</s>AT 44-2386 3 RALPH (INU) burned down several years ago and met believes that PETE DAVIS is currently manager for Shrimp Boat restaurants with headquarters in Macon, Georgia, DAVIS also could possibly be contacted Georgia, DAWIS who lives on Flat Shoals Road in Atlanta, GA, who was used to own the Shoals Technical School. His former wife has no first hand knowledge of the matter. His former husband has no one of the facts as he described them to her. PETE DAVISS actually observed RALPH (LWU) enter and exit bar but his bar was DAVIS never entered the conversation between RALP (LNU) and themselves. Neither he nor his brother were involved in the killing of MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR ., because the whole situation as he described him "scared us!" in. This matter. He is willing to take a polygraph in He has waited nine years to contact the FBI regarding this matter because he recently observed a documentary on television which disturbed his conscience and he felt he had to furnish this information to the FBI. POWELL stated the reason he believes he and his brother were contacted by GODFREY to believe he and brother. SHOWER was contacted by Godfrey for armed robbery and during the period of time around 1967 his brother had a reputation for being an expert with a shotgun. POWELL stated his brother constantly carried a shotgun because he has an inferior complex." -4- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into alleged 1967 assassination plots against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), focusing on LEON POWELL, CLAUDE POWELL, and ARNOLD RAY GODFREY. LEON POWELL, a Korean War veteran with a history of alcoholism and criminal arrests for offenses including drunk driving and public indecency, claimed in 1976 he was approached by an unknown man at Pete’s Bar on Moreland Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia, who offered $25,000 to kill MLK. He denied involvement but stated he later felt compelled to report the encounter after watching a documentary. CLAUDE POWELL, his brother, corroborated the account and provided a diagram of Pete’s Bar for FBI reference. ARNOLD RAY GODFREY, described as a construction worker with a scar on his right forearm, allegedly approached both Powells in November 1967, offering $75,000 for the assassination. Both brothers refused. The FBI conducted polygraph tests on Powell and Godfrey; results were inconclusive for Leon Powell but deemed truthful for Claude Powell. Godfrey denied involvement but had prior associations with illegal activities. The investigation also sought to verify Godfrey’s whereabouts during 1967, locate his relatives (including Lee Carroll Godfrey, incarcerated in Blue Ridge County Jail in 1974), and cross-check accounts of the alleged meeting. No conclusive evidence linking these individuals to MLK’s assassination was found.  

Key People  
- **LEON POWELL**: Korean War veteran with criminal record for drunk driving, public intoxication, and indecent exposure; claimed he was approached by an unknown man offering $25,000 to kill MLK.  
- **CLAUDIE POWELL (Jr.)**: Brother of Leon Powell; corroborated his account of the 1967 encounter and provided a diagram of Pete’s Bar for FBI reference.  
- **ARNOLD RAY GODFREY**: Construction worker with a scar on his right forearm; allegedly approached both Powells in November 1967, offering $75,000 for MLK’s assassination.  
- **Ralph (CLM)**: White male described as the individual who allegedly arranged the assassination plot and offered money to Powell brothers.  
- **Lee Carroll Godfrey**: Brother of Arnold Ray Godfrey; incarcerated in Blue Ridge County Jail in 1974.  
- **Pete Davis**: Owner of Pete’s Bar on Moreland Avenue, Atlanta; deceased by 1975.  
- **Diane Brady**: Former bartender at Pete’s Bar; described an individual named “Duke” associated with the bar.  

Key Locations  
- **Moreland Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia**: Site of Pete’s Bar where Powell and Godfrey were interviewed; closed by 1976.  
- **Toccoa, Georgia**: Home address for LEON POWELL and his family.  
- **Copper Hill, Tennessee**: Birthplace of Arnold Ray Godfrey.  
- **Blue Ridge County Jail, Georgia**: Location of Lee Carroll Godfrey’s incarceration in 1974.  

Key Events  
- **November 1967**: Arnold Ray Godfrey allegedly approached Leon and Claude Powell at Pete’s Bar, offering $75,000 for MLK’s assassination; both refused.  
- **1967 Encounter at Pete’s Bar**: LEON POWELL claimed an unknown man offered him $25,000 to kill MLK; the man was described as clean-cut and carrying a black briefcase.  
- **FBI Interviews (1976)**: Agents interviewed Powell family members, bar staff, and associates to verify details of alleged plots.  
- **Polygraph Tests**: Conducted on Leon and Claude Powell; results inconclusive for Leon, conclusive for Claude.  
- **Artist’s Conception**: LEON POWELL reviewed FBI guidelines for creating a facial sketch of an unidentified suspect (RALPH) to aid identification.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, polygraph tests, and investigations into alleged assassination plots.  
- **Atlanta Police Department (APD)**: Provided criminal records and identification data for LEON POWELL, CLAUDE POWELL, and ARNOLD RAY GODFREY.  
- **City of Atlanta Sewer Department**: Employed ARNOLD RAY GODFREY; investigated his background.  
- **Musicians Union Number 148**: Mentioned in connection to Ray Godfrey’s musical career.

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_164-03-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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