and for most people the case was closed. The MLK Tapes, a new true crime podcast from the creators of Atlanta Monster and Monster: DC Sniper, explores rare recordings of eye-witness testimony and new interviews with people who were there to reveal the true story of the plot to kill Dr. King. read less

Our Editor's Take

The MLK Tapes is a true crime podcast about a famous subject. The show discusses the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader. Someone shot MLK on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The official story is that James Earl Ray was the killer. Authorities believe he acted alone and was responsible for killing Dr. King. However, this podcast challenges this narrative.

Listeners get guided on an investigative journey with The MLK Tapes podcast. William Klaber hosts the show. He is also the host of The RFK Tapes, which does a similar role in revisiting things people thought they knew. Klaber also wrote the book Shadow Play: The Murder of Robert F. Kennedy. As he did with RFK, the host wants to find out what happened to MLK.

The show re-examines the evidence surrounding the plot to kill one of America's most iconic civil rights leaders. Did Ray do it, or was he a patsy? Did he have help from others? How was he able to flee justice for months? Were there 125,000 reasons for him to plead guilty? Why were Black firefighters and security guards told to do something else on April 4, 1968? The MLK Tapes podcast tries to find out the truth.

The MLK Tapes talks to people who witnessed the murder. It replays audio recordings of other witnesses to the crime. The podcast reviews audiotapes from FBI surveillance operations. The show also examines the actions of the FBI to see if they had anything to do with the assassination. Listeners get access to information unknown or ignored about what happened in 1968.

This podcast offers a fresh perspective on one of history's most significant events. It also sheds light on how people's understanding of a crime can change over time. Listeners hear about more facts and perspectives that people may have overlooked before now. The MLK Tapes is a thought-provoking, limited-episode series. It debuted in 2022 and has 15 episodes. The show provides new insight into MLK's murder.

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HistoryHistory
True CrimeTrue Crime
Society & CultureSociety & Culture
DocumentaryDocumentary
Play Trailer
The MLK Tapes Teaser
31-12-2021
The MLK Tapes Teaser
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episodes

The MLK Tapes Teaser
31-12-2021
The MLK Tapes Teaser
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The MLK Tapes - Official Trailer
04-01-2022
The MLK Tapes - Official Trailer
Explore the rare recordings of eye-witness testimony that reveal the true story of the plot to kill Martin Luther King Jr. From the creators of Atlanta Monster, this is The MLK Tapes. The first two episodes are available now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Death of a King [1]
10-01-2022
Death of a King [1]
Who killed Martin Luther King, and why? While some answers have emerged over the past 50 years, others have been hiding in plain sight. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Setting for a Murder [2]
10-01-2022
Setting for a Murder [2]
The black firemen across the street told to report elsewhere. The black detective surveilling King taken off the job. King’s all-black police security unit ordered to stand down. All this and more on just what happened to be the day Dr. King was shot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Are You? [3]
17-01-2022
Who Are You? [3]
Attorney Art Hanes Jr. and his father decide to represent James Earl Ray who says he didn't kill King. As they prepare for trial, they discover serious problems with the case against Ray. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sweet-Talking Percy [4]
24-01-2022
Sweet-Talking Percy [4]
Famous criminal lawyer Percy Foreman talks his way in by telling Ray that his will be the easiest case he ever argued. Then, at the last moment, he informs Ray that he must plead guilty. Was Foreman working for someone offstage? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jim's Grill [5]
31-01-2022
Jim's Grill [5]
The back door of Jim's Grill in Memphis opens onto a yard just opposite the Lorraine Motel. Waitress Betty Spates hears a sharp noise and then sees her boss, Loyd Jowers, come through the door carrying a smoking rifle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Death Slug [6]
07-02-2022
The Death Slug [6]
Bill Pepper's petition to reopen the case against Ray lands in the courtroom of Judge Joe Brown, a firearms expert, who has his doubts that the rifle found on the street was murder weapon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Connected Man [7]
14-02-2022
A Connected Man [7]
A witness, John McFerren, overhears mob-connected Frank Liberto talking on the telephone, a conversation he's not supposed to hear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Gun Runner [8]
21-02-2022
The Gun Runner [8]
Texas woman Glenda Grabow tells Bill Pepper she knew a gun runner in Houston named Raul, who she thinks was involved in the murder of Martin Luther King. Could this be the same Raul known by James Earl Ray? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Killing Ray [9]
28-02-2022
Killing Ray [9]
Bill Pepper gets a phone call from attorney Rusty Larson who says that his client, Jim Green, was involved in the murder of King. Then Green calls and says his assignment was to kill Ray. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every Dog For His Own [10]
07-03-2022
Every Dog For His Own [10]
After 30 years of silence, cab driver Louis Ward comes forward to tell what happened to him when King was shot. A few years later, Ronnie Lee Adkins, who says his family was involved in the assassination, confirms Ward's story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Dead Shot [11]
14-03-2022
A Dead Shot [11]
Lennie Curtis works at the police rifle range where sharpshooter Frank Strausser talks about killing King. On the fatal day, Strausser practices all morning with his new rifle. When Strausser leaves for town, Curtis tries to warn King, but fails. Years later, Pepper confronts Strausser. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: William Pepper
21-03-2022
BONUS: William Pepper
On this Bonus Episode, we look at the life of Attorney Bill Pepper. We trace his early career in sports, a brush with the mob, work for Bobby Kennedy, travels in Vietnam and Cuba, and his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. Then, how he came to represent James Earl Ray's brother, Jerry, at the House Committee hearing.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Campaign To Destroy King [12]
28-03-2022
Campaign To Destroy King [12]
Dallas oilman H.L. Hunt hated communists, and in his mind this included Martin Luther King. He attacked King regularly on his program Life Line, carried daily on 500 radio stations across the country. Hunt believed this would be enough to destroy King, but J. Edgar Hoover had other ideas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
125,000 Reasons [13]
04-04-2022
125,000 Reasons [13]
After King is murdered, John Curington notices increased contact between H.L. Hunt and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. One day, Hunt gives Curington a satchel to bring to Ray's attorney, Percy Foreman. As he hands the bag to Foreman, Curington says the words he was told to say: "Here are 125,000 reasons for Ray to plead guilty."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: Memphis Blues
11-04-2022
BONUS: Memphis Blues
Interviews with Ryan Jones, historian at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, & Brian Dominski, court reporter for the '93 HBO trial and the '99 Civil Trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.