</s>FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER HQ - HEADQUARTERS PART 8 OF 8 WRITTEN ON THE Class: Case # Sub Vol. Serial # 0180 - 709 8 231 ONLY 8/19/351245 RRPWATQIN 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents contain FBI records related to investigations into Ku Klux Klan (KKK) affiliations of individuals connected to the 1968 trial of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. They include lists of potential jurors for a state prosecution in Shelby County, Tennessee, scheduled for November 1968, with some flagged for possible KKK ties. Names such as George Anderson (322 King Road), James L. Bell (1301 Dowdowd Drive), Aaron Payne (543 Edith Street), and Marvin T. Perkins (2713 Windsor Parkway) were identified in FBI files as having connections to Klan-related activities or listed as officers of KKK-affiliated groups. The records also reference a request by the State Attorney General’s office to investigate jury panel members for Klan connections, with some entries containing errors such as incorrect trial dates (e.g., "April 1, 1989" instead of 1968). Additional files from 1960 and 1968 detail KKK members like Marvin Perkins, J. William Price, and Willie L. Price, with FBI file numbers cited. Administrative records include fingerprint data for individuals such as James Bell Jr. and Sr., along with charges of robbery, assault, and attempted suicide, some of which reference incomplete or redacted information including placeholders for social security numbers.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused of MLK’s assassination; subject of jury panel investigation for his 1968 trial.  
- **Phil M. Canale Jr.**: State Attorney General of Shelby County, Tennessee, requesting FBI assistance with jury panel investigation.  
- **George Anderson**: Addressed as 322 King Road; flagged for potential KKK ties in Memphis files.  
- **James L. Bell**: Listed as an officer of the Klavern in a 1965 report (file 187-370-24-1389); address 1301 Dowdowd Drive.  
- **Aaron Payne**: Addressed as 543 Edith Street; referenced in Memphis file 4-24/04.  
- **Marvin T. Perkins**: Identified as having KKK connections; listed as an officer of the United Klans of America, Inc., and Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.  
- **J. William Price**: Addressed as 118 Parrow Price; referenced in FBI file 91-7284.  
- **Willie L. Price**: Addressed as 219 Timberlane; linked to Memphis file 43-190.  
- **James Bell Jr.**: Charged with robbery, assault, and attempted suicide; associated with Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **James Bell Sr.**: Charged with suspicion of auto-related offenses.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central to the jury panel investigation and FBI file references.  
- **Shelby County, Tennessee**: Jurisdiction for the state prosecution of James Earl Ray.  
- **Lexington, N.C.**: Home address of Marvin Perkins; referenced in 1960 KKK records.  
- **San Diego**: Reference to teletype related to George Anderson’s KKK ties.  
- **Knoxville, Tennessee**: Mentioned in a 1958 report about Dixie Klans.  
- **Rice Lake, Wisconsin**; **Kingston, Tennessee**: Locations referenced in administrative records.  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Klan affiliations of potential jurors for James Earl Ray’s state trial (November 1968).  
- Request by Shelby County authorities to search FBI files for information on approximately 100 individuals linked to the MLK assassination case.  
- Identification of KKK members such as Marvin Perkins, J. William Price, and Willie L. Price through FBI records.  
- Election of Marvin Perkins as Exalted Cyclops of the KKK on February 16, 1960 (note: date may be an error).  
- Fingerprint-based identification records for individuals like James Bell Jr. and Sr., with some entries containing redacted or incomplete data.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into KKK affiliations, managed files on potential jurors, and provided fingerprint data.  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**: Central to all records, with references to its structure (e.g., Klaverns) and roles (Exalted Cyclops).  
- **United Klans of America, Inc.**: Mentioned as an organization associated with Marvin Perkins.  
- **Knights of the Ku Klux Klan**: Referenced in FBI files linked to Marvin Perkins’ KKK affiliations.  
- **Internal Security Division**: Referenced in FBI files related to KKK investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_008_ser_231_only-part_01_of_12.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search