</s>44-561-1 CLASSIFICATION NO. Volume Number Serials 44-561-1-1.1.4.4-4.1-4 Classification No. Serials -1 -1/4-5/8/15/15-15/16/17/18 -1 1/4/16-17/19/18-19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64/65/66/67/68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75/76/77/78/79/80/81/82/83/84/85/86/87/88/89/90/91/92/93/94/95/96/97/98/99/100/110/102/104/105/106/107/108/109/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/130/130.1/120/121/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/134/135/136/137/138/139/140/150/170/171/172/173/174/175/176/176 Bureau File Number: 3/11/14/11 Bureau Files: File Number : 3/12/11.3/12.5/13/1411/15.4/1415/17.1 BUREAU FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER ASSASSINATIONS FOR SELECT COUNTITEE S1 - SPRINGFIELD S1-0044-000038: SI Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # Serial # 004 561 A 1 1 OPEN 1 1 INVESTIGATION Bureau Fie Number: 33/11! 8/08/4449113 RRPPDORCCO9 NATIONAL ARCHIVES NATIONAL RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176 See also No.

Summary:  
The documents detail James Earl Ray’s extradition proceedings following his alleged involvement in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ray was apprehended in London, England, in 1968 and faced legal challenges regarding his extradition to the United States. The FBI and U.S. authorities sought to prosecute him for murder, while British officials detained him under passport violations and concealed weapon charges. Ray’s movements included travel through Canada, Portugal, and London, with reports of his interactions with individuals like Ramon George Snyder. Legal battles ensued in British courts, where Ray contested extradition, citing potential legal barriers. The FBI’s investigation concluded there was no evidence of a conspiracy involving federal agencies in MLK’s assassination, though some documents reference ongoing inquiries into Ray’s activities and connections to civil rights figures.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (accused assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)  
- Ramon George Snyder (individual associated with Ray’s movements)  
- Coretta Scott King (widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)  
- Edgar Hoover (FBI director, referenced in context of civil rights investigations)  
- Harvey Lawyer (fragmented mention in documents)  
- Paul Stanley Booth (fragmented mention in documents)  

Key Locations:  
- London, England (Ray’s arrest and extradition proceedings)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (location of MLK’s assassination)  
- Ottawa, Canada (Ray’s alleged prior detention)  
- Portugal (Ray’s travel route to London)  
- Springfield, Illinois (newspaper associated with documents)  

Key Events:  
- Ray’s apprehension in London under passport and weapon violations  
- Legal battles over his extradition to the U.S. for murder charges  
- FBI investigation concluding no evidence of federal involvement in MLK’s assassination  
- Ray’s alleged connections to civil rights figures and potential conspiracies  
- Documentation of Ray’s movements between Canada, Portugal, and London  
- Reference to a 1963 ABA report on law enforcement practices  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- British authorities (including Scotland Yard)  
- Illinois State Register (newspaper associated with documents)  
- Memphis Police Department (mentioned in context of investigations)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561-a_sec_001_ser_1.pdf

Document Summary

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