</s>77-947 Volume Number 2102.6 Sarifl BULC 7 BULG 7-1-1 BULc 7-2-1 BUREAU of FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER L. LOUISVILLE LS-LOUISVILLE LS-004A-0004WX-LS (19 NOT DESTROY PRECEDRE FOR SETT Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # INVESTIGATION 0644 947 6 381 Open 6/14/474544 Bureau of Justice RRP005WMC3 Bureau de la République de la Republique de l'Association de la Constitución Bureau d'Associazione de la Conseccion de la Comerción de la Cérémonie de la Pérez-Carrée RRP006SWMC3 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178 X-T-Z-Z

Summary:  
The documents detail allegations of an assassination plot against Martin Luther King Jr., primarily involving a retired Louisville police officer who claimed FBI agents and local law enforcement officers offered $500,000 to kill him. U.S. Representative Gene Snyder (R-KY) testified about receiving a letter from this individual, who described the alleged offer and attempted to provide a tape recording of conversations to James Earl Ray’s attorneys but was intercepted by investigators. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) reviewed these claims, including background checks on individuals and assessments of tape authenticity. References include a 1966 plot involving FBI agents and Louisville police officers, with Clifton E. Baird as an alleged informant. Administrative actions regarding record retention and destruction under Executive Order 14178 are noted, alongside discussions between FBI supervisors about the case. Some documents reference fragmented or incomplete information, including anonymous phone calls, secret communications, and unclear allegations about Baird’s involvement.  

Key People:  
- Gene Snyder (U.S. Representative, R-KY; testified about alleged plot)  
- Clifton E. Baird (retired Louisville police officer; alleged informant about 1966 plot)  
- James Earl Ray (convicted killer of MLK Jr.)  
- Richard A. Sprague (Chief Counsel for HSCA)  
- Samuel L. Devine (U.S. Representative, Ohio; Ranking Minority Member of HSCA)  
- Mary Baird (wife of Clifton E. Baird; testified about her husband’s lack of disclosure regarding conspiracy)  
- James S. Zamicki (FBI Bureau chief, Louisville)  
- AUSA Alexander T. Taft Jr. (FBI agent conducting interview with Baird)  

Key Locations:  
- Louisville, Kentucky (Baird’s residence, police department; Snyder’s congressional district)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (location of MLK’s 1968 assassination)  
- Covington, Kentucky (civil rights leader assassination reference)  
- Washington, D.C. (HSCA committee meetings, FBIHQ)  
- Pinkerton Inc. (Baird’s employment during investigation)  

Key Events:  
- Alleged 1966 plot to assassinate MLK involving FBI agents and Louisville police officers  
- Gene Snyder’s testimony about a retired officer’s claim of an FBI/police offer for King’s assassination  
- HSCA investigation into the allegations, including review of tapes and background checks on individuals  
- FBI interview with Clifton E. Baird in March 1977 (he was out of town)  
- Tape recordings of conversations allegedly related to the plot  
- Administrative discussions about record retention and destruction under Executive Order 14178  
- Secret communications, anonymous phone calls, and unclear allegations about Baird’s involvement  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI; involved in assessing tapes, interviews, and administrative actions)  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA; reviewed allegations and conducted investigations)  
- Louisville Police Department (police officers allegedly involved in plot)  
- U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division referenced)  
- Pinkerton Inc. (private detective agency where Baird was employed during investigation)

MLK Declassified Files

44-ls-947_sec_006_ser_381-part_1_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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