'Conspiracy?' explores crime cases

The latest episode explores the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King.
SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
The question isn't, "Who killed Cock Robin?" but how many others were secretly involved and was it all part of a sinister government plot. This is the kind of issue the History Channel's "Conspiracy?" series might tackle.
Alas, it would undoubtedly be treated seriously. It would be nice to think there are only a few Oliver Stones in the world, but the fact that a series such as "Conspiracy?" exists is evidence that there are millions who will believe almost anything, the wilder the better, about notorious incidents in history. Utilizing re-enactments, file footage, an ominous-sounding narration and musical score as well as a heavy reliance on unsubstantiated rumors and crackpot speculation, "Conspiracy?," pokes into such cases.
This week's episode explores the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King. Subsequent episodes will focus on the auto mishap that took the life of Princess Diana; who knew what, and when they knew it, about Pearl Harbor; and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. At some point, the series might even get into the second rock-wielder theory in the Cain and Abel homicide case.
Conventional wisdom, as well as a courtroom verdict, is that James Earl Ray fired the shots that killed Dr. King. Of course, there are conflicting theories. One is that the angle from which the shot was fired was an impossible one. Possible culprits include a mob hit man and an army sharpshooter, acting on behalf of renegades in the government.
More common are beliefs that Ray might have done it but was merely a patsy for a bigger conspiracy. Supposedly he was too dumb to pull off a crime this big alone. "Conspiracy?" reports how Ray once left his wallet at the scene of a crime and, on another occasion while fleeing police, he made a turn into what he thought was a street but turned out to be a driveway.
The usual suspects are offered: the FBI, the CIA, the Mafia and even a shadowy figure named Raul, whose existence cannot be confirmed. A waitress in a Memphis greasy spoon offers her ex-boss, with whom she was having an affair, as the possible triggerman.
"Conspiracy?" interviews lawyers, scholars and supposed eyewitnesses to bolster or punch holes in these theories. In the end, viewers won't come away any the wiser, but they probably will be a bit more paranoid.