</s>56(a) (in response to plainiff's second paragraph numbered 56) No factual response is deemed necessary to this allegation. 57(a). (in Response to plainiffs' second paragraph numbered 57) No factual Response is deemednecessary to this allegation, other than retelling that we are not going to engage in a "battle of scientific experts" in an FOIA suit. 58 No factualResponse is deemed unnecessary to this allegation: 59-73 Please refer to Special Agent Kilty's affi- daft for the correct information concerning these allegations. I respectfully referate my belief that the purpose of this FOIA litigation is not to judge Mr. Ray's guilt or Mr. Weisberg's scientific knowledge. 74 Plaintiff is correct in that perhaps my answer to his Interrogatory No. 17 should have been more clear to avoid any incorrect inferences. I meant my answer to mean that we furnished plainiff all photographs of the bathroom windowsill taken by the FBI Laboratory which had been located in our search of FBI filings. I did not mean to leave the implication, nor do I claim, that the FBI possesses every picture ever taken, no matter what, or when, of the window- sill. We compiled with plainiffs, request by furnishing him all photographs we had located in our file search pursuant to his request. 75 PlaintIFF has been furnished all photographs and reports concerning the FBI laboratory examination of the windshield. Conclusions drawn by plainiff or anyone else from the material furnished plainifff have no bearing whatsoever on the subject matter of this litigation. 76 This allegation is irrelevant. Plaintiff knows that photomicrographs of the windowsill were taken, since he was furnished them, as he admits in the second sentence of his Paragraph 75. - 17 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI compliance with FOIA requests related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including searches for records at FBIHQ and Memphis Field Office, analysis of ballistic evidence (e.g., bullet Q64), and disputes over the release of photographs and laboratory reports. The FBI clarified that no scientific tests were conducted on cigarette remains from a white Mustang in Atlanta, and photomicrographs of the "death bullet" were not taken for comparison with test bullets. Legal proceedings involved Harold Weisberg’s FOIA litigation, including disputes over document accessibility, fees, and scheduling conflicts. A 1971 conspiracy complaint against James Earl Ray and Eric Starvo Galt was dismissed, while FBI laboratory reports and ballistic analyses were provided to the requester. Internal protocols and FOIA exemptions influenced decisions on record disclosure.  

Key People  
- Harold Weisberg (plaintiff in FOIA litigation)  
- James Earl Ray (alleged assassin of Dr. King, convicted in 1969)  
- Eric Starvo Galt (linked to Ray in dismissed conspiracy complaint)  
- Special Agent Thomas L. Wiseman (FBI, FOIPA Section)  
- John W. Kilty (FBI Laboratory Division)  
- Clarence N. Kelley (FBI Director)  
- James H. Lesar (attorney representing Weisberg)  
- Raymond Ray (brother of James Earl Ray, referenced in documents)  

Key Locations  
- FBI Headquarters (Washington, D.C.)  
- Memphis Field Office (Tennessee)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (scene of assassination and Mustang abandonment)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (location of conspiracy complaint filing)  
- 1231 Fourth Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. (Lesar’s law office address)  

Key Events  
- FBI compliance with FOIA requests for evidence related to MLK Jr.’s assassination (April 1968–March 1976).  
- Dismissal of a 1971 conspiracy complaint against James Earl Ray and Eric Starvo Galt.  
- Spectroscopic and neutron activation analysis of bullets and clothing fragments from the crime scene.  
- Legal disputes over release of photographs, ballistic test results, and investigative records under FOIA.  
- Scheduling conflicts and financial obligations for accessing materials (e.g., Weisberg’s payment agreement for reproduction costs).  
- Discussions about exclusion of sensitive or irrelevant documents under FOIA exemptions.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United States Department of Justice  
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (case number 75-1996)  
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office  
- FBI Laboratory Division  
- FOIPA Section (Freedom of Information and Privacy Act)  
- Civil Rights Division of the DOJ

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_sec_009_ser_231_only-part_7_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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