Izola Ware Curry, "Demented Black Woman" Who Nearly Killed Martin Luther King, Jr., Dies At 98.

Izola Ware Curry, the “demented black woman” who nearly killed Martin Luther King, Jr. by plunging a steel letter opener into his chest, died Saturday at a New York City nursing home, The Smoking Gun has learned.

The death of the 98-year-old Curry was confirmed by the New York City medical examiner’s office.

After attacking King at a 1958 book signing--a decade before the civil rights leader would be assassinated by James Earl Ray--Curry lived for decades in virtual anonymity, first at the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, and then, upon her release from state custody, a series of group homes in Queens.

Several years ago, Curry moved into the Hillside Manor nursing home in Jamaica, a no-frills 300-bed facility. Curry, who would have turned 99 in June, died at the home, where she lived in a small room that looked out onto a rear parking lot.

Last August, TSG published a story about the whereabouts of Curry, who was long thought to have been deceased. During a 30-minute visit with a reporter, Curry spoke haltingly and mumbled answers to questions. While she described her daily routine at the facility, Curry met inquiries about the King stabbing with a blank stare. At one point, she referred to 1958 as the year she was placed in a “hospital for the criminally insane.”

One of eight children born to sharecroppers in Georgia, Curry moved to New York City following the demise of her six-month marriage. According to court, police, and psychiatric records, Curry suffered from delusions, paranoia, and illogical thinking in the years leading up to her attempt to murder King. An October 1958 psychiatric report noted that Curry “believes she has been under constant surveillance and all her movements are known to the NAACP and Dr. King.” id, “I'm so happy that I didn't sneeze.”


Source The Smoking Gun
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