</s>Fo-245 (REV. 413-60) H. S. Department of Justice MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO "THIS FILED: 57-380 Bob B. For III Hors cepinings DO NO. STROY HISTORICAL VALUE NATIONAL ARCHIVES FEDERAL BUREAU of INVESTIGATION Series: Bureau File Number DO NOT DESTROY Series Number: Number: HISTORTICAL VALLE A NATIONAL ARCII.ES Vol.1/ See also Nos. Vol.11 RIVER 6-70-16F 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into Eric Stavro Galt’s alleged involvement in the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on his connections to Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee. Galt was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list, with efforts to track his movements, including a white Mustang car registered in Birmingham and financial transactions at the Birmingham Trust Company. The FBI sought information on his interactions with individuals like Martin Waldron (a Birmingham lumber company employee) and his presence in Memphis shortly after King’s death. Unrelated content includes FBI internal memos on police training, civil rights activism, and discussions of black militancy led by Johnny Holloway at the University of Oregon. References to the assassination include details about the Lorraine Motel in Memphis as the crime scene, the date of King’s death (April 4, 1968), and funeral services in Atlanta. Fragmented entries also mention conflicting radio transmissions during the investigation, FBI withholding sketches of the assassin, and re-examinations of witness accounts. Additional mentions include Clyde DeBerry’s advocacy for Black economic empowerment, Floyd McCree’s rejection of open housing policies in Portland, Oregon, and memorial scholarships in MLK’s name.  

Key People  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (assassination victim)  
- Eric Stavro Galt (suspect linked to assassination; tracked by FBI)  
- Coretta Scott King (widow of MLK)  
- Martin Waldron (Birmingham lumber company employee associated with Galt)  
- Johnny Holloway (black militant at University of Oregon, discussed institutionalized racism)  
- Clyde DeBerry (civil rights leader advocating Black economic empowerment)  
- Floyd McCree (mayor of Portland, Oregon; rejected open housing policies)  
- Rev. Ralph Abernethy (church leader associated with MLK’s funeral services)  
- FBI agents (involved in investigation and manhunt)  

Key Locations  
- Birmingham, Alabama (Galt’s residence; FBI investigation focus; Birmingham Trust Company financial records)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (crime scene at Lorraine Motel; Galt’s alleged post-assassination activities)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (funeral services for MLK; tributes and media coverage)  
- Portland, Oregon (University of Oregon; civil rights discussions involving Holloway and DeBerry)  
- Eugene, Oregon (newspaper clippings on public reactions to MLK’s funeral and race relations)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Eric Stavro Galt’s alleged role in MLK’s assassination (April 1968)  
- Tracking of Galt via license plate information, car descriptions (white Mustang with Alabama tag No. 13898), and witness accounts  
- Re-examination of conflicting radio transmissions during the investigation  
- FBI withholding sketches of the assassin and conducting a manhunt  
- Funeral services for MLK in Atlanta; media coverage and public tributes  
- Discussions on black militancy, institutionalized racism, and civil rights activism at the University of Oregon  
- Clyde DeBerry’s advocacy for Black economic empowerment and political power  
- Floyd McCree’s rejection of open housing policies in Portland  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (central to assassination investigation, manhunt, and internal memos on police training)  
- Black Students Union (BSU) (mentioned in context of University of Oregon discussions on racial activism)  
- Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) (referenced in civil rights activism contexts)  
- West Hills Unitarian Fellowship (linked to MLK memorial scholarships)  
- Local law enforcement agencies (e.g., Memphis police, Birmingham police; involved in investigation and post-assassination responses)  
- Newspapers (*The Oregonian*, *The Oregon Journal*) (covered public reactions to MLK’s funeral and race relations discussions)

MLK Declassified Files

157-pd-380_628415_07-04-part_1_of_2.pdf

Document Summary

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