</s>Memorandum to Mr. DeLoach RE: MURKIN Although Captain Steele concluded that Ray escaped in the bread truck, he pointed out that it would have been necessary for Ray to use a false bottom in the bread if the bread was nearly stacked as described by two guards. No false bottom was found and Steele raised the question, "Why should the inmate dispose of the false bottom when the branched beyond the inmate disposal of the fake bottom Carmen E. Ramsay, Oklahoma City, advised that he is acquired with Robert Dale Porter, Oklahoma from Missouri State Penitentiary, 12/8/87, was told that the old Range Ray had not had escaped in a bakery truck as reported when the newspapers but but the escaped in a guard's uniform which was obtained when he was working in the dry cleaning plant at the prison. Porter said that Ray and the guard had been good friends and the guards had since since fired. It is not noted that one inmate previously interviewed stated that Ray was actually walked out the front door instead of hiding in a bread truck. ACTION: Vigorous investigation is continuing to locate Ray as quickly as possible. - 3- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The Department of Justice released a 149-page report on February 18, 1977, authored by a task force reviewing the FBI's investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. The report concluded that the FBI’s investigation was thorough and found no evidence of conspiracy or complicity in the murder. It acknowledged that while the FBI’s pre-assassination security investigation of King may have had an arguable basis, it should have been terminated by 1963 rather than continuing until his death five years later. The task force criticized the FBI’s COINTELPRO-type harassment of King and efforts to undermine his civil rights work as clearly improper. However, criminal action against FBI participants was barred by statute of limitations, and no disciplinary measures were recommended due to the retirement or death of responsible officials. The report also endorsed stricter oversight of domestic intelligence activities and proposed a ban on COINTELPRO-type operations against domestic targets.  

Key People  
- Griffin B. Bell: Attorney General who released the report.  
- Edward H. Levi: Former Attorney General who directed the Office of Professional Responsibility to review files.  
- Michael E. Shaheen Jr.: Head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, author of the task force’s findings.  
- J. Edgar Hoover: Former FBI Director who personally oversaw the MURKIN investigation.  
- William JunEAU: A suspect considered a "look-alike" for James Earl Ray (the man initially accused of assassinating MLK).  
- Harold Weisberg: Lawyer who filed FOIA requests for records related to MLK’s assassination.  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee: Site of Dr. King’s assassination.  
- Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Phoenix: Locations where FBI agents conducted investigations or collected evidence (e.g., laundry samples, handwriting comparisons).  
- Albany, SAC (Special Agent in Charge): Mentioned as a recipient of related communications.  

Key Events  
- April 4, 1968: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- August 1976: Attorney General Edward H. Levi directed the Office of Professional Responsibility to review FBI files and witness interviews.  
- February 18, 1977: Release of the Department of Justice task force report by Attorney General Griffin B. Bell.  
- 1980s: Release of some documents through litigation, including cases like *Weisberg v. U.S. Department of Justice*.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Conducted the initial investigation into King’s assassination.  
- Department of Justice: Oversaw the task force review and released the final report.  
- Office of Professional Responsibility: Led the internal review of FBI activities related to King.  
- National Archives: Repository for declassified records, including the "MURKIN" files (Case # 44-38861).

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_31-07-part_4_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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