The woman who stabbed Dr Martin Luther King Jr during a 1958 book signing has died, aged 98. Izola Ware Curry, who stabbed the civil rights leader in the chest with a seven-inch letter opener, died at a Queens, New York, nursing home where she moved several years ago. She died on Saturday March 7, according to The Smoking Gun. Izola Ware Curry, (right in 1958) 98, died on March 7, more than 56 years after she attempted to kill Dr Martin Luther King Jr with a letter opener at a Harlem book signing . Curry attacked the civil rights leader because she had delusions that he and the NAACP were watching her and preventing her from holding a job . Curry was originally sent to Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane and spent many years living anonymously despite the 1958 attack at Blumstein's Department Store in Harlem. She was also carrying a loaded pistol in her bra at the time. Dr King survived the incident at Blumstein's Department Store, where he was signing his first book Stride Toward Freedom, by fractions of an inch. The knife came close to puncturing his aorta and he could have died at the store if bystanders had taken the weapon out of his chest before his three-hour surgery. He referred to the incident in his I've Been To The Mountaintop speech, the last remarks he gave before his assassination on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray. The Nobel Peace Prize winner said that if he had sneezed then he would have died after being stabbed by the 'demented black woman'. Curry, who believed that the NAACP and Dr King had been watching her and preventing her from getting employment, was originally sent to Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Dr King had been signing his first book, Stride Toward Freedom, when Curry approached and stabbed him. The attacker was also carrying a loaded pistol in her bra . She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had an estimated IQ of 70. Dr King, who would accomplish some of his life's greatest work in the next ten years, said he bore her no ill will after the attack. He said that the incident 'demonstrates that a climate of hatred and bitterness so permeates our nation that inevitably deeds of extreme violence must erupt'. Born in Georgia in 1916, she moved between Georgia, Florida, St. Louis, and New York and worked as a housekeeper, factory worker and cook. However, her mentally illness made it difficult for her to keep a job. She remained in state custody at mental health institutions and the 'family care' program in peoples homes. He delusions and imagined voices were reportedly gone by 1980. Long presumed to be deceased during her years of anonymity, a record for voter registration in 2012 led a Smoking Gun reporter to find her last year. Curry is not believed to have surviving family members. Curry (left) spent the rest of her life in New York mental health institutions and nursing homes before she died on Saturday at Hillside Manor in Queens (right)
Izola Ware Curry tried to kill civil rights leader at 1958 book signing event .
Dr King barely survived attack, which he referenced in his last ever speech .
Curry thought that Dr King and NAACP were stopping her getting a job .
She  lived at mental health institutions and nursing homes after stabbing .
The woman who stabbed Dr Martin Luther King Jr during a 1958 book signing has died, aged 98. Izola Ware Curry, who stabbed the civil rights leader in the chest with a seven-inch letter opener, died at a Queens, New York, nursing home where she moved several years ago. She died on Saturday March 7, according to The Smoking Gun. Izola Ware Curry, (right in 1958) 98, died on March 7, more than 56 years after she attempted to kill Dr Martin Luther King Jr with a letter opener at a Harlem book signing . Curry attacked the civil rights leader because she had delusions that he and the NAACP were watching her and preventing her from holding a job . Curry was originally sent to Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane and spent many years living anonymously despite the 1958 attack at Blumstein's Department Store in Harlem. She was also carrying a loaded pistol in her bra at the time. Dr King survived the incident at Blumstein's Department Store, where he was signing his first book Stride Toward Freedom, by fractions of an inch. The knife came close to puncturing his aorta and he could have died at the store if bystanders had taken the weapon out of his chest before his three-hour surgery. He referred to the incident in his I've Been To The Mountaintop speech, the last remarks he gave before his assassination on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray. The Nobel Peace Prize winner said that if he had sneezed then he would have died after being stabbed by the 'demented black woman'. Curry, who believed that the NAACP and Dr King had been watching her and preventing her from getting employment, was originally sent to Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Dr King had been signing his first book, Stride Toward Freedom, when Curry approached and stabbed him. The attacker was also carrying a loaded pistol in her bra . She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had an estimated IQ of 70. Dr King, who would accomplish some of his life's greatest work in the next ten years, said he bore her no ill will after the attack. He said that the incident 'demonstrates that a climate of hatred and bitterness so permeates our nation that inevitably deeds of extreme violence must erupt'. Born in Georgia in 1916, she moved between Georgia, Florida, St. Louis, and New York and worked as a housekeeper, factory worker and cook. However, her mentally illness made it difficult for her to keep a job. She remained in state custody at mental health institutions and the 'family care' program in peoples homes. He delusions and imagined voices were reportedly gone by 1980. Long presumed to be deceased during her years of anonymity, a record for voter registration in 2012 led a Smoking Gun reporter to find her last year. Curry is not believed to have surviving family members. Curry (left) spent the rest of her life in New York mental health institutions and nursing homes before she died on Saturday at Hillside Manor in Queens (right)
during a 1958 book signing has died, aged 98. Izola Ware Curry, (right in 1958) 98, died on the civil rights leader because she had delusions that he and the NAACP were watching her and time. Dr King survived the incident at difficult for her to keep a job. She remained in state custody at mental health institutions and institutions and nursing homes before she died on