</s>4 ASPF (3-13987) SERIALS 344-3502 44-HO-88981 H. S. Department of Justice X-DO NOT DESTROYEVOLVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE HISTORICAL VALUE NATIONAL ARCHIVES ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICIAL DECLASSIFICATION FEDERAL BUREAU SECTION 38 SEPTIONS 344-5502 ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED KEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED DATE LAUNCHING FOR ALL ATTENTION SEPTIALS 3449-55022 SEPTIANS 344-5402 BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FOI/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 567. F8/PA SECTION UNITD, EXT, 56767. USE CARE IN HANDLING THIS B Transfer-Call 421 2. www.us.com 18-37797 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Department of Justice investigations into potential conspirators linked to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Letters signed by an initial "V" were sent from Hamilton, Ontario, to the Memphis Police Department in April 1968 and registered under that signature. The FBI requested assistance from Legat in Canada to identify the sender, with implications suggesting the individual may be James Earl Ray. Passport application tracking procedures are referenced, including semi-alphabetical and chronological file systems maintained by agencies in Miami, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and other locations. A proposed project involves reviewing passport files to identify aliases used for travel, potentially linked to an individual (possibly James Earl Ray). Delays in accessing Rhodesian government records are noted pending completion of a passport survey. Separately, Robert Wayne Phillips, a former Mississippi bootlegger, provided information about Carl Murphy Jr., a liquor dealer with KKK ties and alleged involvement in 1963 murders of John Oliver Younger and Bobby Pitman. Phillips claimed Murphy offered him $2,050 to kill MLK after the Selma March but declined. The FBI sought to locate Murphy for verification of his KKK affiliations and potential connection to the assassination. Jack Maynard Ray is identified as a suspect with a criminal record, including an alleged 1965 threat against MLK. James Earl Ray is noted as the official assassin, though investigations continued to explore potential conspirators. Telecommunication logs from May 1968 reference FBI sections in St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago, and Jackson, with inquiries related to Phillips and Murphy, including file numbers and urgent communications.  

Key People  
- Legat (Canada)  
- James Earl Ray (implied through "V" signature and passport tracking)  
- Carl Murphy Jr. (liquor dealer, KKK member, accused of 1963 murders)  
- Robert Wayne Phillips (informant, former Mississippi bootlegger)  
- Jack Maynard Ray (suspect with criminal record, linked to MLK threat)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Police Department)  
- Hamilton, Ontario, Canada  
- St. Louis, Chicago, Jackson, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle (passport agencies)  
- Salisbury, Rhodesia (Rhodesian government records)  
- Mississippi (Belden, Tupelo, Union County)  
- Daytona Beach, Florida; Durham, Charlotte, Birmingham, Alabama  

Key Events  
- Receipt of letters signed by "V" from Hamilton, Ontario, to Memphis Police Department (April 1968).  
- FBI request for assistance in identifying the sender of these letters.  
- Investigation into passport applications and potential aliases used for travel.  
- Proposed review of passport files to locate an individual (possibly James Earl Ray) using a false name.  
- Delay in reviewing Rhodesian government records pending completion of passport survey.  
- Carl Murphy Jr.’s alleged 1963 murders of John Oliver Younger and Bobby Pitman.  
- Robert Wayne Phillips’ claim that Murphy offered him $2,050 to kill MLK after the Selma March.  
- FBI efforts to locate Murphy for KKK affiliation verification.  
- Jack Maynard Ray’s alleged 1965 threat against MLK (unconfirmed).  
- Telecommunication logs from FBI sections in St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago, and Jackson (May 1968).  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Department of Justice  
- Memphis Police Department  
- Passport Office (U.S.)  
- Ku Klux Klan (KKK)  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (referenced in document reproduction)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_11-05-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search