</s>456 (33186 M. S. Beyarmment nf Justice 44-Hc-38981 SERIALS 4847-4900 MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILI MATERIA MUST NOT SE REMOVEO FROM OR ADDRED TO THI FILI 44-HC-38881 ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICAL DECLASSIFICATION FEDERAL BUREAU CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ENCLOSED SECTION 65 PICK- SECTION 63 ATTENTION SERIALIS 4847 -4900 BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT SECTION 66 FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FO/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767 DO NOT DESTROY HISTORICAL VALUE USE CARE IN HAXBLING THIS FILE Transfer-Call 421 MADE IN U.S.A.A ., 10-37997 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14170

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against Martin Luther King Jr., including testimonies from ELOISE WITTE, a KKK member, and references to James Earl Ray as a suspect in MLK’s 1968 assassination. FBI files reference serial numbers 44-38861 and 44-703, which include WITTE’s testimony about interactions with DANNY WAGNER, who allegedly discussed plans to harm King. The files also review Clifford Edmondson’s criminal history as a former Air Force prisoner convicted of murder, noting his records were examined for potential ties to the case. Correspondence between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Department of Justice officials discusses civil rights violations and assassination inquiries, with references to declassified materials under Executive Order 14170. Additional content includes FBI efforts to track James Earl Ray’s movements post-escape from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967, legal proceedings regarding his extradition to England, and internal administrative tasks such as fingerprint examinations and lab report coordination.  

Key People  
- ELOISE WITTE (Ku Klux Klan member)  
- DANNY WAGNER (alleged plot participant)  
- JAMES EARL RAY (suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- CLIFFORD EDMONDSON (former Air Force prisoner, murder conviction)  
- J. EDGAR HOOVER (FBI Director)  
- FRED M. VINSON, JR. (Assistant Attorney General)  
- ARTHUR J. HANES (Ray’s attorney)  
- DELBERT HEEDERIK (individual with potential ties to Ray)  
- RICHARD KARR (hotel guest associated with Heederik)  
- JOHN MINNICH (Legal Attache, London)  

Key Locations  
- Cincinnati, Ohio (WITTE’s testimony and KKK activities)  
- St. Louis, Missouri (Edmondson’s prison records)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Ray’s arrest, HCUA hearings, hotel interactions)  
- Kansas City, Missouri (FBI investigations)  
- London, England (extradition proceedings)  
- Gulfport, Mississippi (investigation into Heederik)  
- Andrews Air Base (plane logistics for Ray’s transport)  
- Cleveland, Ohio (lab reports)  
- Washington, D.C. (FBI administrative tasks)  

Key Events  
- Testimony by ELOISE WITTE before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA) regarding KKK activities and potential threats to MLK  
- FBI review of James Earl Ray’s prison records and escape from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967  
- Investigation into Clifford Edmondson’s criminal history and possible ties to assassination plots  
- Legal debates over whether Arthur Hanes should accompany Ray during extradition to England  
- FBI requests for photographs of Ray from British authorities for investigative purposes  
- James Earl Ray’s correspondence with his sister discussing legal proceedings, financial arrangements, and refusal to appeal extradition  
- Internal FBI administrative tasks including fingerprint examinations (File No. 44-38861) and coordination of lab reports  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA)  
- Ku Klux Klan (KKK)  
- United States Department of Justice  
- British Home Office (extradition considerations)  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  
- Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (Memphis, Tennessee)  
- Laboratory Division (FBI)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_20-02-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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