</s>F0'245 (REV. 4:156.) H. S. Department of Justire (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE) F.O.I.P.A. FEDERAL RESERVATION, INC. PROUST DO NOT DESTROY UNTIL/27-83-3 FEDERAL BUREAU 157-8586 - - - - - - - - DO NOT DESTROY UNITL.JN-2683/4 - - - - - - - - - INVESTIGATION Volume Number: - - - - - Bureau File Number 4-38 8/1 - - - - - - See also Nos. 157-958-6-5-5E1-newo-Clippings 157-9580-5F2-02-03/2 Separate 1A U.D. - - - - - - - - - - - - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.0. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI records related to Raymond Curtis' interactions with agents during the investigation into James Earl Ray's alleged involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Curtis, incarcerated at Dalton County Jail, corresponded with Ebony Magazine's Charles L. Sanders, claiming he and Ray planned to kill MLK. He described their efforts to track MLK's movements via maps, a KKK business association funding the plot, and a man in Vicksburg, Mississippi, who would assist Ray post-assassination. Curtis initially denied some statements from his letter but later admitted to a 1954 burglary with Ray and discussed their alleged conspiracy. FBI agents interviewed Curtis at Whitfield County Jail, noting he refused to sign rights forms and provided maps of cities where MLK spoke. Curtis also mentioned people in five states funding the assassination and refused to allow his story to be copied, stating it contained details about prison locations and his criminal past.  

Key People:  
- Raymond Curtis (inmate at Dalton County Jail, claimed involvement with James Earl Ray in planning MLK's assassination)  
- James Earl Ray (alleged assassin of MLK Jr.)  
- Charles L. Sanders (Ebony Magazine editor, recipient of Curtis' letter)  
- Erwin Mitchell (Curtis' attorney, noted Curtis' claims might be fabricated)  
- Special Agents Thomas R. Henry Jr., Albert D. Millard (FBI agents involved in interviews)  

Key Locations:  
- Dalton County Jail (Georgia, where Curtis was incarcerated)  
- Whitfield County Jail (Georgia, site of FBI interview)  
- Vicksburg, Mississippi (location of houseboat mentioned as aiding Ray post-assassination)  
- Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee (FBI field offices referenced in cost data)  
- Leavenworth, Kansas; Missouri State Penitentiary (prisons Curtis described in his story)  

Key Events:  
- Raymond Curtis' correspondence with Ebony Magazine detailing alleged conspiracy to kill MLK with James Earl Ray  
- FBI interviews of Curtis at Whitfield County Jail on July 3, 1968, regarding his claims  
- Curtis' admission to a 1954 burglary in Joliet, Illinois, and prison associations with Ray  
- Curtis' description of maps tracking MLK's speeches and plans for post-assassination travel via Mississippi River  
- FBI notes on Curtis' refusal to sign rights forms and his refusal to allow copying of his story  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Ebony Magazine (recipient of Curtis' letter)  
- KKK Businessmen's Association (alleged funding group for MLK assassination, referenced in Curtis' claims)

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427d-04-part_1_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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