</s>*44-561 CLASSIFICATION NO. Volume Number Serial Seriais 2.00 1.5-2.0.2.2-3.0-4.3.4.5.4-5.6.7.8.9.9-9.8-9-10.7-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-43-44-45-46-47-48-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-59.62-62-63-64-65-66-67-68-69-70-71-72-73-74-75-76-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-89-90-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-99.99-100-102-104-105-106-107-108-110-112-113-114-115-116-117-118-119-120-121-122-123-124-125-126-127-128-129-130-134-135-136-137-138-139-140-150-170-171-172-173-174-175-176-176 SASSAINATIONS NOT DESTROY NOT SET SELECT COMMITTEE SASASINATIONS FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER S1-SPRINGFIELD SI-004-0001B: SI S1 -- 0044-00018: SI DO NOT DESTROY S1 -0044-001B: Si Sub Vol. Serial # Serial # <loc_261><loc_672>S1.0044 -001B :- S1 19 080 OPEN DO NOT DESTROY PENDING LIGATION" PENDING PENDINATION" Bureau File Number 44-1 8/08/4449061 Bureau file Number 44 -1-1-2-4-1.1-0-0.1.0/0-1/2-0/4-4/4/0/2.1/4.0 INVESTIGATION Bureaufile File Number 4-1 DO NOT DESTROY DO NOT DETROY LIGATON" PENDINO LIGATIONAL" Pending LIGHTATION" DO NOTDESTROY LIGHTION -0-30.3-3-0,0-3,0.0 S2.5 -0.3/4,5.0 -4.2 -4,0 -5.1 -4/2 -5-0 -3.2/4 -4-3/8-4,2-5/8.5/6-7/8/9-1 -1/8 -1.4/10-1,0/9/10/10.0,1-5,0,5/10,1/11/12-12/12/11-10/14/12.1,4/11.2,2/13-12.5,4-11/13/14-11.1

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into Martin Luther King Jr.'s (MLK) assassination, focusing on James Earl Ray’s role as a suspect and subsequent reviews of the case by the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Key elements include Ray’s identification through fingerprint evidence, his inclusion in the FBI’s "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list, and allegations of conspiracy to interfere with constitutional rights. The 1976 OPR review involved task force visits to FBI field offices, restrictions on accessing sensitive files such as those related to Stanley David Levison, and coordination between DOJ and FBI personnel. Additional records reference Jerry Ray’s claims of a conspiracy surrounding MLK’s death, FBI cost data for the investigation, congressional inquiries, and discussions about destroyed files (e.g., the Warren Report on JFK’s assassination). The Springfield Division played a central role in managing file submissions and reviews during this period.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspect in MLK’s assassination; added to FBI’s "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list)  
- **Eric Starvo Galt** (alias used by James Earl Ray)  
- **J. Edgar Hoover** (FBI Director, ordered Ray’s inclusion on the fugitive list)  
- **Stanley David Levison** (subject of restricted file review during 1976 OPR investigation)  
- **Joseph F. Gross Jr.** (Department of Justice task force attorney reviewing files in Springfield, St. Louis, and Chicago)  
- **Fred Folson** (task force leader coordinating field office visits)  
- **James O. Ingram** (Deputy Assistant Director at FBIHQ managing file submissions)  
- **Jerry Ray** (brother of James Earl Ray; claimed conspiracy and CIA connections in 1976 interview)  
- **Elyon H. Davis** (Senior Resident Agent, FBI Springfield; monitored TV broadcast of Jerry Ray’s interview)  
- **Donald Freed** (speaker on MLK’s civil rights role and security lapses)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (site of MLK’s assassination)  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri** (Ray’s prior incarceration)  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** (location of federal warrant issuance for Ray)  
- **Springfield, Illinois** (central to file management and coordination during 1976 review)  
- **Chicago**, **St. Louis**, **Alton**, and **Quincy, Illinois** (sites of task force visits and FBI field office activities)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (FBIHQ and DOJ task force headquarters)  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: MLK’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **April 17, 1968**: Federal warrant issued charging James Earl Ray with conspiring to interfere with constitutional rights.  
- **August 16–20, 1976**: DOJ task force visits to FBI field offices in Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis for file reviews.  
- **October 26, 1976**: Deadline for submitting copies of serials to FBIHQ as part of the OPR review process.  
- **November 15, 1976**: Jerry Ray’s televised interview in Quincy, Illinois, where he claimed a conspiracy and alleged CIA ties to his brother.  
- **Congressional inquiry into MLK’s assassination** (referenced in documents).  
- **Reference to destroyed files**, including the Warren Report on JFK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Managed field office serials, cost reporting, and coordination with DOJ task forces.  
- **United States Department of Justice**: Conducted OPR reviews of FBI investigations, including those related to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), Department of Justice**: Oversaw the 1976 review of FBI files on MLK’s case.  
- **FBI Field Offices** (e.g., Springfield, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis): Involved in file management and submissions during the OPR review.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations**: Mentioned in context of congressional inquiries into MLK’s death.

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_019_ser_860-part_1_of_2.pdf

Document Summary

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