</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division BFK-bbm DJ 144-72-1991 Criminal Section P.O. Box 66018 Washington, D.C. 2005-6018 NOV 3 1999 Mr. Robert J. Eatinger Chief, Litigation Division Office of General Counsel Central Intelligence Agency Washington D. C. 2005 Dear Mr. Ealinger: Enclosed is a copy of pages 11 and 51-53 of the text from the draft of our new alleged public report regarding our recent investigation of our allegations related to the King assassination of those pages refer, among other things, to our review of the documents supplied by your agency in response to of the Cauldle of February 17, 1999. We agreed to share with you in the Cauldron of February 177, 1997, and we agreed to state in our report about documents supplied to your agency which we reviewed. To assist you, I have highlighted the relevant portion of the Text. Your office collected documents pursuant to our request for information in your agency's files related to (1) to our activities of March in your Memphis in March and April 1968, (2) activities of any members of the Memphis Police Department in the that time period, and (3) the activities of any federal asset military intelligence resources assigned to Memphis or national security or period. You had previously permitted us to review Mr. McCollough's personal file. Because we do not want to name persons against whom unfounded accusations have been made in our public report, we do not include individuals by their names instead, we use descriptive words. The individuals are their credit holders to as the "Lieutenant," "Homicide Inspector," and "Former Partner" are former Memphis police officers, Earl Clark, Neville Zachary, and

The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division conducted an investigation into allegations related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on specific claims by James Earl Ray (Jowers) and others. The scope was limited to Jowers' and Wilson's allegations, though some exceptions were made, such as reviewing AFIs (fingerprint comparison system) and interviewing John Ray, who claimed to have information about the assassination. No credible evidence supported these claims or other accusations, including those by Dr. Pepper regarding military/intelligence involvement or ministers associated with King. The investigation reviewed CIA, FBI, and HSCA records but found no substantiation for allegations involving police officers, the "Lieutenant," "Homicide Inspector," "Former Partner," or "Undercover Officer." Key figures like the "Undercover Officer" (Marrell McCollough) and "Homicide Inspector" cooperated with investigators, denying involvement and submitting affidavits refuting Jowers' claims. Polygraph results were inconclusive, and no evidence linked any individuals to the assassination plot. The report concluded that Jowers’ allegations lacked credible support, while cooperating witnesses provided no basis for further inquiry.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (Jowers) – accused of plotting King’s assassination; his claims were deemed unsubstantiated.  
- Marrell McCollough – "Undercover Officer" who denied involvement and cooperated with the investigation.  
- "Homicide Inspector," "Lieutenant," "Former Partner" – described as former Memphis police officers (Earl Clark, Neville Zachary, John Barger) whose roles were anonymized to avoid naming individuals accused of unfounded allegations.  
- Dr. Pepper – alleged involvement of military/intelligence in the assassination; no evidence supported these claims.  

Key Locations:  
- Lorraine Motel – site of King’s assassination.  
- Jim's Grill – alleged meeting place for police officers discussed in Jowers’ confession; no evidence confirmed such a meeting occurred.  
- Fire Station No. 2 – noted for significant police activity during King’s stay in Memphis.  

Key Events:  
- Investigation into Jowers’ allegations about a conspiracy involving Memphis police officers and the Lorraine Motel.  
- Review of FBI, CIA, and HSCA records to assess claims of military/intelligence involvement or police complicity.  
- Interviews with cooperating witnesses (e.g., "Homicide Inspector," "Undercover Officer") who denied any role in the assassination.  
- Use of AFIs to analyze fingerprints collected during the initial 1968 investigation, yielding no new evidence.  

Key Organizations:  
- U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division – led the investigation.  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – provided records and testimony about monitoring groups like the Invaders.  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – shared documents and information related to surveillance activities.  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) – sealed materials referenced in the review, though no conclusive evidence was found linking their findings to the assassination plot.

MLK Declassified Files

07167005_draft_report_on_undercove.pdf

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