</s>PH 9-3113 COPIES MADE: 4 Bureau 44-38881 1-100-4448006 1 - USA, EPA (URS) 1 - Atlanta (Info) 1 - Memphis (9-1501) (Info] 1 - Philadelphia (9+-1313) 1 - Phillyadelphia 1 - 9-9113 1 - 157-2845 (SCLC) 1 -157-2979 (c.J. BEVEL) 1 - 100-Dead (C. MOORE) - AA - COVER PAGE - - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail multiple aspects of the federal and state legal proceedings surrounding James Earl Ray’s trial for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including FBI investigations into threats against SCLC leaders, motions related to trial procedures, and financial disputes among attorneys. The FBI investigated alleged oral threats against Reverend James Bevel, an SCLC leader defending Ray’s innocence, following reports from CEDRIC MOORE, an SCLC aide. MICKEY MILLAN, a Philadelphia resident, was implicated in the threats, which were deemed insufficient for federal prosecution. Legal motions from Shelby County, Tennessee, address trial logistics, including requests to stipulate testimony from out-of-state witnesses and continuances due to preparation delays, attorney illness, and document retrieval issues. A motion by Ray to fund witness expenses through photo sales was denied, while a petition to authorize out-of-state depositions was granted. The Civil Rights Division’s involvement in the assassination investigation is referenced, alongside federal agencies’ role in witness interviews.  

Key People  
- JAMES EARL RAY (defendant in MLK Jr.’s assassination trial)  
- CEDRIC MOORE (SCLC aide reporting threats against James Bevel)  
- JAMES BEVEL (Reverend, SCLC leader defending Ray’s innocence)  
- MICKEY MILLAN (alleged threat-maker against Bevel)  
- W. PRESTON BATTLE (judge presiding over Ray’s trial in Shelby County)  
- SA EDWARD M. COLE (FBI agent involved in threats investigation)  
- REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING SR. (father of MLK Jr., listed as a witness)  
- FBI AGENTS (George Donebroke, Frank Hitt, and others)  
- SCLC MEMBERS (Rev. Andrew Young, Dr. William Rutherford, etc.)  
- WARDEN WALTER SWANSON (Missouri Department of Corrections)  

Key Locations  
- PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA (center of FBI investigation and SCLC activities)  
- SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE (location of Ray’s trial and court proceedings)  
- MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (scene of MLK Jr.’s assassination and trial)  
- BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA (location of witnesses and legal offices)  
- JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI (jurisdiction of Warden Walter Swanson)  
- LONDON, ENGLAND (origin of some documents and legal proceedings)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into threats against Reverend Bevel linked to his defense of James Earl Ray  
- Legal motions requesting stipulated testimony from out-of-state witnesses and continuances due to trial preparation delays  
- Motion by Ray to fund witness expenses through photo sales, denied by the court  
- Petition to authorize out-of-state depositions for witnesses, including FBI agents and SCLC members, granted by the court  
- Reference to an ongoing investigation into MLK Jr.’s assassination under the Civil Rights Division’s jurisdiction  
- Disputes over financial transactions and document retrieval between Ray, his attorneys, and third parties  

Key Organizations  
- FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)  
- SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (SCLC)  
- SHELBY COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT (Tennessee)  
- CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)  
- MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS  
- BIRMINGHAM TRUST NATIONAL BANK (Birmingham, Alabama)

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_006_ser_231_only-part_09_of_12.pdf

Document Summary

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