</s>NOW 10 11 15 PM 758 f.B.I. U.S. DEPT. OF JUSTICE NOW 10 10 22/4/68 TELETYPE UNIT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2023 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 1478

Summary  
The document details FBI investigations into statements made by Paul C. Bolin, a Navy serial number holder, regarding his wife Mary Patricia Bolin’s alleged knowledge of an individual connected to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bolin claimed his wife stated the individual had received $500,000 for the assassination and was hiding in Florida. On October 30, 1968, Mary Patricia Bolin was interviewed by the FBI in Norfolk, Virginia, where she admitted to fabricating statements about her husband’s activities, including claims of armed robbery and mental instability. She denied having any information about the assassination and stated her husband had no knowledge of it. The document also references legal proceedings involving James Earl Ray’s trial, with George Bonebrake, an FBI fingerprint expert, cited by a court panel for contempt over publicity related to the case. Legal filings mention restrictions on pre-trial reporting and orders prohibiting extra-judicial statements about the case.  

Key People  
- Paul C. Bolin (Navy serial number holder)  
- Mary Patricia Bolin (wife of Paul C. Bolin)  
- George Bonebrake (FBI fingerprint expert cited for contempt)  
- James Earl Ray (defendant in the assassination trial)  
- Judge W. Preston Battle (court official overseeing proceedings)  

Key Locations  
- Norfolk, Virginia (FBI interview location)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (legal proceedings and newspaper references)  
- Florida (alleged hiding place of the individual connected to the assassination)  

Key Events  
- FBI interviews with Mary Patricia Bolin in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 30, 1968.  
- Legal filings regarding James Earl Ray’s trial, including court orders limiting pre-trial publicity and extra-judicial statements.  
- George Bonebrake cited for contempt by Judge W. Preston Battle over alleged violations of court restrictions.  
- Alleged fabrication of statements by Mary Patricia Bolin about her husband’s involvement in armed robbery and the assassination plot.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United States Department of Justice  
- Shelby County Criminal Court, Tennessee  
- Memphis Commercial Appeal (newspaper referencing legal proceedings)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_22-04-part_3_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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