On Monday, the Trump administration released 230,000 pages of documents related to the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard wrote on X.
The extensive archive, made public in coordination with the Justice Department, CIA, FBI, and the National Archives, includes detailed records of the federal government’s investigation into King’s murder at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 39 years old.
Among the files are accounts of James Earl Ray—the man convicted of killing King—including discussions with a former cellmate about a possible assassination plot, as well as other investigative leads pursued by the FBI following the shooting.
“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,” Gabbard said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history.”
“I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support,” she added.
The document release follows an executive order signed by President Trump in January, directing the declassification of records related not only to King’s assassination but also to the deaths of former President John F. Kennedy and former Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
This is a developing story.
