Legacy of Secrecy (171 page)

22.
Interviews with confidential Kennedy aide source, 3-17-92.
23.
Bernard Fensterwald interview with Somersett, 6-5-68, courtesy Don Adams;
Chicago Daily News
interviews 5-28 and 5-29-68, from the files of Bud Fensterwald at the Assassination Archives and Research Center in Washington, D.C.
24.
CIA memo

to Director of Security, 12-12-67, #272141.
25.
Martin Luther King, “Beyond the Los Angeles Riots. Next Stop: The North,”
Saturday Review
, 11-13-65, cited in David E. Scheim,
The Mafia Killed President Kennedy
(New York: SPI Books, 1992), p. 341.
26.
Ibid Scheim, pp. 341, 342, citing Louis Lomax,
To Kill a Black Man,
p. 165.
27.
William F. Pepper,
Act of State
(New York: Verso, 2003), p. 50.
28.
US House of Representatives,
The Final Assassinations Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations
(New York: Bantam Books, 1979), p. 486.
29.
Ibid.
30.
FBI file #44-38861, 5-17-68.
31.
Ibid; see also Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), pp. 132, 136.
32.
Jean-Pierre Charbonneau,
The Canadian Connection
(Ottawa: Optimum, 1976), p. 294.
33.
Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), p. 139.

34.
HSCA vol. VII, p. 355; Martin Luther King traveled to Chicago on two dates (5-19-67 and 6-12-67) when James Earl Ray was in the city: HSCA King vol. III, p. 592.
35.
HSCA vol. VII, p. 347-376.
36.
Ibid.
37.
US

House of Representatives,
The Final Assassinations Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations
(New York: Bantam Books, 1979), p. 486.
38.
William Bradford Huie,
He Slew the Dreamer
(New York: Delacorte Press, 1970), p. 191, though Huie later changed his mind and decided that Ray had acted on his own.

39.
HSCA vol. VII, pp. 347-376.
40.
Justice Department memo 9-17-68, cited in 11-5-68 Memphis FBI memo.
41.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit #941 F.2d 280, 8-23-91.
42.
FBI LA 44-1574.
43.
Ibid.

44.
Ibid.
45.
Ibid.
46.
Ibid.
47.
HSCA VII, pp. 347-369; United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit #941 F.2d 280, 8-23-91.
48.
HSCA King vol. III, pp. 204, 205.
49.
HSCA Report, pp.387-388.
50.
Ibid.
51.
“Doctor Wins Libel Suit over Marcello Book,”
New Orleans Times-Picayune
, 2-4-95; 2008 phone interview with Lanny R.

Zatzkis.
52.
We’ll release the references once all the affected parties have passed away.
53.
HSCA Report, p. 387.
54.
HSCA vol. III, p. 205; Ray likely had accepted the contract, but there is another possibility. In noting the earlier contract mentioned in one of the prisons, where substantial funds were available for

someone willing to track Dr. King without being the trigger man, author Larry Hancock speculated that

Ray may have originally joined the plot just to provide surveillance on Dr. King. Ray’s expensive camera

equipment might support that possibility. But we believe, as does Hancock, that Ray was a knowing

part of Dr. King’s assassination, and likely fired the fatal shot.
55.
William Bradford Huie,
He Slew the
Dreamer
(New York: Delacorte Press, 1970), pp. 91-97.
56.
Martin Luther King Justice Department Task Force Report, 1977, p. 100.
57.
FBI Megiddo Report; Peter Noyes,
Legacy of Doubt
(New York: Pinnacle

