More than five decades after the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the United States government has declassified a massive dossier shedding new light on the circumstances surrounding his death.
On July 21, 2025, the National Archives released over 240,000 pages of documents related to King’s 1968 assassination, in a move initiated during the administration of former President Donald Trump. The trove includes FBI files, intelligence briefings, and other classified reports. Officials say more documents are expected to be released in the coming months.
Dr. King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. A man named James Earl Ray, known for his racist beliefs, pleaded guilty to the murder, avoiding a trial. However, he later recanted his confession, and conspiracy theories have swirled ever since. Ray died in prison in 1998.
According to Tulsi Gabbard, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the released documents contain detailed information on Ray’s time in custody, his escape to the United Kingdom, and possible links between other individuals and King’s death.
The disclosure has sparked renewed debate. Many researchers—and even King’s family—believe that government agencies may have played a role in the assassination or used Ray as a scapegoat.
Dr. King’s children, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, were granted early access to the files. However, in a joint statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), they voiced concerns about the impact of the release on their father’s legacy.
“While we support truth and historical transparency,” the statement read, “we condemn any misuse of our father’s name or distortion of his legacy.” They also announced plans to thoroughly examine the documents to determine whether Ray was truly the man behind their father’s death.
The release of these files is likely to reignite discussions about racial injustice, historical cover-ups, and the enduring mystery surrounding one of America’s most pivotal tragedies.
