</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to Memphis, Tennessee File No. December 11, 1980 RE: JAMES EARL RAY, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. - VICTIM: CIVIL RIGHTS - CONSPIRACY On November 21, 1980, Jewitt Miller, Executive Administrative Assistant to Hugh Stanton, District Attorney General, Memphis, Tennessee, was contacted by a Special Agent of the FBI regarding exhibits which pertain to the Mr. Miller advised by court order. Hugh Stanton has been removed from legal proceedings in this case since he was with the Public Defender of Office during the defense court decided it would be a conflict of interest for Stanton Office was the court appointed co-co-founder of Ray. The court decided to be a conflict of interest from Stanton Stanton the order extends to the assistant district attorneys of his office. The last motion for a new trial by Ray of his Office, the last motion to the case now test with Tennessee, office, and responsibility for the case not yet with the State Attorney General, Nashville, Tennessee. On December 5, 1980. Joe Haynes, Trial Attorney, State Attorney General's Office, Nashville. Tennessee, informed a Special Attorney General of the State Attorney's Office. matter should be retained for an indefinite period of time. Haynes advised James Bar Ray has filed at least four While advised James Barr Ray has been appointed is now pending in the State Criminal Court of Shelby County. While Haynes believes these petitions of wholly without. appellate process in Tennessee. It is also believed that length of time for all of the petitions to clear the full appellable process in Tennessee. It also believed Ray would be required to be available. This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It was the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency. It and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail various testimonies and investigations related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hartmut Blecher claimed he met Laura Huxley in Greece in 1980 and reported that "the murder had actually occurred" referring to MLK's death. He described connections between individuals, including members of a music group called "The Four Seasons," Bill Haley and the Comets, and alleged involvement in attempts to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Blecher mentioned spiritual experiences, snake venom injections, and unspecified threats against political figures. He was described as nervous, fluent in English, and wearing clerical attire. FBI records did not identify him.  

William E. Dauber (deceased) allegedly informed Richard Beck of St. Louis in 1968 that he received a "contract" to kill MLK for $50,000, which was passed to James Earl Ray. The FBI noted this information as part of an investigation into the assassination.  

Paul Bernard Marler, from Jefferson County, Alabama, claimed during a recorded conversation that LEO Denham shot MLK, while he himself was present but not directly involved. Marler stated he had contacted authorities and media outlets like the "Washington Post" to address his involvement. The FBI referenced this testimony in internal files.  

Key People  
- **Hartmut Blecher**: Alleged witness who claimed knowledge of MLK's assassination, connections to music groups, and political threats.  
- **Laura Huxley**: Mentioned as someone Blecher met in Greece, possibly linked to the murder plot.  
- **Richard Beck**: St. Louis business contractor allegedly involved in a contract to kill MLK.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK, named by Beck and Dauber.  
- **Paul Bernard Marler**: Jefferson County resident who claimed LEO Denham committed the assassination.  
- **LEO Denham**: Alleged shooter of MLK, per Marler's testimony.  

Key Locations  
- **Athens, Greece**: Site of Blecher’s meeting with Laura Huxley.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI office involved in investigations; location where Ray was later apprehended.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Mentioned as a travel destination for Blecher and an FBI office.  
- **Jefferson County, Alabama**: Location of Marler’s recorded conversation with the sheriff’s office.  

Key Events  
- **April 2, 1980**: Blecher met Laura Huxley in Greece and reported MLK's murder.  
- **October 1961**: Blecher claimed two individuals sought to assassinate a U.S. president (possibly JFK).  
- **July 1968**: Richard Beck allegedly received a contract to kill MLK, which was passed to James Earl Ray.  
- **July 1982**: Paul Bernard Marler made statements to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office about LEO Denham’s involvement in MLK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into MLK’s assassination, including files on Blecher, Dauber, Beck, and Marler.  
- **Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)**: Involved in the Chicago Division’s investigation related to William E. Dauber’s death and connections to the assassination.  
- **Sheriff’s Office (Jefferson County, Alabama)**: Recorded and transcribed Marler’s statements about the assassination.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_31-03-part_2_of_3.pdf

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