The Trump Administration released a collection of federal documents related to the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., despite longstanding objections from his family and civil rights organizations. The records, totaling more than 240,000 pages, had been sealed under a court order since 1977 and are now publicly accessible.
The disclosure includes FBI investigative files under the codename “MURKIN,” CIA documents already part of the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection, and State Department materials regarding the extradition of James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinating King. The National Archives and Records Administration coordinated the release in partnership with multiple federal agencies. Some pages remain redacted under the Freedom of Information Act due to legal restrictions.
President Trump had previously ordered the declassification of records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. King, describing the move as being in the national interest. The release of the King-related files comes nearly two years ahead of their original scheduled disclosure in 2027.
Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, the civil rights leader’s surviving children, were given early access to the files. In a joint statement, they acknowledged the public’s curiosity but urged readers to approach the documents with “empathy, restraint, and respect” for their family’s ongoing grief.
The King family has long argued that Ray did not act alone, referencing a 1999 civil case in which a Memphis jury concluded that Dr. King was the victim of a broader conspiracy. Although Ray pleaded guilty in 1969, he later recanted and maintained his innocence until his death in 1998.
Historians and scholars have expressed interest in analyzing the newly available records for insights into the FBI’s role. Ryan Jones of the National Civil Rights Museum noted that while the FBI was officially investigating King’s murder, it had simultaneously engaged in campaigns to undermine him, pointing out that the bureau had received warnings of assassination attempts but ignored them.
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, co-founded by King, opposed the early release of the records, citing concerns over privacy and the risk of spreading misinformation.
