Who was the fugitive that killed Martin Luther King Jr.?
James Earl Ray was a fugitive from the Missouri State Penitentiary when he assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis on April 4th, 1968. After the assassination, he was on the run for two months and was the target of what became the FBI’s most extensive and expensive international manhunt to that time.
What was the name of the FBI agent who was arrested for the student activists?
He was the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the St. Louis office of the FBI during prosecutions of the student activists at Washington University. After his departure from St. Louis, LaPrade was eventually promoted to Assistant Director in Charge of the New York field office.
Who was the director of the FBI?
J. Edgar Hoover was the infamous director of the FBI who served for almost 48 years. In 1956, he initiated COINTELPRO, Counterintelligence Program, which targeted individuals and groups including: Communist Party USA, Socialist Workers Party, white hate groups, Black nationalist groups, and the New Left among others. During this time, the FBI used illegal methods to undermine and gather intelligence on these groups in total secrecy before COINTELPRO was first revealed to the public in 1971.
Who was Nina's dad in the fire?
Her dad represented a young man arrested in connection with the fire: Howard Mechanic. Facing serious federal time, Howard fled and became one of the longest running fugitives in U.S. history. As an adult, Nina picked up the trail.
Who is Nina Gilden's father?
Gilden was the father of Nina Gilden Seavey and represented many of the St. Louis-based activists in “My Fugitive,” including Howard Mechanic. Gilden won the case McDonnell Douglas v. Green in the U.S. Supreme Court, which was a landmark decision in equal employment law.
08: The Conspiracy
The House Select Committee on Assassinations picks up where Church left off. Nearly four decades after those hearings, Nina visits Robert Blakey, HSCA's Chief Counsel, to try to understand why the FBI never looked into a conspiracy to kill King.
07: The Spies
After 11 months in prison, Howard is granted a pardon. But Nina has more questions. How is Howard's story connected to the other threads she has pulled? We go back to 1975, and the Church Committee's suspiciously truncated investigation into the possible conspiracy to kill Dr. King. Learn more about your ad choices.
06: The Fugitive
Howard goes underground and emerges as Gary Tredway. He gets married. There are dangerously close calls, but he gets away with it for decades -- until a reporter uncovers the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Nina Gilden Seavey was twelve on May 4, 1970, the day an Air Force building in St. Louis burned to the ground. Her dad represented a...
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While Nina searches for Howard Mechanic, she discovers the story of another fugitive from Missouri: James Earl Ray. In 1967, Ray escaped...
About The Show
Nina Gilden Seavey was twelve on May 5, 1970, the day an Air Force building in St. Louis burned to the ground. Her dad represented a young man accused of the crime: Howard Mechanic. Facing serious federal time, Howard went on the run and became one of the longest-running fugitives in U.S. history. As an adult, Nina picked up the trail.
