</s>procedures and the scientific data plaintiff requested and was furnished. Most of the questions concerning these procedures and data which plaintIFF raises in his affidavit were explained by me to him in the meeting we had on the day plaintiff were executed his affidavit, March 23, 1976. At several points throughout this meeting: I asked plaintff if he had any additional questions concerning the Laboratory procedures and scientific data which he would like explained to him, and I fully responded to all of his questions. IV The paragraphs listed below are numbered to correspond to the pertinent paragraphs in plaintiffs' affidavit: 40 Most items in plainitiffs' interrogatory No. 1 cannot be answered by giving the type of test which would be employed because many of these items themselves demand conclusions which cannot be made no matter what kind of scientific test is employed. For instance, Item (A) asks the type or examination and tests which would have been used to determine whether or not examination or bullet fragments have a common origin. Elemental analysis is used to determine the composition of bullets or bullet fragments. If bullet A has the same composition as bullet B, our report would say that bullet A came from the same homogeneous source of lead as bullet B, this does not form the same same composition AS bullet D. This does not associate bullet A with a bullet B to the exclusion B, or another source of the lead as a different component as position B. This do not do not point out this bullet A and say that bullet B could have bullet B from the bullet B is a different element in com- bullet A however, we point out that fact and that bullet position A is however, We point out the same homeogeneous source or lead as position A are often represented in a single box of more than one com- There are situations where the composition is of a bullet is so substantially different from the composition or another bullet that it can be said that the two bullets could not have come from the same box. Our Laboratory from the several other laboratories have demonstrated that several different compositions of lead from often represented in a Single box of cartridges. In my meeting with plaintiff on March 23. 1976, he mistakenly commented that if the -2 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail forensic analysis conducted by the FBI Laboratory in 1968–1969 regarding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on elemental analysis and spectroscopy of bullet fragments, cartridge casings, and clothing. The report concluded no definitive link between the "death bullet" and specific firearms or test bullets due to methodological limitations. Photographs taken during the investigation were noted for record-keeping rather than scientific analysis. A 1976 Department of Justice review by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) found no evidence linking the FBI to MLK’s assassination but acknowledged a systematic program of harassment against him and his movement. In 1976, a DOJ task force led by Fred G. Folsom reviewed past FBI investigations, scrutinizing Folsom’s personal history, including family ties with communist affiliations. The review also addressed claims by George McMillan that James Earl Ray received prison-based support during incarceration at the Missouri State Penitentiary, which were disputed by Missouri correctional officials. Leslie Allen Achter, a Missouri inmate, was interviewed in 1976 regarding Ray’s case, speculating about potential involvement of Joe Hedgewood, a former inmate later hired as a guard. The FBI noted Achter’s criminal history and psychological evaluations indicating schizophrenia-like symptoms.  

Key People  
- **John W. Kilfty** (FBI Special Agent)  
- **Michael S. Shaheen** (Counsel, Office of Professional Responsibility)  
- **Edward H. Levi** (Attorney General)  
- **J. Stanley Pottinger** (Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division)  
- **Fred G. Folsom** (Department of Justice attorney, task force leader)  
- **Franklin Brewer Folsom** (Folsom’s brother, with communist ties)  
- **James Earl Ray** (convicted assassin of MLK Jr.)  
- **George M. Camp** (Missouri Department of Corrections director)  
- **Leslie Allen Achter** (inmate interviewed by FBI in 1976)  
- **Joe Hedgewood** (former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary, later guard)  
- **Clarence M. Kelley** (FBI Director who corresponded with Achter)  

Key Locations  
- **FBI Headquarters** (Washington, D.C.)  
- **Atlanta** (scene of MLK’s assassination)  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** (Ray’s incarceration site; Hedgewood’s former workplace)  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri** (state capital, location of correctional officials)  
- **JEH Building** (office space for DOJ Task Force reviewing MLK-related files)  

Key Events  
- Forensic analysis of bullet fragments, cartridge casings, and clothing using elemental analysis and spectroscopy.  
- 1976 Department of Justice review by the Office of Professional Responsibility, concluding no FBI involvement in MLK’s assassination but noting past harassment.  
- Appointment of Fred G. Folsom to lead a DOJ task force reviewing FBI actions related to MLK’s case.  
- Scrutiny of Folsom’s family ties, including his brother Franklin Brewer Folsom’s communist affiliations.  
- Dispute over George McMillan’s claims that James Earl Ray received financial and logistical support from Missouri prison guards during incarceration.  
- Missouri Department of Corrections’ denial of allegations regarding Ray’s financial resources and escape assistance.  
- Leslie Allen Achter’s 1976 interview by the FBI, speculating about Joe Hedgewood’s potential involvement in Ray’s case.  
- FBI review of Achter’s criminal history, including multiple incarcerations for burglary, assault, and parole violations.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **United States Department of Justice**  
- **Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)**  
- **Civil Rights Division** (Department of Justice)  
- **Missouri Department of Social Services/Corrections**  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)** (mentioned in context of MLK-related discussions)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_29-01-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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