Memphis was an enjoyable town to live in, according to Dr. Jerry F., Shelby County Medical Examiner. He lived and still continues to live in the same house in East Memphis that he did the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Memphis was a very tranquil and placid city back then. Dr. F. was a thirty-six year old married father in 1968. Dr. F. said that the thing that stands out to him is how there is so much social media to get out information and news. When Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, all they really had were phones, TV’s, and radios.
A typical day in 1968 for Dr. F. was to wake-up between 6:30 A.M.-7:00 A.M. He would then get ready and go down to the morgue. Afler arriving at the morgue, he would complete examinations. He also had to attend to his other responsibilities. He did research and he taught other medical students. Every Thursday, Dr. F. and his colleagues had scientific conferences from 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. Life is different for Dr. F. now because he is no longer working; he is retired. It was a Thursday, and Dr. F. was carpooling with a fellow medical examiner to go to the weekly scientific conference. They would usually go get dinner before the conference. Dr. F. and his colleagues went to what used to be the Faculty Club (a hotel basement on Union Avenue).
In the middle of dinner, the bartender told them that Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot and killed in Memphis. Dr. F. finished his dinner while watching news reports about Martin Luther King’s assassination. After dinner, Dr. F. headed down to the morgue where the body would be delivered. Dr. F. knew that he would be doing the autopsy on Martin Luther King Jr. All that was going through Dr. F.’s mind while performing the autopsy was putting his mind in order. He needed to be prepared for questions and criticisms that he might hear and face. There was no real change throughout the night in the city since the police had ordered a lockdown and wanted everyone to stay in their homes. Since no one was out on the streets, there was no traffic; the city was very still and surprisingly quiet.
The night after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Dr. F. knew there were going to be a lot of phone calls since he had done the autopsy on Dr. King. Dr. F. was very relieved to hear that the local police department would handle all the phone calls from the media and news stations. Dr. F. noticed that there were more protest in the city the night after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He also noticed that people became much more aware of racial discrimination in the city and that people’s attitudes were starting to slowly change for the better because there was more awareness of the issue.
Dr. F. thought and still continues to think highly of Martin Luther King Jr. and his cause and what he stood and fought for Dr. F. did not have much of an opinion at the time because he was doing the autopsy, and he had to stay focused on his work to make sure that everything was completed accurately. Life after Martin Luther King’s death raised more awareness of prejudice in Memphis and around the country. There was a big difference in people’s attitudes. Some people, such as Dr. F. wife and daughters, were still fearful of what might happen. His family was afraid of another violent outburst in the city or even against Dr. F. because he had done the autopsy.
Other interesting information that Dr. F. shared was that he was the first medical examiner in Shelby County, and he held that title for thirty-eight years. Dr. F. also later completed the autopsy on Elvis Presley. Since he was the medical examiner for Shelby County, people thought that Shelby County paid his salary but actually the University of Tennessee paid him. He was both a medical examiner and a pathologist. At the time, there was a quirk in the law that stated that a medical examiner could not order an autopsy. The medial examiner did have the authority to investigate a death and sign reports and a death certificate. However, the decision to order an autopsy would have to be made by the District Attorney’s office. Because this was a homicide, the next of kin would have to allow the autopsy. In this case, Dr. F. had to telephone Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King’s wife, for her approval. When he was performing the actual autopsy, there was an armed officer in the same room and outside the morgue in case of any protests or disturbances. Dr. F. was not worried that other medical examiners were going to comment or criticize him and his autopsy of Dr. King because he had felt this could happen and Dr. F. was very prepared for any questions. Dr. F. was well aware that this event was extremely important in the Civil Rights Movement and that it would be a part of our history.