About this episode

The episode explores Jack Kershaw's controversial legal representation of James Earl Ray and the fallout from a payment he received from Playboy magazine.

Decades before he sculpted a Confederate general out of old bathtubs, Jack Kershaw briefly represented his most famous client - Martin Luther King Jr's assassin, James Earl Ray. The relationship soured after Ray discovered his lawyer had pocketed a payment from Playboy magazine. Sources: James McKinley, "Playboy Interview: James Earl Ray," Playboy Magazine, September 1977 https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/09/archives/polygraph-indicates-ray-lied.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/25/archives/james-earl-ray-wants-mark-lane-to-replace-his-tenth-lawyer.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/sports/the-barkley-marathons-few-know-how-to-enter-fewer-finish.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: iHeartPodcasts, Cool Zone Media

Topics covered

• true crime
• legal ethics
• historical figures
• media influence
• civil rights

Keywords

• Jack Kershaw
• James Earl Ray
• Playboy
• legal representation
• civil rights
• true crime
• media

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Playboy, Playboy Magazine

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