</s>1: FD-302 REV. 11-27-70 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date of transcript/cription June 3, 1977 1 JAMES P. DALTON, Field Investigator, Alabama Department of Pensions and Securities, telephone number 832-5953, of Voluntary appeared at Montgomery Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and advised as follows! by Station WAV-Y, Huntville, Alabama, from June, 1970 to November 1971. At that time his name was JAMES DALTO CULPEN-GEORGE, AT that time he was JAMES DALTON 1975 to the one currently being used. He was also employed as an investigative reporter until July, 1975. Alabama, from July, 1974 until July. 1975. During his employment with WAV -Y, huntville, has the possible motive behind the assassination of Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING, behind the Memphis, Tennessee during 1968. was the position of the investigation of Mr. it had not strictly con knowledge during the meeting and furnish to the appropriate authorities for consideration- tion and possible investigation of deemed necessary. During 1971, the sanitation workers of the city of Huntville became involved in a strike to obtain an hourly strike became involved, in a makeshift position strike started, on DAVIS, Mayor of Huntsville, negotiated contract with American Disposal, Inc ., a local company and disposal on a temporary basis in Huntsville during the period of the strike. NC WHIRKER was reported to have in Alabama, Georgia, NC that this company had merged with inc. at Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas or Houston, Texas, which another company located in Dallas orouston, Texas which was also in the garbage disposal business. The strike at Huntsville lasted about three months with numerous acts of violence committed during the period by Interviewed on: 5/31/77-5/31-77-MONTGOBERT, ALABAMA. File #: No-157-2627- -BY-SA-DAN O-STEPHENS Date dictated- 6/27/77 2 This document contains noher recommendations nor conditions of the FBI, it is the property of the Fbi and is land to your agency: 1.1 and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The document contains fragmented records from multiple federal investigations, primarily involving labor strikes in Alabama (1971) and Memphis (1968), as well as unrelated FBI administrative files. James P. Dalton, an investigative reporter, reported on alleged ties between Huntsville, Alabama, Mayor MC Whitter and organized crime during a sanitation workers’ strike, suggesting potential collusion to prolong the strike or secure contracts. Dalton speculated that Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 assassination in Memphis might have been linked to labor disputes over garbage disposal services, though no evidence was provided. A National Inquirer article cited by Dalton claimed an unidentified individual stated “kill him” due to King’s activities, but this remained unverified. The document also includes FBI records on witness protection protocols, a case involving James Earl Ray (linked to MLK’s assassination), and administrative notes on case transfers. Separately, an FBI interview with Dudley Wayne Culpepper, incarcerated in Minnesota, included inconsistent claims about his father’s hatred for King, his brother Ralph Lamar Culpepper’s alleged involvement in the assassination, financial conspiracies involving gold, and paranoid assertions about targeted threats. An anonymous letter alleging a Cuban killed King was received by WATE-TV in Tennessee but deemed ambiguous by the FBI. Investigations into Gregory Grifley’s reporting on James Earl Ray’s trial and potential ties to MLK’s assassination were noted by Memphis and Nashville offices.  

Key People  
- **James P. Dalton**: Investigative reporter who reported on labor strikes in Alabama and speculated about connections between organized crime, city officials, and King’s assassination.  
- **MC Whitter**: Allegedly involved in violent strike activities in Huntsville, 1971; speculated to have ties to organized crime.  
- **Martin Luther King Jr.**: Reverend killed during the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike; central figure in speculation about assassination motives.  
- **Dudley Wayne Culpepper**: Interviewed by FBI agents; claimed his father hated MLK, believed his brother Ralph was involved in the assassination, and referenced financial conspiracies involving gold.  
- **Ralph Lamar Culpepper**: Mentioned as Culpepper’s brother, allegedly involved in King’s assassination.  
- **Weldon Payne**: Publisher of *Manchester Times*; reportedly had contact with Gregory Grifley, who covered James Earl Ray’s trial.  
- **Gregory Grifley**: News reporter who interviewed James Earl Ray and was linked to investigations into MLK’s assassination.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Alleged assassin of MLK; referenced in anonymous letters and news reports.  

Key Locations  
- **Huntsville, Alabama**: Site of a 1971 sanitation workers’ strike with alleged violence and organized crime ties.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Location of the 1968 labor strike involving King’s assassination; referenced in speculation about motives.  
- **Hastings, Minnesota**: Site of Culpepper’s incarceration and FBI interview.  
- **El Paso, Texas**: Culpepper’s residence and location of his legal troubles (parole violation).  
- **Nashville, Tennessee**: Home of Weldon Payne and associated with Grifley’s reporting on MLK’s assassination.  
- **Fort Walton Beach, Florida**: Location where Grifley worked as a news reporter.  

Key Events  
- **1971 Huntsville sanitation workers’ strike**: Alleged violence and possible collusion between city officials and MC Whitter.  
- **1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike**: Context for King’s assassination; speculation about labor disputes or criminal involvement.  
- **FBI Interview of Culpepper (June 1977)**: Agents noted his mental instability, inconsistent statements about MLK’s assassination, and paranoid claims about financial conspiracies.  
- **Anonymous Letter Alleging Cuban Involvement**: Received by WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee; FBI deemed the letter ambiguous.  
- **Investigation into Grifley’s Reporting**: Memphis and Nashville offices sought to verify Grifley’s accounts of James Earl Ray’s trial and potential ties to MLK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, documented Culpepper’s statements, and managed case transfers between agencies.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**: Mentioned as an organization King represented during the 1968 strike.  
- **American Disposal, Inc.**: Local company involved in Huntsville strike negotiations; referenced in speculation about organized crime ties.  
- **Manchester Times**: Newspaper associated with Weldon Payne and Gregory Grifley’s reporting on MLK’s assassination.  
- **Dakota County Sheriff's Office**: Custody facility for Culpepper during the interview.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_88-04-part_3_of_3.pdf

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