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Newly-released film shows the arrest of MLK's assassin

Previously unseen video has been released showing the arrest of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King in 1968.

The video footage shows James Earl Ray being read his rights, arriving at prison and being strip-searched and examined by a doctor.

The fascinating insights were filmed by the Shelby County Sheriff's office, which had purchased a video camera to document Ray's extradition, prosecution and incarceration.

Thursday marks the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death.

King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, while standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

After the killing Ray fled to Toronto, before traveling to London. On June 8, 1968 Ray was captured at London's Heathrow Airport trying to leave the UK with a false Canadian passport.

Cronkite On MLK's Death 04:58

Nine fresh videos were released Tuesday online. The videos have more than two hours of film -- the first of which shows Ray's extradition flight to Memphis on July 19, 1968.

Other videos show Ray's arraignment on July 22 and court proceedings in September and November of 1968. Later videos from 1969, show further court proceedings and Shelby County Jail booking procedures.

The video tapes were locked away in a police department storage box, until Shelby County archives department decided to track down the tapes, after seeing a photo of police setting up video equipment.

Tom Leatherwood, the Shelby County Register, said the discovery is like finding a treasure chest.

James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King in 1963, is stripped search by police.
James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King in 1963, is strip searched by police. CBS News
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