</s>to ascertain what materials are included within this request if you will just make a few inquiries of the appropriate authors, writers, and FBI officials. The alternative of course, is to proceed to take dispositions and testimony from these officials and writers and let the district court testimony from those officials and journalists is unnecessary, since the fact that FBI materials were made this way. This is unnecessary. Since the is inconstensible, I note, or example, that in his book for the Strange Case of James Earl Ray, Clay Blair, Jr. thanks the FBI for its was not interested in this information request that has gone some of the writers listed in his information request have been denied copies of evidence. as the autopsy photographs which have been denied James Earl Rays' defense and that they have flashed FBI reports on the king assassina- mentioned in Mr. Weisberg, people who have obtained copies of the bank records of Ray's sister, Carol Pepper. In closing, let me apologize for the delay in responding to your letter. I work entirely alone. I have no secretary or law clerk to assist me and must of necessity no own typing or filing. Recently I have been very pressed for time and this accounts for the Levi about these and other matters soon after and Attorney General Levi's about these I trust you paid him close attention. your letter and I trust You paid him closer attention. Sincerely yours, Jim Leea Jim Leear CC: Attorney General Edward H. Levi FBI Director Clarence Kelley. FBI Special Agent Thomas Wiseman EXHIBIT G 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was indicted for first-degree murder on May 7, 1968, and arrested in London on June 1, 1968. His trial involved a plea deal with attorney William Bradford Huie, who held exclusive rights to Ray's life story. Hugh Stanton was appointed as public defender after Huie fell ill. Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison following a "mini-trial" where evidence indicated he fired the weapon used in the assassination. Ray later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea and assert innocence, leading to appeals. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded for an evidentiary hearing, citing conflicts in counsel's conduct. The FBI provided ballistic test results showing the murder bullet was fired from Ray's rifle, though some evidence suggested Ray's weapon may not have been used. CBS requested access to records and photographs related to the assassination, including ballistic tests and physical evidence, but faced objections from the Civil Rights Division citing potential prejudice to a fair trial. The FBI withheld records under FOIA exemptions 7(A) and 7(B), arguing they could interfere with enforcement proceedings or compromise judicial processes. Legal debates centered on whether releasing scientific evidence would affect Ray's right to a fair trial, with some advocating transparency despite risks of prejudicial publicity.  

Key People  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.** (assassinated April 4, 1968)  
- **James Earl Ray** (indicted for murder, arrested in London June 1, 1968)  
- **William Bradford Huie** (attorney representing Ray, exclusive rights to his life story)  
- **Hugh Stanton** (public defender appointed after Huie fell ill)  
- **Ernest S. Leiser** (CBS News producer requesting FBI records on the assassination)  
- **Walter W. Barnett** (Civil Rights Division FOIA Coordinator)  
- **Allen Y. Shaklan** (CBS attorney handling appeals)  
- **Robert A. Frazier** (former FBI special agent involved in ballistic examinations)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (site of assassination and trial proceedings)  
- **Shelby County Criminal Court** (involved in legal proceedings)  
- **Atlanta** (location of abandoned white Mustang with cigarette remains)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI)  
- **Hempstead** (likely a typo for Memphis; reference to bathroom window where King was shot)  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Dr. King on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee  
- Indictment and arrest of James Earl Ray for murder on May 7, 1968  
- Plea deal and sentencing of Ray to 99 years in prison following a "mini-trial"  
- Appeals by Ray challenging his guilty plea and alleging coercion by counsel  
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals remanding case for evidentiary hearing due to conflicts in counsel's conduct  
- FBI providing ballistic test results indicating the murder bullet was fired from Ray's rifle  
- CBS requesting access to records and photographs related to the assassination, facing FOIA exemptions  
- Legal debates over releasing scientific evidence under FOIA and its impact on fair trial rights  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted forensic examinations and managed records related to the assassination investigation  
- **Civil Rights Division**: Objected to release of records citing potential prejudice to a fair trial  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Oversaw FOIA compliance and legal responses to requests  
- **CBS News**: Requested access to FBI materials for investigative reporting on the assassination  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Referenced in context of legal proceedings (no substantive details provided)

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_sec_009_ser_231_only-part_9_of_9.pdf

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