Summary  
The documents detail legal proceedings and FBI investigations surrounding James Earl Ray’s conviction for the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Shelby County Court on April 4, 1968, receiving a 99-year prison sentence. His appeal to overturn his conviction was denied by the Tennessee Supreme Court in January 1970, which ruled that his guilty plea was voluntary and legally valid. The court cited precedents emphasizing that post-plea dissatisfaction does not justify overturning a conviction. FBI records reference James Earl Ray’s case, including administrative directives to secure court documents for file management. Separate investigations into John Hamilton Morris, a convicted criminal with a history of fraud and theft, explored his alleged involvement in the assassination. Morris claimed in 1969 that Ray was paid to kill King but faced legal reversals, including the reversal of his 1967 conviction due to procedural errors. A 1970 FBI handwriting analysis on documents linked to Victoria Craig found no conclusive matches. The *Los Angeles Herald Examiner* published a false report in 1968 alleging King possessed dynamite, which was tied to Morris’s alleged activities.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted of murdering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., subject of legal appeals and FBI investigations.  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.**: Victim of the assassination in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **John Hamilton Morris**: Convicted criminal with a history of fraud, theft, and forgery; alleged to have been paid by Ray to kill King.  
- **Preston W. Battle**: Late Tennessee judge who presided over Ray’s trial.  
- **Victoria Craig**: Subject of FBI handwriting analysis; no direct connection to MLK case.  
- **Robert M. Meade, Jr.**: U.S. District Court Judge in Memphis involved in legal proceedings.  
- **FBI Agents/Officials**: Including SACs (Special Agent in Charge) in Los Angeles and Memphis; referenced in file management and evidence handling.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the assassination, trial, and court rulings related to Ray’s conviction.  
- **Shelby County, Tennessee**: Jurisdiction where King was murdered and Ray indicted.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Location of Morris’s 1967 trial and the *Los Angeles Herald Examiner* article.  
- **Tennessee Supreme Court**: Issued rulings denying Ray’s petition for a new trial.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **Guilty Plea**: James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Shelby County Court.  
- **Sentencing**: Ray received a 99-year prison term for the crime.  
- **Appeal Process**: Ray sought to overturn his conviction through multiple legal appeals, including a petition for certiorari to the Tennessee Supreme Court.  
- **Court Ruling**: The Tennessee Supreme Court denied Ray’s petition, affirming the validity of his guilty plea and sentence.  
- **1967 Legal Dismissal**: U.S. District Court in Memphis dismissed a lawsuit against Ray due to insufficient evidence.  
- **Morris’s 1967 Conviction Reversal**: Ninth Circuit Court overturned his conviction for procedural errors in competency assessments.  
- **1968 False Dynamite Report**: *Los Angeles Herald Examiner* article falsely claimed King had dynamite, linked to Morris’s alleged activities.  
- **1970 FBI Handwriting Examination**: Laboratory analysis of documents linked to Victoria Craig found no conclusive matches.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray and Morris, maintained records on handwriting analysis, and managed legal document tracking.  
- **Tennessee Department of Justice**: Involved in the prosecution and legal proceedings against Ray.  
- **U.S. District Courts**: Memphis and Los Angeles courts handled legal disputes related to Ray and Morris.  
- **Los Angeles Herald Examiner**: Newspaper referenced in the false dynamite report linked to Morris’s alleged activities.  
- **Tennessee Supreme Court**: Issued rulings on Ray’s appeal and affirmed his conviction.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_26-01-part_5_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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