James Earl Ray photos revealed

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Long-forgotten photos that show James Earl Ray being brought to jail after his arrest for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. were unveiled Wednesday to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights leader's death.

Sheriff William N. Morris Jr., second from left, and deputies process James Earl Ray, at right, in the Shelby County Jail.

Then-Shelby County Sheriff Bill Morris (right) had the photos taken to document that Ray wasn't being mistreated when he was booked into the jail for the April 4, 1968, shooting death of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. Ray was arrested about two months after the shooting.

Dozens of the striking black-and-white photos, along with letters Ray wrote from jail and other documents, were found in 2007 among old county records in a warehouse in east Memphis, Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood said.

The photos were taken by Memphis photographer Gil Michael, who was an employee of Memphis State University at the time.

One of the photos shows Ray being patted down by an officer with his back to the camera and his arms spread out wide.

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Long-forgotten photos that show James Earl Ray being brought to jail after his arrest for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. were unveiled Wednesday to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights leader's death.

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