Where did James Earl Ray come from?

James Earl Ray was born on March 10, 1928, in Alton, Illinois, USA. He grew up in a working-class family and faced various challenges during his early life, which contributed to his later criminal behavior. Ray became infamous for assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Following the assassination, he fled and was eventually captured, leading to his conviction and imprisonment.