</s>+556 (REV. 11-20-73) SERVINGS C338- 44-HO-38981 H. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FIL FEDERAL BUREAU SECTION 95 of SECTION 55 INVESTIGATION ATTENTION SECTILO. 93. SEPTIALS. 335-... BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FOI/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. USE UAnE IN MANULING THIS HILE FRI/DOJ Transfer-Call 3421 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into inmate Earnest Drummer’s claims about Undell Lay’s alleged involvement in Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, including Lay’s transfer to Leesburg Correctional Institute on September 18, 1979. Wynell Spivey, an inmate in Tennessee State Prison, confessed to killing King using a .22 caliber weapon from a boarding house near the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, though he provided conflicting dates for the murder (March 24–26, 1968 vs. April 4, 1968). Spivey alleged James Earl Ray was wrongly blamed for the crime. The FBI noted no further action would be taken without DOJ direction. Additional records reference federal surveillance of MLK’s residences in Atlanta and New York City during 1963–1964, tracking associates like Andrew Young, Clarence Jones, and Bernard Lee. In 1980, Morris O. Davis, arrested for drug possession in Birmingham, Alabama, was found with handwritten notes criticizing federal agencies and discussing MLK assassination theories. Legal documents mention RCMP handling of evidence related to James Earl Ray’s conspiracy case, including requests for disposal by U.S. authorities and court-ordered transfers of case responsibility to Memphis’ Public Defender’s Office due to conflicts of interest. Post-conviction relief petitions were noted as potentially meritless but requiring appellate review.  

Key People  
- Earnest Drummer (Georgia State Prison inmate)  
- Undell Lay (inmate allegedly with knowledge of King’s murder)  
- Wynell Spivey (Tennessee State Prison inmate, confessed killer)  
- James Earl Ray (alleged initial suspect, later discredited by Spivey)  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (victim of assassination under investigation)  
- Andrew Young (MLK associate)  
- Clarence Jones (SCLC attorney, linked to radical movements)  
- Bernard Lee (SCLC associate)  
- Morris O. Davis (arrested for drug possession, held notes on MLK assassination)  
- Jesse Jackson (campaign official)  
- Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy (civil rights leader)  
- Robert L. Moore (Legal Attache at U.S. Embassy in Ottawa)  
- G. Timko (RCMP Inspector)  
- Joe Haynes (Trial Attorney for Tennessee State Attorney General’s Office)  

Key Locations  
- Georgia State Prison (Reidsville, Maryland)  
- Leesburg Correctional Institute (Georgia)  
- Tennessee State Prison (St. Louis, Missouri)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Lorraine Motel location)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (MLK’s residence and SCLC office)  
- New York City (SCLC office)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (Davis’ arrest location)  
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (RCMP headquarters)  
- Nashville, Tennessee (State Attorney General’s Office handling post-conviction petitions)  

Key Events  
- Drummer’s 1979 interview with FBI agents about Lay and his brother’s alleged involvement in King’s assassination.  
- Spivey’s 1979 confession to killing King using a .22 caliber weapon from a boarding house near the Lorraine Motel, including conflicting dates for the murder (March 24–26 vs. April 4, 1968).  
- FBI documentation of Spivey’s claims and legal discussions about document classification under Executive Order 14176.  
- Technical surveillance on MLK’s residences in Atlanta and SCLC offices in New York City (1963–1964).  
- Arrest of Morris O. Davis in 1980 for drug possession, with discovery of notes criticizing federal agencies and discussing MLK assassination theories.  
- RCMP request for disposal of exhibits related to James Earl Ray’s conspiracy case.  
- Court-ordered transfer of case responsibility to Memphis’ Public Defender’s Office due to conflict of interest.  
- Post-conviction relief petitions deemed potentially meritless but requiring appellate review.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ)  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  
- House Assassination Committee (1977 interview with Morris O. Davis)  
- State Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee  
- National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, Missouri)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_31-03-part_1_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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