</s>104-10322-10090 CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT -m 65-05-99 RELEASE SENDER WILL CHECK CLASSIFICATION TOP AND BOTTOM UNBASSASSIFIED COMBINEDENERIAL OFFICIAL ROUTING SUPRECIATIVE REGULATY 77-3035 NAME AND ADDRESS DATE INITIALS 1 2 SaDDOCS 7/12 3 4 5 6 ACTION ACTION DIRECT REPLY PREPARE REPLY APPROVAL DISPATCH COMMENT RECOMMENDATION 6 FILF REFORM CONCURRENCE INFORMATION SIGNATURE Remarks: CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE IN FULL 1999 FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER FROM: NAME, ADDRNESS AND PHONE NO. FROM NAME, ORDESS AND PHONEE NO. DATE R.D. DeBruiden OLC-HSCa 5/27/9 UNLESSASSIFIED CONCIDENTIAL FROM No. 237 Use previous editions (40) EXECUTIVE REGISTRY FILE # Spec Out F#8

Summary:  
The Select Committee on Assassinations (SCA) released a final report in 1978, concluding that James Earl Ray fired the single shot that killed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. The report states Ray purchased and transported a rifle to Memphis, rented a room near the site, and was arrested shortly after the assassination. The SCA found no evidence of federal agency involvement in the assassination but noted potential gaps in investigations by the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The committee also recommended legislative reforms to address legal protections for political figures and improve inter-agency coordination in future investigations.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray: Identified as the individual who fired the shot killing Dr. King.  
- Louis Stokes: Chairman of the Select Committee on Assassinations.  
- Hon. Edward L. Henshaw, Jr.: Clerk of the House of Representatives, recipient of the report.  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee: Site of Dr. King’s assassination.  
- 422 1/2 Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee: Location where Ray rented a room.  

Key Events:  
- April 4, 1968: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis.  
- December 29, 1978: Release of the Select Committee on Assassinations’ final report.  
- Embargo period: The report was embargoed until December 30, 1978, for controlled release.  

Key Organizations:  
- Select Committee on Assassinations (SCA): U.S. House of Representatives committee tasked with investigating assassinations.  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Subject to scrutiny for its handling of the investigation.  
- Department of Justice: Criticized for inadequate supervision of federal investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

00387609_final_report_of_the_selec_104-10322-10090.pdf

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