</s>FD-248 (REV. 4-15-60) U. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILED DO NOT DESTROY CUSTOMATION NO. HISTORICAL VALUE NATIONAL ARCHIVES FEDERAL BUREAU DO NOTDESTROY PENDING WAGATION INVESTIGATION Volume Number 3 Series: 501 the 659 Bureau File Number 44-38861 Bureauu File Number See also Nos. Rue 1/20/20 Ruee 6-1-69 Begany 5-12-67 See 1-32-69 Hemmy 4-8-68l www.federalbureau.com/183816 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, focusing on James Earl Ray, alleged perpetrator of the crime. They reference FBI files (SA 44-1242) containing photographs of Ray, Eric Starvo Galt, Walter T. Rife, and other materials related to the case, including telephone records, bus tickets, and correspondence. A Department of Justice task force reviewed these files in 1976 as part of a broader review of FBI involvement. The documents also mention Otis O. Moore’s report to FBI on May 25, 1965, alleging he discussed an assassination plot with an unidentified man involving "military artillery" and financial incentives ($50,000). Additional records include polygraph examinations requested for Leon Owen Powell, Claude Powell Jr., and Arnold Ray Godfrey in 1976. FBI surveillance operations, including wiretapping of MLK’s residence ("Transom-Peeking") and motel registration checks in Corinth, Mississippi (March–April 1968), are noted. Discrepancies in dates and unrelated references to court actions involving Judge Battle’s death on March 31, 1939, appear in the text.  

Key People  
- Margaret Parr (informant)  
- Weldon Grimsley (editor of Manchester Times; deceased)  
- James Earl Ray (alleged assassin of MLK)  
- Otis O. Moore (reported to FBI after being beaten)  
- Leon Owen Powell, Claude Powell Jr., Arnold Ray Godfrey (subjects of polygraph examinations)  
- Raul (alleged individual associated with Houston)  
- William Bradford Flite (author referenced in text)  
- James Farley All (allegedly registered at motels in Alabama)  
- H.C. Freeman (owner of Corona Plaza Motel)  

Key Locations  
- Manchester, Tennessee (Grimsley’s residence; Grimsley’s daughter potentially holding photographs of "Raul")  
- Fort Hood NO Club Annex (Belton Lake), Coppers Cove, Texas (locations tied to Otis O. Moore’s incident)  
- San Antonio, Texas (FBI office)  
- Memphis, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, Atlanta, Georgia (key cities in FBI investigations)  
- Corinth, Mississippi (motel registration records linked to MLK assassination investigation)  
- Five Points, Birmingham (motel location mentioned)  

Key Events  
- Grimsley’s alleged possession of photographs related to James Earl Ray’s trial and potential connection to "Raul"  
- FBI review of documents and evidence in the MLK assassination case, including telephone records, bus tickets, and correspondence  
- Department of Justice task force review of FBI files in 1976  
- Otis O. Moore’s alleged discussion of an assassination plot with an unidentified man involving "military artillery" and $50,000 (May 24–25, 1965)  
- Polygraph examinations requested for Leon Owen Powell, Claude Powell Jr., and Arnold Ray Godfrey in 1976  
- FBI surveillance operations, including wiretapping of MLK’s residence ("Transom-Peeking") and motel registration checks in Corinth, Mississippi (March–April 1968)  
- Reference to an article by William Bradford Flite appearing in a 1979 issue but circulated in 1959  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United States Department of Justice  
- U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division  
- SAC (Special Agent in Charge) offices in Memphis, San Antonio, and Jackson  
- Motel management entities (e.g., Round-Town Motel, Corona Plaza Motel)

MLK Declassified Files

44-sa-1242_742152_03-01-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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