This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis 45 years ago on April 4, 1968, triggered spasms of both grief and violence.

As the nation's cities smoldered and police searched for the killer, civil rights activists and politicians joined King's family in mourning the loss of the 39-year-old minister.

Here are photos from the day of the slaying and its aftermath.