</s>44-0-8861 SERIALS 5099-6063 44-00-8881 MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FIL MATERIEL MUST NOT SE REMOVEO FROM OR ADDED TO THS FIL ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICAL DECLASSIFICATION FEDERAL BUREAU SECTION 85 SEPTIATION 85 SEPTIALS INVESTIGATION ATTENTION SEPTIAIS BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FO/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. F/O/PA SECTION UNITD, EXT ., 5767." USE CARE IN HANDLING THIS FILE COPIED FOR HISTOCIAL VALUE F.O Trasfer-call 3421 JUN 20 1971 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document compiles fragmented records and administrative materials related to the U.S. government’s investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with emphasis on FBI operations, FOIA requests, and alleged conspiracies. It references an FBI review of materials under the "MURKIN" designation in December 1975, including 84 volumes of records, photographic evidence, and surveillance logs. Key elements include proposed electronic surveillance of the Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis (owned by John Larry Ray and Carol Ann Pepper, sisters of James Earl Ray), a confidential source’s account of Dr. Joseph Prosch’s alleged role in procuring a rifle from Maromaine Company and coordinating the assassination plot, and Clifford Holmes Andrews’ criminal history (convictions for fraud, assault, and theft between 1963–1974). The FBI laboratory notes that ballistic comparisons of test bullets to the murder weapon lacked sufficient microscopic markings for identification. Administrative records also mention a FOIA request from CBS News seeking photographs and analysis of assassination-related evidence, as well as document classification under Executive Order 14176. RCMP involvement in Canada is noted regarding Charles Holmes Andrews’ file.  

Key People  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (assassination subject)  
- James Earl Ray (convicted assassin; brother of Carol Ann Pepper)  
- John Larry Ray (owner of Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis)  
- Carol Ann Pepper (sister of James Earl Ray, co-owner of Grapevine Tavern)  
- Dr. Joseph Prosch (alleged intermediary in assassination plot)  
- Frank Laberto (underworld figure in New Orleans linked to the plot)  
- Clifford Holmes Andrews (individual with criminal record referenced in files)  
- Robert Byron Watson (alleged conspirator, later found to have fabricated information)  
- Cliff Andrews (contacted James Earl Ray’s attorney, Robert Livingston)  
- Allen K. Shaklan, Esq. (CBS News Senior Attorney)  
- Harold R. Tyler Jr. (Deputy Attorney General)  
- Clarence H. Kelley (Director, FBI)  
- Richard L. Thornburgh (Attorney General)  
- Regina Eaves (Atlanta Public Safety Commissioner)  
- Robert Livingston (attorney for James Earl Ray)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (site of MLK’s assassination)  
- St. Louis, Missouri (Grapevine Tavern, surveillance target)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Field Office, confidential source; Joseph Prosh Jr.’s convictions)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (Frank Laberto’s alleged operations)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (Fulton County Jail, referenced in witness statements; Atlanta Police Department investigations)  
- Washington, D.C. (FBI and DOJ headquarters)  
- Calgary, Canada (RCMP involvement regarding Charles Holmes Andrews)  
- Toronto, Canada (flight route for attorneys involved in the case)  

Key Events  
- FBI review of materials related to Dr. King’s assassination under "MURKIN" designation (December 1975)  
- Proposed electronic surveillance of Grapevine Tavern for the MURKIN investigation  
- Confidential source’s account of Dr. Prosch’s role in procuring a weapon and coordinating the assassination  
- Clifford Holmes Andrews’ criminal convictions and parole history (1963–1974)  
- FBI inventory of physical and digital evidence, including 16 FCC computer printouts and fingerprint records  
- FOIA request from CBS News seeking photographs and analysis of test bullets compared to the murder weapon  
- Investigation into King’s assassination spanning April 1968 to October 1968  
- FBI laboratory examination of assassination bullets noting insufficient microscopic markings for identification  
- Contact between Cliff Andrews and James Earl Ray’s attorney, Robert Livingston, in 1974 (deemed a hoax)  
- Investigation by Atlanta Police Department into Robert Byron Watson’s claims of a conspiracy (concluded as fabricated)  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Civil Rights Division (Department of Justice)  
- General Investigative Division (GID)  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- CBS News  
- Atlanta Police Department (APPD)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_28-03-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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