</s>441809 CLASSIFICATION NO. Volume Number 44 Series 1-60 DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT FOIPAH: 13302944. -1-0-0.0-1.0.1.1-1 -1 -0-2.0 -0.2.1 -1.2-2-3.2 of Justin of Justin FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER UREAU HO - HOUSTON HO-0 -- HOUSTON HO-044-4001B: HO Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # Serial # 0444 1509 1 1 60 1 60 INVESTIGATION Investigation # 44/33/44/55/66/67/68/7760 6/06/7770 Bureau File Number 44/35/64/66 Bureau Files File Number #44/45/66.67/69/70/71/80.11.00 RRP0/0003.00 RRP0003LNG D-944 <loc_928><loc_931>D-14.8 <loc_933><loc_933><loc_946><loc_931><loc_946>D-0 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Key elements include a rifle abandoned near the crime scene, purchased by an individual using the name Harvey Loweyor or Lowyer, described as a white male, 36 years old, 5'8" tall, 150-160 pounds, with black or dark brown hair. The FBI directed all continental offices to check records (city directories, telephone directories, driver’s licenses, voter registrations, credit histories, criminal records) for individuals with these surnames and to prioritize bombing suspects. A separate memorandum notes an unsolved case involving John Willard, linked to MLK, and references a call from Clarence Vernon John Pracock urging the president to address the assassination. Airline manifests for Houston-to-San Francisco flights on April 4-5, 1968, were checked for suspects but yielded no matches. William Leo Beier, arrested in Tucson, Arizona, was noted as a suspect with a tattoo and address. The FBI changed the case title to "Murkin" as an internal code, emphasizing that only information directly related to identifying the subject should be reported under this designation. An anonymous call suggested the Mafia was behind the assassination and would retaliate, though the FBI did not act on it.  

Key People:  
- Harvey Loweyor/Lowyer (suspected rifle purchaser)  
- William Leo Beier (arrested in Tucson, Arizona)  
- Clarence Vernon John Pracock (called White House about assassination)  
- Tom Mulvane (Houston Chronicle reporter who received anonymous call)  
- Wesley T. Whaley (FBI SAC, referenced unsolved case)  
- William G. Morrissey (FBI SAC, checked airline manifests)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (scene of assassination)  
- Tucson, Arizona (Beier’s arrest location)  
- Houston, Texas (airline manifest checks, FBI offices)  
- San Francisco, California (flight route destination)  

Key Events:  
- April 4, 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis  
- FBI directive to check records for individuals with surnames Loweyor/Lowyer  
- Investigation into airline passengers on Houston-to-San Francisco flights  
- Arrest of William Leo Beier in Tucson, Arizona  
- Change of case title to "Murkin" as internal code  
- Anonymous call suggesting Mafia involvement in assassination  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- National Airlines, American Airlines (airline manifest checks)  
- U.S. Department of Justice (via FBI directives)

MLK Declassified Files

44-ho-1509_sec_001_ser_1-60-part_1_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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