</s>44-HO-38981 4559 (3-2-50) SERIALS 35898-3632 H. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILED H.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ENTIRE FILE REV. FOR HISTORICAL DECLASSIFICATION FEDERAL BUREAU SECTION 42 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ENCLOSED INVESTIC ATION ATTENTION SECTION42 SERIAL S 35898 -3626 BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FOI/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. F/O/POJ. USE CARE IN HANDLING THIS FILE USE CAREIN HANDLING THIS FILE NO NOT DESTROY HISTORICNAL VALUE Transfer-Call 421 IONAL ARCHIVES HALF WALDER 18-37797 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, as reported by *The Commercial Appeal* on April 5, 1968. The FBI transmitted 11 news articles from that date to the House Select Committee on Assassinations. A "WORK SHEET" form references Martin Littler King Jr., with serial numbers (e.g., 3558–3626) and administrative notes about declassification under Executive Order 14176. Fragmented text mentions controversies in King’s career, including a failed bomb during protests, his family members (wife, children), and the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march. Miscellaneous content includes movie listings and unrelated administrative notes.  

Key People  
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (assassinated)  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in assassination plot)  
- Rev. Andrew Young (SCLC leader, witness)  
- Solomon Jones Jr. (King’s chauffeur)  
- Ramsey Clark (attorney general, involved in official response)  
- Lyndon B. Johnson (U.S. President, expressed condolences)  
- Frank R. Ahlgen (author/editor of documents)  
- Charles Evers  
- Frank R. Ahlorn  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (scene of assassination, St. Joseph Hospital, Eskridge Station)  
- Birmingham, Alabama  
- Montgomery, Alabama (1965 civil rights march)  
- Selma, Alabama (origin of 1965 march)  
- Washington, D.C. (political and federal offices)  
- St. Louis County, Missouri (legal proceedings context)  
- Cincinnati (court-related content)  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis.  
- FBI surveillance of civil rights organizations, wiretapping activities, and investigation into assassination plot involving James Earl Ray.  
- U.S. military and police dissemination of news about King’s death via radio communications.  
- Immediate aftermath: witness accounts of the shooting, transport to St. Joseph Hospital, and police confirmation of his death by 6:19 p.m.  
- Riots and civil unrest in Memphis, Tennessee; Miami; Mississippi; and Raleigh, North Carolina, with reports of property damage, arrests, and allegations of police brutality.  
- Political reactions, including statements by Lyndon B. Johnson and Ramsey Clark, and editorial responses emphasizing societal calm.  
- 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march referenced in clippings.  
- Memphis sanitation workers’ strike (February–April 1968) mentioned alongside labor-related content.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)  
- Memphis Police Department  
- U.S. Armed Forces (involved in communication of news)  
- Memphis Sanitation Workers Union  
- Local city councils and courts (St. Louis County, Cincinnati)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_12-04-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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