Thursday, Jun. 23, 2011
James Earl Ray
Although he started as a small-time crook who robbed grocery stores and dabbled in mail fraud, Ray eventually became one of the most notorious murderers ever when he assassinated civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., shooting him in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Ray is one of just six fugitives to have appeared on the list twice — originally in 1968, and again in 1977 when he escaped from prison. Ray was sentenced to 99 years, later recanting his confession; in 1998, he died in prison of hepatitis C at the age of 70.