</s>FD-802 (Rev. 11-27-70) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date of transcription 8-21-78 WILLIAM HENRY CAMPBELL, 1706 Kensington Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was advised of the identity of the interviewing Agent and the nature of the interview. CAMPBEIL stated that he is the general superintendent of Gulf South Construction Company, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. CAMPBELI stated that the he does know BILL WILSON and that BILL WILLSON had worked for him at Gulf South Construction Bill WILson had worked at Gulf Southern two weeks in July. He stated that WILSOON worked directly under him, CAMPBELF, but that that WISON worked after two weeks weeks because he wanted more money and CAMPBILL was not able to pay him more. He stated that WILLSON was a relatively quiet person who did not drag or talk about anything concerning violence or notoriety or did not talk about to have any racial problems. CAMP BELL made available the following application for employment concerning BILLWILSON'S Interviewed on 8-19-78 or Ocean Springs. Mississippi. # Jackson 62-544 by SA HARRY H. CARPENTER/kbn 8- 21-78 49 Date dictated This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the Fbi and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. GPO : 1975 O- 564-118 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The document details a federal investigation into Burgess Audie Wilson’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), focusing on his claims, financial history, and aircraft ownership. It references an FAA inquiry into a Bonanza airplane with registration number NA3AL, tracing its ownership from 1956 to 1978 through entities like Gopher Aviation and Fisher Sales & Service. Wilson allegedly claimed he assassinated MLK by shooting him from below the Holiday Inn in Gulfport, Mississippi, on August 18, 1978. The report notes his 1972 incarceration for contempt of court related to a civil suit against Allison-Kauffmann Company and interactions with Shelby County Sheriff Gene Barksdale regarding surrender arrangements. No conclusive evidence links Wilson to MLK’s assassination, though the investigation explores potential connections through financial records, legal proceedings, and aircraft ownership history. The document is marked as declassified under Executive Order 14176, released in 2025.  

Key People:  
- Burgess Audie Wilson (alleged assassin of MLK; claimed to have shot MLK from below the Holiday Inn in Gulfport, Mississippi)  
- Gene Barksdale (Sheriff of Shelby County, Tennessee; involved in interactions with Wilson regarding surrender arrangements)  
- Mitchell Zammar (individual referenced in the document’s criminal history context)  
- Lavis Hunter (Wilson’s former spouse; reported on his drinking habits)  
- Vernon Hooten (Wilson’s mother-in-law; provided family background information)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (FBI field office and Shelby County Jail)  
- Gulfport, Mississippi (Holiday Inn where Wilson allegedly surrendered)  
- Kansas City, Missouri (FAA records center referenced in the inquiry)  
- San Antonio, Texas (mentioned in a separate FBI communication)  

Key Events:  
- FAA title search request for Bonanza airplane registry NA3AL (August 1978)  
- Wilson’s 1972 incarceration for contempt of court tied to a civil suit against Allison-Kauffmann Company  
- FBI investigation into Wilson’s claim of assassinating MLK on August 18, 1978  
- Interaction between Wilson and Sheriff Barksdale regarding surrender plans  
- Reference to a 1965 incident involving a plane’s logbook (April 4, 1965)  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Shelby County Jail, Memphis, Tennessee  
- FAA Records Center (Kansas City, Missouri)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_31-01-part_2_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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