</s>FD-340 (REV. 6-24-65) File No. 44-1987-1A-366 Date Received 6-19-69 From (NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR) (ADDRESS OF CONTRITUTOR] (CITY AND STATE) JOE C. HESTER By (NAME of SPECIAL AGENT) To Be Returned Yes Receipt given yes Yes Description: No No Copy I receipt given by SA Shutter to Distinct ally Annual for Runupton 700, calher 2/43 rifle, reval # 28 3749. Rifle sent to B.Bhan Offi. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents include FBI Form FD-340 records detailing the receipt of a Remington Model 700 rifle (caliber .243, serial number 28749) from Joe Hester on June 19, 1969. These records reference legal figures such as Phil M. Canale, William D. Haynes, and Robert M. McKehee Jr., who were involved in court proceedings related to James Earl Ray’s case. A pamphlet titled "It Can Happen Here" is noted as being circulated anonymously, containing anti-communist rhetoric and references to the U.S. District Court. The documents also mention a newspaper article about James Earl Ray losing a court suit and include fragmented text discussing educational programs like the Rote Learner Plan, described as a legal initiative to reform public education. Miscellaneous entries reference "The Councilor" publication, FBI monitoring activities, and unrelated topics such as firearms and political groups. Additional materials include religious texts, anonymous letters, and FBI records related to James Earl Ray’s legal case involving the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. An anonymous handwritten letter dated December 29, 1969, claims that MLK was a communist paid by Cuba and Russia. The letter also references FBI files (FD-340) and mentions Judge Robert M. McRae of the U.S. District Court in Memphis, Tennessee, who dismissed Ray’s lawsuit to prevent publication of details about his life and MLK’s assassination on January 29, 1970. The documents include Xerox copies of letters, newspaper clippings, and administrative records from the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice. Some entries reference Communist activities in San Francisco and Lebanon, as well as claims about the spread of the gospel and anti-communist sentiment.  

Key People  
- Joe Hester (individual who transferred a Remington rifle to the FBI)  
- Phil M. Canale (district attorney involved in James Earl Ray’s legal case)  
- William D. Haynes (judicial official referenced in court proceedings)  
- Robert M. McKehee Jr. (court figure associated with James Earl Ray’s case)  
- James Earl Ray (accused of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr.)  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (subject of assassination investigation and legal disputes)  
- Robert M. McRae (U.S. District Court Judge in Memphis, Tennessee; dismissed Ray’s lawsuit to prevent publication of details about MLK’s assassination)  
- C. Calvin Herriott (religious figure mentioned in text)  
- Jerry Bay (alleged to have made claims about FBI corruption)  
- Robert B. Jenkin (FBI Special Agent in Charge of Memphis Office)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (central location for legal proceedings and FBI records; home to U.S. District Court Judge Robert M. McRae)  
- Shelby County (referenced in context of legal or administrative matters)  
- Shelley County (mentioned in connection with firearms or other unrelated topics)  
- New York (referenced in documents or correspondence)  
- Netherlands, European Union, Middle East, Soviet Union (locations mentioned in fragmented text or unrelated entries)  
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (origin of some documents and correspondence)  
- San Francisco, California (mentioned in context of Communist activities)  
- Lebanon (referenced in text related to Communist threats)  

Key Events  
- Receipt of a Remington Model 700 rifle by the FBI from Joe Hester on June 19, 1969  
- Court proceedings involving James Earl Ray’s lawsuit against publication of details about MLK’s assassination  
- Dismissal of James Earl Ray’s lawsuit by Judge Robert M. McRae on January 29, 1970, to prevent disclosure of information related to MLK’s assassination  
- FBI investigation into claims of Communist ties to Martin Luther King Jr., Cuba, and Russia  
- Distribution of an anonymous pamphlet titled "It Can Happen Here" containing anti-communist rhetoric and references to the U.S. District Court  
- Legal proceedings involving the Freedoms Foundation and Medal of Honor references  
- References to Communist activities in San Francisco and Lebanon  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- U.S. District Court  
- Freedoms Foundation (mentioned in context of awards and medals)  
- Communist organizations (referenced in anti-communist claims and related materials)  
- "The Councilor" publication (allegedly tied to political groups or ideological movements)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_69-02-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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