National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard announced on Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today, after almost 60 years of questions concerning the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we publish 230,000 MLK assassination files, now available on http://archives.gov/mlk,” wrote Gabbard in a Publish. “The documents include details on the FBI investigation into the assassination of the MLK, the discussion of the potential tracks, the FBI internal memos detailing the progress of the case, the information on the former cell companion of James Earl Ray who said that he had discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more.”
King, a Baptist Minister of Atlanta and the most famous activist for civil rights in the country, was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in front of the crowd of 25,000 Selma in Montgomery, civil rights walkers of Alabama, in front of the Capitol of the State of Alabama, on March 25, 1965, in Montgomery, Ala.
Stephen F. Somerstein / Getty Images
James Earl Ray, thief sentenced and escaped from prison, was identified as King’s Killer After his fingerprint was found on the rifle used in the assassination and thrown near the murder scene. Police think that Ray shot King of a boarding school in front of Lorraine Motel after having tracked the chief of civil rights for more than two weeks.
In March 1969, Ray pleaded guilty to the murder of King to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison, where he died in 1998.
After Monday’s announcement, King’s family asked that the release of documents be “seen in their full historical context”.
“During our father’s life, he was implacally targeted by an invasive, predatory and deeply disturbing campaign of disinformation and surveillance orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” said his family in a statement. “The intention of the Government Cointelpro campaign was not only to monitor, but to discredit, dismantle and destroy the reputation of Dr. King and the broader movement of civil rights.”
The family said that when they examined the published files, “we will assess if they offer additional information beyond the results that our family has already accepted.” They also declared that they “firmly condemn any attempt to register these documents in a manner intended to undermine our father’s inheritance and the important achievements of the movement”.
It is a story in development. Please check the updates.