</s>NOTE: Article appearing the "The Washington Post" on 1-29-69, in part states that the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Reverend Ralph David Abernethy inferred that a conspiracy exists in the in the United States. He was a member of the information coming from the press conference, Abernathy claims that Negro leaders in Memphis believe that persons other than James Earl Ray, there was further the plan to kill Martin Luther King Jr. and his father, the President of the Abernathy said that the information was second-hand and ho could not vouch for its validity. We are instructing Atlanta (Headquarters of SCLc) to interview Abernety for details of information and to completely resolve. We previously interviewed Aberneathy in Memphis, Tennessee, in April of 1968. and at that time he did not indicate that a Conspiracy existed. -2- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Memphis Police Department investigations into claims surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray, Bill Sartor, and related individuals. Reverend Ralph Abernathy suspected a conspiracy involving parties beyond Ray, though his information was described as second-hand and unverified. Bill Sartor alleged involvement of the Mafia and Memphis Police Department in MLK’s death, citing a "Negro policeman" removed from duty and two firemen moved from their posts. John McFerrin claimed he overheard a conversation at LL & L Produce Company where someone was instructed to “get the job done” and go to New Orleans for payment, linking it to the assassination. The 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, led by Abernathy, is noted as a political event that contributed to MLK’s involvement in the city. FBI interviews with individuals like James William Latch, Frank Libertino, and Joe Cacamello explored business interactions and potential ties to organized crime, though no direct links were established. The Pontotoc Hotel records showed no evidence of Ray staying there prior to the assassination. Sartor also claimed a white Mustang used in the shooting belonged to Claude Cockrell, a segregationist, and that a young Negro boy witnessed the shooting from a rooming house near the Lorraine Motel. The FBI concluded that while Sartor provided information about potential conspirators, no conclusive evidence linked Memphis police or other entities to the assassination. Key organizations like the Black Organizing Project (BOP) are referenced as groups promoting black power and associated with racial unrest in Memphis.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin)  
- Bill Sartor (contract writer for *Time* magazine, alleged informant)  
- Reverend Ralph Abernathy (civil rights leader, suspecting conspiracy)  
- John McFerrin (claimed to have overheard assassination plot details)  
- Floyd E. Newsum (fireman linked to strike and suspension post-assassination)  
- Norvell Wallace (fireman associated with BOP)  
- Charles Laverne Cabbage (Executive Secretary of BOP)  
- John Burrell Smith (BOP Chairman)  
- Frank Camillo Libertino (LL & L Produce Company president, denied Mafia ties)  
- Salvadore Libertino (Frank’s brother, mentioned in phone calls about travel plans)  
- Joe Cacamello (cosmetics salesman, allegedly connected to Ray and Marcello)  
- Larry Max (professional killer linked to Ray and Cacamello)  

Key Locations  
- Lorraine Motel (site of assassination)  
- Fire Station near the Lorraine Hotel (surveillance operations)  
- Rooming house near the Lorraine Motel (alleged witness location)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (central to investigations)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (linked to payment for assassination)  
- Somerville, Tennessee (McFerrin’s interviews conducted here)  

Key Events  
- Surveillance by police and firemen at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968  
- Removal of a "Negro policeman" from duty and movement of firemen  
- BOP activities promoting black power and racial unrest  
- FBI reviews of claims about Memphis police complicity in the assassination  
- Sartor’s alleged connections to organized crime figures (e.g., Charlie Stein, Frank Liberto)  
- Interviews with business contacts of LL & L Produce Company (Latch, Libertino)  
- Investigation into the Pontotoc Hotel records for Ray’s stay prior to the assassination  

Key Organizations  
- Black Organizing Project (BOP), including cells like Afro-American Brotherhood, Black Student Association, and Invaders  
- Memphis Police Department (investigated for potential involvement)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI, conducted reviews of claims)  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), associated with Abernathy’s leadership during the strike  
- Local police departments (mentioned in Sartor’s allegations about complicity)

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_001_ser_231_only-part_09_of_12.pdf

Document Summary

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