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U.S. Releases Secret Files on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination

Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963 (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

By Middle Land Staff

July 23, 2025
3:52 pm
Los Angeles, CA

In a historic and controversial move, the U.S. government released over 230,000 pages of long-sealed federal records related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on July 21, 2025, marking one of the most significant document disclosures in American civil rights history. The release, ordered under Executive Order 14176 signed by President Donald J. Trump in January 2025, comes after decades of public speculation and legal wrangling over the role of the U.S. government—if any—in the 1968 killing of the iconic civil rights leader. “The American people have a right to know the full truth about one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history,” Trump said in a statement earlier this year. “This release ensures transparency, accountability, and closure.” Past investigations, including a 1979 Congressional committee

Past investigations, including a 1979 Congressional committee and a 2000 Department of Justice review, found no compelling evidence of federal conspiracy. However, experts believe the records will continue to fuel debates for years to come. “Even if there’s no new revelation on the assassination itself, these records confirm a terrifying truth: our own government tried to silence one of the greatest moral voices of the 20th century,” said Dr. Maya Rollins, a civil rights historian at Howard University.

The documents are now available through the National Archives, and several universities have launched research projects to analyze and contextualize the information.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. A single bullet struck King in the neck at 6:01 p.m., and he died an hour later at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The FBI quickly launched an investigation, considering the assassination not only an attack on King but on the broader civil rights movement. Within two months, the FBI identified James Earl Ray, a fugitive with a criminal background, as the primary suspect. Ray was apprehended in London on June 8, 1968, after fleeing the country. Despite his criminal history, Ray had no known ties to any radical group or individuals involved in King’s death.

In March 1969, Ray pled guilty to King’s murder in a controversial plea deal that spared him the death penalty in exchange for a 99-year prison sentence. However, Ray quickly recanted his confession, claiming he had been coerced into pleading guilty. His retraction triggered a wave of conspiracy theories suggesting that he had been framed and that others—ranging from white supremacists to U.S. government agencies—were involved. Ray’s guilty plea meant there was no traditional trial. Critics argued that the government’s rush to close the case was driven by expedience rather than justice. As a result, the conspiracy theories gained traction, with many questioning whether Ray was truly the lone gunman.

In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) published its findings, concluding that Dr. King’s death was likely the result of a conspiracy—though the perpetrators could not be definitively identified. This report revived public debate, particularly as new evidence and theories emerged, linking Ray to organized crime, the FBI, and other potential conspirators. The most vocal critics of the official story were members of King’s family. In 1997, King’s son Dexter King met with Ray in prison and publicly expressed his belief that Ray had been framed.

After the meeting, Dexter stated publicly: “We don’t believe James Earl Ray had anything to do with the assassination of my father.”

Ray continued to insist on his innocence until his death in 1998, but the question of whether he was the sole assassin remained unresolved.

The release of the 230,000 pages of documents in 2025 has reignited interest in the case. While the documents are now publicly available through the National Archives, their release has sparked further debate over whether it represents overdue transparency or a violation of King’s legacy. “The release of these documents opens old wounds,” said Bernice King. “This is not just about history; it’s about the ongoing pain my family has endured. My father was not just a symbol; he was a person, and this is our trauma.”

The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remains one of the most contested events in U.S. history. As new documents continue to emerge, the mystery of King’s assassination remains an open question—one that keeps his legacy alive in the public consciousness.

As historians, legal experts, and the public continue to analyze the information, one thing is clear: the truth about Dr. King’s assassination remains elusive, and the fight for justice is far from over.