FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Robert Vickers
Email: communications@thekingcenter.org
Phone: 404-526-8946
Fax: 404-526-8969
New York, New York
June 9, 2000
KING FAMILY STATEMENT ON THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT “LIMITED INVESTIGATION” ON THE MLK ASSASSINATION
On behalf of The family of Martin Luther King, Jr., Martin Luther King
III today issued the following statement on the U.S. Justice Department’s
release of its report on their “limited investigation” of recent
evidence regarding the assassination of Dr. King
“We learned only hours before the Justice Department press conference
that they were releasing the report of their results of their “limited
investigation,” which covered only two areas of new evidence concerning
the assassination of Dr. King. We had requested that we be given a copy
of the report a few days in advance so that we might have had the opportunity
to review it in detail. Since that courtesy was not extended to us, we
are only able at this time to state the following:
1. We initially requested that a comprehensive investigation be conducted
by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, independent of the government,
because we do not believe that, in such a politically-sensitive matter,
the government is capable of investigating itself.
2. The type of independent investigation we sought was denied by the
federal government. But in our view, it was carried out, in a Memphis
courtroom, during a month-long trial by a jury of 12 American citizens
who had no interest other than ascertaining the truth. (Kings v. Jowers)
3. After hearing and reviewing the extensive testimony and evidence,
which had never before been tested under oath in a court of law, it
took the Memphis jury only 1½ hours to find that a conspiracy
to kill Dr. King did exist. Most significantly, this conspiracy involved
agents of the governments of the City of Memphis, the state of Tennessee
and the United States of America. The overwhelming weight of the evidence
also indicated that James Earl Ray was not the triggerman and, in fact,
was an unknowing patsy.
4. We stand by that verdict and have no doubt that the truth about
this terrible event has finally been revealed.
5. We urge all interested Americans to read the transcript of the
trial on the King Center website at http://www.thekingcenter.org, and
consider the evidence, so they can form their own unbiased conclusions.
Although we cooperated fully with this limited investigation, we never
really expected that the government report would be any more objective
than that which has resulted from any previous official investigation.
In a reasonable period of time, when we have had an opportunity to study
the report, we will provide a detailed analysis of it to the media and
on the aforementioned website.”
For more information, please contact Robert Vickers at (404) 526-8946
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