</s>Case Number: 44-oc-0 Serial(s): 783 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail an interview with Frank Dean Elliott, an inmate at the New Mexico State Penitentiary, regarding his claims about a conspiracy involving the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Elliott alleges that Tom Lester Pugh, another inmate, informed him that a group in Memphis, Tennessee, orchestrated MLK's assassination. The group allegedly included individuals like Jerry Lee Lewis and James Earl Ray, with Ray being paid by the conspirators. Pugh claims he and Pat Early/Urley were hired to carry out the attack but later withdrew, leading to Ray being recruited instead. Elliott also mentions other crimes committed by Pugh and associates, including murders in Oklahoma and Tennessee, though some cases remain unresolved. The FBI conducted an interview with Elliott in 1994, noting his claims about the conspiracy and his request for financial compensation and witness protection if his information is validated.  

Key People:  
- Frank Dean Elliott (inmate at New Mexico State Penitentiary)  
- Tom Lester Pugh (inmate; alleged conspirator in MLK's assassination)  
- James Earl Ray (alleged assassin of MLK, per Elliott’s claims)  
- Jerry Lee Lewis (alleged financier of the conspiracy)  
- Pat Early/Urley (alleged accomplices in the assassination plot)  
- S.M. Fallis (ex-D.A. from Tulsa, Oklahoma; allegedly aware of murders)  

Key Locations:  
- Oklahoma State Penitentiary (OSP)  
- New Mexico State Penitentiary (PMN)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (alleged planning location for MLK’s assassination)  
- Shawnee, Oklahoma (Elliott’s birthplace)  
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (FBI interview location)  

Key Events:  
- Alleged conspiracy to assassinate MLK in 1968, involving a group in Memphis.  
- Pugh and associates allegedly committed murders and robberies in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Alabama.  
- FBI interviews with Elliott in 1994 regarding the conspiracy.  
- Claims that James Earl Ray was paid by the conspirators but did not know the full extent of the plot.  
- Elliott’s request for financial compensation and witness protection if his information is pursued.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Probation Office (involved in tracking federal prisoners)  
- Retail Merchants Association of Memphis (alleged conspirators’ organization)

MLK Declassified Files

44-oc-0_sec_000_ser_783.pdf

Document Summary

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