Newly released government files provide a deeper look into the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The release consists of over 6,300 documents, totaling nearly 250,000 pages, and an audio file of an interview with the brother of assassin James Earl Ray.
Among the key details revealed in the documents are several witness accounts, intelligence reports, and investigative notes.
Potential Sighting of Assassin Before the Murder
A Texas man, Joseph Meyer, reported a possible encounter with King’s killer in Mississippi approximately two weeks before the assassination. According to an FBI report, Meyer was on a fishing trip when he saw a man firing a rifle into a tree. The man, who Meyer said resembled some photos of James Earl Ray, was well-dressed and spoke without a local accent. He mentioned he was “bore sighting” the rifle and wished his more experienced brother was there to help. Meyer later returned to the scene but found no cartridges, noting the bullet marks in the tree indicated a high-powered weapon. He did not report the incident at the time for fear of being ridiculed by local police.
CIA Monitored Foreign Reactions
A five-page CIA report detailed how Cuba responded to King’s death. Cuban state-controlled media, including the Communist Party newspaper Granma, extensively covered the riots and violence across the United States. The report notes that Cuban radio also amplified calls for violence from American “black power” activists, including a message from Stokely Carmichael urging Black Americans to arm themselves.
Investigation of a Prior Threat
An FBI document from May 1967 details an investigation into Theodore Adank, a man who had threatened to “put a bullet through KING’s head” during one of King’s appearances in Wisconsin. Adank later posed as a newsman to gain entry to a press conference but was identified and removed by police. After the assassination, the FBI re-interviewed Adank, who agents described as “somewhat of a mental case,” but ultimately found no connection to the crime.
Tracking the Killer’s Aliases
The files show how the FBI connected Ray to multiple aliases he used while acquiring the murder weapon. Days before the assassination, Ray purchased a rifle in Birmingham, Alabama, using the name “Harvey Lowmeyer.” However, the address he provided and the vehicle he drove were linked to another alias, “Eric Galt.” Investigators confirmed the connection when store clerks identified a photograph of “Galt” as the same man who had identified himself as “Lowmeyer.”
Assassin’s Brother Suggests a Conspiracy
An interview with Jerry Ray, James Earl Ray’s younger brother, reveals his theory that James may have been paid to be implicated in the assassination. Jerry told law enforcement he believed his brother was “used” and that his name was part of a setup in exchange for money. He suggested James was too honorable to reveal the involvement of others. “I figure he was paid for his name being used,” Jerry stated. “That’s as far as I think he’s involved in it.”
China’s Propaganda Efforts
U.S. intelligence collected a propaganda booklet from the Chinese Communist Party following King’s death. The document, titled “Statement by Comrade Mao Tse-Tung,” called for an uprising against “yankee imperialists.” The FBI report on the booklet noted that it framed the “Negro struggle in the United States as part of the world struggle” and urged people to unite against the U.S.
CIA Prepared for Media Scrutiny
A 1975 CIA document titled “Talking Points for Interview with Dan Rather” was also among the released files. The memo, prepared for an unidentified CIA official, included a categorical denial of the agency’s involvement in the assassination of Dr. King, as well as those of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. While CBS anchor Dan Rather did interview then-CIA Director William Colby that year, the broadcast segment focused on other topics and did not address the King assassination.
