</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 16 MAY PMR (C) (67-981A) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorapdum TO AGENTS DATE: 4/8/68 SAC, JACKSON (157-9586) FROM SUBJECT: MURKIN Civil Rights investigation to identify person or persons The Bureau has furnished above caption for the MURKEN Responsible for the assassination of MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR, in Memphis, Tenn ., on 4/4/68. Code name to remain confidential and not disseminated as a code name for this investigation. BACKGROUND Alleged murder weapon described as 30.06 Game Master, Remington Model 760 Pump, with Redfield Scope, has been Traced to Birmingham, Ala. Gun was purchased on 3/30/68, from Webbingham, Alabama. Gum was purchased by HARVEY, LOWEYER who furnished address, Birmingham, Massachusetts. address in Birmingham fictionsious. Clerk who sold gun des- cribbed unknown subject as 36, 5'8" - 150-170 pounds, dark brown hair, ruddy complexion, well dressed in dark business suit. Clerk described us as weak as she and shy. No information re car unused could have been traveling in. Unused was seen running out of looming house des- cribbled FLOPHONE directly across a Lorraine Hotel- where KING was a flopHONE DIRECTLY across a blanket which was carrying a small overnight case and a box containing above described gun. Person seen running from flophope was described as white male comrade 20-40, '51' to 6'1", 170- 200 pounds, dark hair combed straight back, very neat, well dressed in dark suit. Above gun is at FBI Laboratory for test. 162 South Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee, for $40, $40 ,, $57-9586.90 Unused purchased pair of binoculars for York's, - 157-9596 - 1-57-9596 - Each Agent SEARCHED BY INDEXED JLP-pdpdk SEARCHER: -1/57-956.90 JLP.pdkD SENALIZATED FILED APR 20 1968 FSH-JUNGUNNUN Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan SIL-108-04 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The declassified documents from April 1968 detail FBI and local law enforcement investigations into civil rights protests, racial unrest, and potential threats following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968. The records focus on events in Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; and Ripley, Mississippi, highlighting surveillance of civil rights leaders, monitoring of suspected violent activities, and government responses to demonstrations. Key figures include Ernest Levon Wilson (a drug salesman in Jackson) and Jerry Goolsby (a white male in Memphis with ties to Ripley), both questioned for potential involvement in or knowledge of the assassination or related violence. The FBI’s role in tracking civil rights organizations like SNCC and SCLC is emphasized, alongside National Guard deployments and police actions during riots. The documents reflect Cold War-era government concerns about domestic extremism and racial tensions, while also revealing biases in law enforcement narratives that disproportionately scrutinized Black activists.  

Key People  
- **Ernest Levon Wilson**: Drug salesman in Jackson, Mississippi; reported hearing a radio broadcast from Memphis describing an individual throwing a rifle and a bag.  
- **Jerry Goolsby**: White male employed at Oakly Ford East in Memphis, Tennessee; previously arrested for public drunkenness; described as rowdy when intoxicated; linked to Ripley, Mississippi.  
- **Charles Evers**: Prominent NAACP figure under FBI surveillance.  
- **Ralph Abernathy**: Civil rights leader and SCLC member monitored by the FBI.  

Key Locations  
- **Jackson, Mississippi**: Center of civil rights protests and riots following MLK’s assassination; home to Jackson State College and Rust College.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of unrest linked to MLK’s death; location of Oakly Ford East where Goolsby was employed.  
- **Ripley, Mississippi**: Tied to Goolsby’s connections and potential involvement in suspicious activities.  

Key Events  
- **Civil rights protests and riots** in Jackson, Memphis, and other cities after MLK’s assassination on April 4, 1968.  
- **Boycotts of white-owned businesses and schools** by Black communities in Jackson as acts of protest.  
- **FBI surveillance** of civil rights leaders and organizations like SNCC and SCLC under COINTELPRO.  
- **National Guard deployments** and police responses to riots, including efforts to quell unrest through force or intimidation.  
- **Investigations into suspects**: Interviews with Wilson and Goolsby; verification of employment records; checks for physical evidence (e.g., photographs).  

Key Organizations  
- **SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)**: Key group organizing civil rights protests.  
- **SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)**: Prominent civil rights organization under FBI scrutiny.  
- **NAACP**: Mentioned as an entity with figures like Charles Evers under surveillance.  
- **FBI**: Central to monitoring civil rights activists, tracking potential threats, and managing racial unrest.  
- **National Guard**: Deployed in response to riots and protests following MLK’s assassination.

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427a-01-part_3_of_5.pdf

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