Mel Ayton is the author of numerous books and articles including "A Racial Crime, James Earl Ray and the Murder of Martin Luther King, The Forgotten Terrorist", and "Dark Soul of South". Ayton has a master's degree in history from Durham University, is a former Fulbright Teacher, deputy headmaster, and college lecturer, and lives in County Durham, England. Ayton has appeared in documentaries produced by the National Geographic Channel, and the Disney Channel and has worked as a historical consultant for the BBC.