This episode of History for Cocktail Parties examines the FBI’s international pursuit of James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. Hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy follow Ray’s desperate flight across Canada and Europe, his paranoid search for new identities, and his ill-fated dreams of becoming a mercenary. The story highlights the unprecedented scale of the manhunt, the international collaboration it required, and the careless mistakes that ultimately led to Ray’s capture at Heathrow Airport. It’s a riveting blend of history, detective work, and true crime.