</s>Case Number: 62-HQ-115748 Serial(s): 262 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The Department of Justice Task Force Report (1977) concluded that James Earl Ray was the convicted murderer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. The report, led by Attorney General Griffin B. Bell, reviewed over 200,000 FBI documents and interviewed 40 witnesses, confirming the Bureau’s pre-assassination surveillance of Dr. King as part of a systematic counterintelligence program aimed at discrediting him and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The task force acknowledged the FBI’s thorough investigation but noted gaps in prior analyses of security files, recommending further review of surveillance tapes and legal considerations for civil remedies. The report also highlighted the FBI’s extensive intelligence operations against Dr. King, including files labeled "Murkin File" and "Confinfil-SCLC File," which were not fully analyzed in earlier reviews.  

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) conducted surveillance on Dr. King during his April 3–4 visit to support the sanitation workers’ strike. Detective Edward E. Redditt and Patrolman Willie B. Richmond stationed themselves at Fire Station No. 2, overlooking the Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated. The MPD’s security detail for King was removed after 5:05 p.m. on April 4, raising questions about oversight. Two Black firefighters, Norvell E. Wallace (Company No. 2 at Fire Station No. 1) and Floyd E. Newsum (Company No. 55 at Fire Station No. 2), were reassigned to stations with higher personnel strength on April 4. Former Deputy Chief James O. Barnett noted the security detail likely felt safer without Wallace and Newsum, while Assistant Chief James R. Boatwright cited threats against them as black firefighters. The investigation found no direct link between their reassignment and King’s assassination but linked their presence to support for sanitation workers and potential disruptions to surveillance operations.  

The House Select Committee investigated MPD failures in surveillance and security, citing Redditt’s removal from duty, the firemen’s reassignment, and lapses in monitoring. The FBI maintained intelligence on radical groups like the Black Organizing Power (BOP) and the *Invaders* but found no direct connection to the assassination. The Senate Select Committee had previously reviewed aspects of FBI activities related to Dr. King.  

Key People  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:** Central figure; assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968.  
- **James Earl Ray:** Convicted murderer of Dr. King.  
- **Attorney General Griffin B. Bell:** Oversaw the Department of Justice Task Force review.  
- **Edward E. Redditt:** MPD detective assigned to surveil Dr. King; later threatened and removed from duty.  
- **Willie B. Richmond:** MPD patrolman who witnessed the assassination from Fire Station No. 2.  
- **Norvell E. Wallace & Floyd E. Newsum:** Black firefighters re-assigned on April 4, tied to surveillance concerns.  
- **James O. Barnett:** Former Deputy Chief of Memphis Fire Department.  
- **James R. Boatwright:** Assistant Chief of Memphis Fire Department.  

Key Locations  
- **Lorraine Motel:** Site of Dr. King’s assassination (200 block of Milberry Street).  
- **Fire Station No. 2:** Observation post for Redditt and Richmond; overlooks the motel.  
- **Centenary Methodist Church & Mason Temple:** Venues where Dr. King met with ministers and spoke before his assassination.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee:** City central to the sanitation workers’ strike, surveillance operations, and the assassination.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968:** Dr. King assassinated at the Lorraine Motel; Richmond reported the shooting at 6:01 p.m.  
- **Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike (February–April 1968):** Sparked involvement of radical groups like the *Invaders* and Black Organizing Power (BOP), monitored by MPD and FBI.  
- **Surveillance Lapses:** MPD security detail removed, raising questions about oversight during King’s visit.  
- **Firemen Reassignment:** Wallace and Newsum detailed to stations with higher personnel strength; their presence linked to perceived threats to surveillance operations.  
- **1968–1976:** FBI conducted surveillance and counterintelligence operations against Dr. King, documented in files like the "Murkin File."  
- **1976–1977:** Department of Justice Task Force reviewed FBI records, witness interviews, and intercepted communications to assess the Bureau’s role in the assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):** Conducted surveillance, counterintelligence operations, and investigations into Dr. King’s death.  
- **Memphis Police Department (MPD):** Conducted surveillance on Dr. King, infiltrated radical groups, and managed security for him during his visit.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC):** Organization led by Dr. King that was a focus of FBI intelligence efforts.  
- **Black Organizing Power (BOP):** Radical group monitored by MPD and FBI; linked to the *Invaders*.  
- **Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities:** Previously reviewed aspects of FBI activities related to Dr. King.  
- **House Select Committee:** Investigated the assassination, citing MPD failures in surveillance and security.

MLK Declassified Files

62-hq-115768_sec_000_ser_262-part_1_of_5.pdf

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