Karl, after serving time in a federal prison for his various IRS protests and for the (never before prosecuted) "crime" of counterfeiting IRS tax seizure stickers, passed away on 07 May 1978 at the age of only 34.

His gravestone is inscribed: "Karl Bray, The Libertarian Tax Rebel."

Karl was an active libertarian in Utah for several years prior to the founding of the national party, noted for performance-art-based tax protests, including distributing Karl Bray dollars "worth more than any federal reserve note."

According to early newsletter reports Karl was present on 11 December 1971 in Colorado Springs at the founding meeting of the national Party.

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Karl J. Bray, Defendant-appellant, 546 F.2d 851 (10th Cir. 1976) (available HERE) states, in part:

"Bray's 1972 federal income tax return . . . was inscribed: "5th Amendment. Go to Hell; do not pass go; do not collect $200 dollars."

The Utah Libertarian Party was the first affiliate of (what became) the LNC to gain official state "Libertarian Party" designated ballot access status.  In 1974 Karl Bray ran as the Libertarian candidate for US Senate and received over 1,200 votes.