</s>PAGE THREE (444-2330) 1967, A'D MARCH A'N'D APRIL, 1962 WE STATED HE MOIL" TELEPHO"IALLY CONTACT THE FBI OFFICE WHEN HE LOCATED THESE PECORRS ... KNOVVILLE AT COPPER HILL. WILL ATTEMPT TO LOCATIC REFERENCES. FOR ARNOLD RAY GORREY AND ALSO ATTEMP TO IDENTIFY RELATIVES OF ARNOLD' RAY GOFFREY. CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, HAS REQUESTED THAT GORRREY'S RELATIVES, ASO-LATTS OF IDENTIFICF, AD INTERVIEWED CONGRERING AJY ASSOCIATE OF GORPREY "NAMED RALPH. ATLAT'A AT ATLANTA. WILL CONTINUE EFFORTS TO LOCATE A.M. INTERVIEW LEON POWELL. PLS HOLD weh 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Department of Justice investigations into potential assassination plots against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) during 1967–1968, focusing on Arnold Ray Godfrey’s alleged involvement in offering a $75,000 reward for MLK’s murder to Leon Powell and his brother Claude Powell. The Powells refused the proposal, and polygraph tests conducted in 1976 yielded inconclusive results for Leon Powell but indicated truthfulness for Claude Powell. Godfrey, who relocated to Atlanta by the late 1940s, is linked to Pete’s Bar (later Bill Bailey’s Bar) through liquor license records spanning 1964–1975, with multiple license holders including William Pope Davis, Roy T. Bailey, and Lewis W. Clark. The FBI pursued leads on Godfrey’s relatives, such as Lee Carroll Godfrey (incarcerated in 1974), Ray S. Godfrey (died November 1975), Shirley Bullock, James T. Godfrey, and Ralph Clund, though connections to the plot remained unconfirmed. Additional records from 1974–1976 reference FBI interviews with LEON POWELL, CLAUDE POWELL, and others connected to an alleged meeting at Pete’s Bar in Atlanta where an unknown white male offered $25,000 for MLK’s assassination. The investigation also reviewed arrests and convictions of Lee Carroll Godfrey (theft, robbery, assault) and other individuals like Dudley, Ralph Linu, and Yank Venable, with locations including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Asheville, Midland, Texas, and Fannin County, Georgia.  

Key People  
- **Leon Powell**: Refused assassination offer for MLK; polygraph inconclusive; interviewed by FBI in 1976 regarding a meeting at Pete’s Bar.  
- **Claude Powell**: Brother of Leon Powell; polygraph indicated truthfulness; confirmed details of the alleged meeting at Pete’s Bar.  
- **Arnold Ray Godfrey**: White male, born June 11, 1938 in Copper Hill, Tennessee; approached Powells with assassination plot offer; relocated to Atlanta by late 1940s.  
- **Lee Carroll Godfrey**: Convicted criminal with multiple arrests for theft, robbery, and assault (1956–1974); owned property in Atlanta linked to Pete’s Bar.  
- **Ray S. Godfrey**: Brother of Arnold; died November 1975.  
- **Shirley Bullock**: Sister of Arnold; resides with mother Mary Godfrey in Tennessee; employed as school crossing guard in Cobb County, Georgia.  
- **James T. Godfrey**: Brother of Arnold; resides in Georgia.  
- **Ralph Clund**: Associate of Arnold Ray Godfrey; sought by FBI but not confirmed as connected to the plot.  
- **Yank Venable**: Individual associated with property ownership in Atlanta; sought for interview.  
- **Dudley, Ralph Linu, and others**: Linked to criminal activity, arrests, or meetings related to the investigation.  

Key Locations  
- **Copper Hill, Tennessee**: Birthplace of Arnold Ray Godfrey; former family residence.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Location of Pete’s Bar (1455 Moreland Avenue); where Arnold Ray Godfrey relocated in late 1940s; property owned by W. Venable and Bill McGarity.  
- **Midland, Texas**: Home of Claude Powell; location of Scottish Inn, hotel where Leon Powell resided during FBI investigation.  
- **Fannin County, Georgia**: Area containing Pete’s Bar property.  
- **Cobb County, Georgia**: Location of Shirley Bullock’s employment as school crossing guard.  

Key Events  
- **November 1967**: Arnold Ray Godfrey approached Leon and Claude Powell with an offer to assassinate MLK for $75,000; Powells refused.  
- **Polygraph tests (1976)**: Conducted on Leon and Claude Powell; inconclusive results for Leon, truthful response from Claude.  
- **Alleged meeting at Pete’s Bar (1968)**: LEON POWELL and an unknown white male discussed a $25,000 reward for MLK’s assassination; CLAUDE POWELL was present but had no prior knowledge of the plot.  
- **FBI interviews**: Conducted with LEON POWELL, CLAUDE POWELL, RAY COOLEY, SHIRLEY BULLOCK, and others to investigate potential conspirators.  
- **Arrests and convictions (1956–1974)**: Lee Carroll Godfrey had multiple charges for theft, robbery, and assault; some pending or unresolved.  
- **Liquor license records review**: Examined ownership of Pete’s Bar (1455 Moreland Avenue) from 1964–1975, including William Pope Davis, Roy T. Bailey, and Lewis W. Clark.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted polygraph tests, reviewed liquor license records, and pursued leads on Godfrey’s associates.  
- **Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division**: Requested interviews with Godfrey’s relatives and associates.  
- **City of Atlanta, Georgia**: Provided employment records for Arnold Ray Godfrey; reviewed liquor license permits for Pete’s Bar.  
- **Cobb County Police Department**: Provided information on Shirley Bullock’s employment as a school crossing guard.  
- **Local law enforcement agencies**: Involved in tracking down individuals like RAY COOLEY and Yank Venable.

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_164-03-part_3_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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