William Noel Morris (born September 29, 1932),[1] known as Bill Morris, is a Tennessee politician who served as mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee, including the city of Memphis.
During his tenure as sheriff, Morris was in charge of the custody of assassin James Earl Ray.
Ray admitted while in custody to the 1968 murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.[2] However, Ray later claimed he was coerced into pleading guilty.
Morris was instrumental, along with park superintendent Tom Hill, in introducing a herd of bison to Shelby Farms.
[5] In 1994, Morris campaigned for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Tennessee, placing second in the race to Phil Bredesen.