</s>Department of Justice FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1977 202-739-2028 The FBI conducted a thorough investigation of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ., a Department of Justice task force concluded in a report released today by Attorney General Griffin B. Bell. The 149-page report was submitted by the task force of the Office of Professional Responsibility following an eight-month intensive review of FBI files and interview of witnesses. The purpose of the study was to examine FBI activities involving Dr. King and to evaluate the effectiveness of the assassination investigation. The report concluded that the FBI had conducted a painstaking and successful investigation of of the 1968 assassinating in Memphis, Tennessee. The task force also found no evidence of FBI complicity in the murder. The only new evidence that was developed related to details that did not affect the ultimate conclusion that James Earl Ray was the properly convicted murderer. 66-2189 SEARCHED INCEXED SEPARATED FILTERED SEPARALIZED FILTEREO MAR '1977 FBI - MEMPHIS 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The Department of Justice released a 149-page report by a task force under the Office of Professional Responsibility, concluding that the FBI's investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, was thorough and honest. The report found no evidence of FBI complicity in the murder, reaffirming James Earl Ray as the convicted perpetrator. The task force reviewed over 200,000 FBI documents and interviewed 40 witnesses. It also addressed the FBI's prior security investigation of Dr. King, noting that while there may have been an arguable basis for initiating such a probe in 1963, it should have ended then rather than continuing until his death in 1968. The report criticized the FBI's COINTELPRO-type harassment of Dr. King as improper but stated criminal action against participants was barred by statute of limitations. Recommendations included stricter oversight of domestic intelligence activities and a prohibition on COINTELPRO-style operations. A memorandum from SAC (66-2189) outlined guidelines for handling media inquiries about the report, directing agents to reference Director Kelley’s statement endorsing the DOJ’s commitment to civil rights and preventing future misconduct. The report was available for purchase through the U.S. Government Printing Office.  

Key People  
- Griffin B. Bell: Attorney General who released the report.  
- Edward H. Levi: Former Attorney General who directed the review.  
- Michael E. Shaheen, Jr.: Head of the Office of Professional Responsibility.  
- James Earl Ray: Convicted murderer of Dr. King.  
- Director Kelley: FBI director who endorsed the task force’s findings.  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee: Site of Dr. King’s assassination.  
- Washington, D.C.: Location of the U.S. Government Printing Office where the report was available for purchase.  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Dr. King’s 1968 assassination in Memphis.  
- Review of the FBI’s prior security investigation of Dr. King (initiated in 1963).  
- Task force evaluation of COINTELPRO activities targeting Dr. King.  
- Release of the DOJ task force report on February 18, 1977.  
- Memorandum outlining guidelines for handling media inquiries about the report.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Department of Justice (DOJ)  
- Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)  
- U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO)

MLK Declassified Files

66-me-2189_sec_001_ser_1-part_6_of_6.pdf

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