</s>2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176 U.S. DEPT OF JUSTICE Fro 1. 9.00 N.Y.76 ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR INCE-YEO ASSOCIAE DIRECTOR

Summary:  
The document details FBI investigations into alleged assassination plots against Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on interactions involving Arnold Ray Godfrey, Leon Owen Powell, and his brother Claude Powell. In November 1967, Godfrey allegedly approached the Powells at Pete’s Bar in Atlanta with a $75,000 offer to kill MLK, which both refused. The FBI conducted polygraph examinations for Powell and Godfrey but found inconclusive results due to inconsistent statements. Efforts to verify details of the alleged meeting included interviews with witnesses, bar records from Pete’s Bar and Scottish Inn, and cross-referencing locations in Atlanta and Memphis. Investigations also explored connections between the Invaders, a black militant group in Memphis, and 1968 riots, though no direct link to MLK’s assassination was established. Legal documents referenced James Earl Ray, the eventual suspect, in context of court filings related to the case.  

Key People:  
- **Leon Owen Powell**: Alleged participant in meeting with Godfrey; subjected to polygraph examination with inconclusive results.  
- **Claude Powell**: Brother of Leon Powell; stated he and Leon discussed the alleged meeting at Pete’s Bar but could not confirm details.  
- **Arnold Ray Godfrey**: White male, born June 11, 1958, in Copper Hill, Tennessee; denied involvement but underwent polygraph testing.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; referenced in legal documents and location comparisons.  
- **Ralph (CLN)**: Alleged intermediary who offered the Powells money for assassinating MLK.  
- **Lee Carroll Godfrey** and **James P. "Tommy" Godfrey**: Brothers of Arnold Ray Godfrey; denied knowledge of assassination plots or ties to James Earl Ray.  

Key Locations:  
- **Pete’s Bar (Atlanta, Georgia)**: Site of alleged meeting between the Powells and an unidentified individual.  
- **Scottish Inn (Midland, Texas)**: Location where Claude Powell, Jr., was interviewed.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Focus of Invaders group investigation linked to 1968 riots.  
- **Office Bar (Atlanta, Georgia)**: Venue associated with Arnold Ray Godfrey and Ralph Setzer (phonetic).  
- **Decatur, Georgia**: Residency of Leon Powell during the alleged meeting.  

Key Events:  
- **November–December 1967**: Arnold Ray Godfrey allegedly approached Leon and Claude Powell with a $75,000 offer to kill MLK; both refused.  
- **Polygraph Examinations**: Conducted on Leon Powell (inconclusive) and Arnold Ray Godfrey (denied involvement).  
- **Witness Interviews**: Including Dorothy Davis (wife of Pete’s Bar owner), Hazel Evans (former bartender at Office Bar), and others to verify accounts.  
- **Investigation into Invaders Group**: Linking the Memphis-based militant group to 1968 riots but no direct connection to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Legal Filings**: Documents from the U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit referenced James Earl Ray in context of MLK’s assassination case.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted polygraph tests, interviews, and location verification efforts.  
- **Criminal Division (CRD)**: Collaborated with FBI on case details and legal documentation.  
- **U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit**: Provided legal records referenced in FBI communications.  
- **Invaders**: Black militant group in Memphis investigated for ties to 1968 riots.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_28-06-part_2_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search