</s>Assoc. Dir. Dep.A.D.Ad.Adm. Dep.Ad-A.Div. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Admin. Administr. Communications SECTION Exit. Affair. Admin. Exit, Affair, General & Com JAN 0 9 1976 Gen. & Com Intell. JAN 9 1976 Intell 9:35PM NITEL JANUARY 9, 1976 SMC TELETYPZ Plan & Eval. Interiorary To Director (44-36861) ATLANTA (44)-2886) Specs. Inv. Lectoral Coun Lectral Coun FROM EL PASO (44 -3686) (P) Telephone Inn. Telephone Inc. MURKIN Pulston Ce MoTorkough RE WASHINGTON TEL SENT JANURY 9,1976, D.M. WILLIAMS, MANAGER OF THE SCOTTISH ON JANUALY 9. 1976, D .M. WILLIAMS. MANAGERS OF THE MOTEL RECORD FOR INN MOTEL, MILDLAND, TEXAS, ADVISED THAT THE HOTEL RECORD FOR ROOM 211, WHERE CLAUDE POWELL JR. IS RESIDING, REFLECTS NO Co OUTGOLING TELEPHONE CALLS. INCOMING TELLPHONE CALLES. INC. INCOMING TELPHONE CALLS ARE NOT RECORDED, WHETHER LOCAL OR LONG DISTANCE, AS TO THEIR POINT OF ORIGIN. CLAUDE POWELL JR ., RECONCTACIED AND ADVISED HE WOULD SUBMIT TO A POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION CONCERNING THE INFORMATION HE PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED ON JANUNARY 8, 1976. EEC-1009. L.F.C.P.O.O AWAITING -6028 INSTRUCTIONS BY BUREAURY RE POLYGRAFRE R. POLYCRAPH EXANIMATION. AIR MAIL COPY SENT TO MEMPHIS. 5 Jan 19 1976 END. TKR FEING 2 0-7088T WECO.C-C-MIMIF 2EC <loc_239><loc_865>TOW 10 1 33-HJ8 8 4 JAN 21 1976 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O ., 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential involvement of the Powell brothers (Leon Owen Powell and Claude Powell) and Arnold Ray Godfrey in an alleged 1967 assassination plot against Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The inquiry, initiated on January 9, 1976, followed a request from Departmental Attorney Robert A. Murphy of the Civil Rights Division. Key actions included requesting polygraph examinations for Godfrey and Claude Powell, investigating telephone records at Scottish Inn Motel in El Paso, Texas, and coordinating between FBI offices in Atlanta, Memphis, and El Paso. Interviews with witnesses like Ray Godfrey and Wendell Sutton Powell (brother of Claude Powell) revealed conflicting accounts: Leon Powell claimed he was approached about the plot but denied involvement, while Claude Powell reported being offered $25,000 by an unknown individual described as a white male in his early 30s. The FBI also sought to verify details through witness identifications, including Diana Brady’s recollection of a man named "Duke" at Pete’s Bar in Atlanta.  

Key People  
- **Leon Owen Powell**: Alleged to have been approached in October or November 1967 about an assassination plot against MLK; stated willingness to submit to polygraph examination.  
- **Claude Powell**: Brother of Leon Powell; reported being offered $25,000 by an unknown individual for assassinating MLK; described the stranger as a white male in his early 30s with a black briefcase filled with cash.  
- **Arnold Ray Godfrey**: Construction worker from Atlanta; interviewed and agreed to polygraph examination; identified the Powells as frequent patrons of Pete’s Bar.  
- **Wendell Sutton Powell**: Brother of Claude Powell; provided details about his brother’s alleged encounter with an unknown person offering money for MLK’s assassination.  
- **Diana Brady**: Bartender at Pete’s Place in Atlanta; recalled a man named "Duke" with dark hair, a limp, and a large dark car.  

Key Locations  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Sites of Pete’s Bar (where the alleged meeting occurred) and The Office bar.  
- **El Paso, Texas**: FBI field office involved in investigating telephone records at Scottish Inn Motel.  
- **Midland, Texas**: Scottish Inn Motel where Claude Powell was reportedly staying.  
- **Charlotte, North Carolina**: Home of Floyd Powell (brother of the Powells).  

Key Events  
- **January 9, 1976**: FBI initiated investigation following a request from the Civil Rights Division to assess potential involvement in an assassination plot against MLK.  
- **October or early November 1967**: Alleged meeting at Pete’s Bar in Atlanta where Ray Godfrey approached the Powell brothers about a murder plot against MLK.  
- **Polygraph examination requests**: Agents sought approval for Godfrey, Claude Powell, and Leon Powell to undergo polygraph tests to verify their accounts.  
- **Witness identifications**: Efforts to locate Dottie ClujU (former carhop at Pete’s Place) for further identification of "Duke."  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, polygraph examinations, and coordinated investigations across Atlanta, Memphis, and El Paso.  
- **Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice**: Initiated the request for investigation into the alleged assassination plot against MLK.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_28-03-part_4_of_6.pdf

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