Summary  
This document contains two distinct legal records related to James Earl Ray’s involvement in the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The first section (Exhibit 14) is a letter dated December 20, 1976, from Fred G. Polson, Director of the U.S. Attorney General’s Task Force, requesting an interview with Ray through his attorney, James H. Lesar, by December 31, 1976, as part of a review of the Fair Investigation into MLK’s assassination. The second section (Exhibit 15) is a civil complaint filed by Ray against TIME Inc., George McMillan, W. Henry Hall, William Bradford Hui, Gerald Frank, Robert M. Morae, and Brenda Pellicotti in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The complaint alleges defamation, malice, and civil rights violations stemming from a 1976 TIME magazine article by McMillan titled “It’s Gonna Kill Thatigger King,” which falsely accused Ray of plotting MLK’s assassination.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Indicted for MLK’s murder in May 1968, entered a guilty plea in March 1969; later sought to overturn his conviction and filed a civil lawsuit against media entities.  
- **George McMillan**: Author of the TIME magazine article and defendant in Ray’s civil case; accused of defamation and fabricating details about Ray’s prison activities.  
- **W. Henry Hall**: State attorney involved in the 1974 evidentiary hearing on Ray’s guilty plea; later a defendant in the civil case.  
- **William Bradford Hui**: Defendant in the civil case, referenced in allegations of defamation and malice related to TIME magazine’s article.  
- **Robert M. Morae**: Judge involved in the 1974 evidentiary hearing and subsequent appeals.  
- **Brenda Pellicotti**: Clerk of court accused of withholding transcripts from the evidentiary hearing.  
- **Percy Foreman**: Attorney representing Ray during his trial; allegedly shared information with McMillan about Ray’s prison activities.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination on April 4, 1968 and location of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, where Ray’s civil case was filed.  
- **Shelby County, Tennessee**: Jurisdiction for Ray’s criminal indictment and trial related to MLK’s murder.  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri**: Location of Ray’s prison confinement during his trial; referenced in allegations about TV access and prison activities.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **May 1968**: James Earl Ray indicted for MLK’s murder; entered a guilty plea in March 1969.  
- **February 1974**: U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered an evidentiary hearing into Ray’s guilty plea.  
- **March 1975**: U.S. District Court ruled against Ray’s request for a new trial; the decision was upheld in February 1976.  
- **December 1976**: TIME magazine published McMillan’s article alleging Ray plotted MLK’s assassination, which Ray claimed was malicious and fabricated.  
- **1976 Civil Case**: Ray sued TIME Inc., McMillan, Hall, Hui, Frank, Morae, and Pellicotti for defamation, malice, and civil rights violations.  

Key Organizations  
- **U.S. Attorney General’s Task Force**: Conducted a review of the Fair Investigation into MLK’s assassination; requested an interview with Ray in 1976.  
- **TIME Inc.**: Publisher of the magazine article accused of defamation and malice; its subsidiary Little Brown published McMillan’s book on Ray.  
- **U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee**: Jurisdiction for Ray’s civil case against TIME Inc. and other defendants.

MLK Declassified Files

80-bf-2142_sec_000_ser_156-part_5_of_5.pdf

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