Notes

817

Books, 1973), p. 199.
58.
Transcript of Miami Police Intelligence Unit interview with William Somersett 11-26-63; Miami FBI report, “RE: Constitutional American Parties of the United States,” 1-1-64. verify

sp?
59.
Jack Nelson,
Terror in the Night
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993), pp. 139-141.
60.
Ibid Nelson; Jerry Mitchell, “Book probes MLK killing”
Jackson Clarion-Ledger
, 12-30-07.
61.
Ibid Nelson, pp.119, 139-141; Ibid Mitchell.
62.
www.israelect.com/reference/WesleyASwift/sermons/.
63.
FBI Laboratory to FBI Memphis, 4-23-68 report, FBI file #44-38861.
64.
Here are just a few of the many FBI files showing their interest in Rosselli and knowledge that he lived in the apartment building at 1333 South Beverly Glen

from 1964 through 1970: August 1964 LA 92-113-C; FBI 124-10215-10222, 12-21-64; February 1966 LA

92-113; 11-27-1970 #92-367.
65.
Martin Luther King Justice Department Task Force Report, 1977; HSCA

vol. III, p. 199; Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), pp. 297, 209, 210.

66.
FBI Laboratory to FBI Memphis, 4-23-68 report, FBI file #44-38861.
67.
HSCA King vol. VII, p. 453.

68.
Ann Louise Bardach,
Cuba Confidential
(New York: Random House, 2002), p. 183; CIA 104-10068-10010; HSCA 180-10143-10215.
69.
Ibid.
70.
HSCA CIA Posada Summary, p. 2, citing #92192, 4-16-68.
71.
Douglas Valentine,
The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America’s War on Drugs
(London, New York: Verso, 2004), pp. 456, 457.
72.
CIA Office of Security, Charles Kane, AD/OS 3-15-68, cited by A. J. Weberman.

73.
CIA 104-10125-10199, 7-15-66.
74.
Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with respect to Intelligence activities, Book III.
75.
Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge: America in the
King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), p. 708.
76.
Ibid.
77.
Nick Kotz,
Judgment Days
(New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005), pp. 383, 386, 387, 388.
78.
Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge: America in the
King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), pp. 708, 709.
79.
Ibid, pp. 694, 695.
80.
Nick Kotz,
Judgment Days
(New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005), p. 383.
81.
Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge: America
in the King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), p. 680; Evan Thomas,
Robert Kennedy: His
Life
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000), p. 356.
82.
Ibid Branch, pp. 680-682.
83.
Ibid, pp. 676, 680-682.

84.
Evan Thomas,
Robert Kennedy: His Life
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000), p. 357; Thurston Clarke,
The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America
, (New York: Henry Holt and

Company, 2008).
85.
Clifton Daniel,
Chronicle of America
(Liberty, MO: JL International Publishing, 1993), p. 819; Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), p. 710.
86.
Thurston Clarke,
The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America
, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008); Nick Kotz,
Judgment Days
(New York: Houghton Mifflin,

2005), p. 391; Ibid Branch, p. 711.
87.
Ibid Branch, pp. 705, 706.
88.
Ibid, pp. 674, 675.
89.
Ibid, pp. 717, 718.

90.
Evan Thomas,
Robert Kennedy: His Life
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000), p. 359; Nick Kotz,
Judgment
Days
(New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005), p. 397.
91.
Ibid.
92.
Thurston Clarke,
The Last Campaign: Robert
F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America
, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008); Evan Thomas,

Robert Kennedy: His Life
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000), p. 361.
93.
Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge:
America in the King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), pp. 713-715; Ibid Thomas, p. 360.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

1.
Martin Luther King, “Beyond the Los Angeles Riots. Next Stop: The North,”
Saturday Review
, 11-13-65, cited in David E. Scheim,
The Mafia Killed President Kennedy
(New York: SPI Books, 1992), p. 341.

2.
Ibid Scheim, pp. 341, 342, citing Louis Lomax,
To Kill a Black Man,
p. 165.
3.
William F. Pepper,
Act of
State
(New York: Verso, 2003), p. 50.
4.
US House of Representatives,
The Final Assassinations Report of the
Select Committee on Assassinations
(New York: Bantam Books, 1979), p. 486.
5.
Ibid.
6.
FBI file #44-38861, 5-17-68.
7.
Ibid; see also Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), pp. 132, 136.

8.
Jean-Pierre Charbonneau,
The Canadian Connection
(Ottawa: Optimum, 1976), p. 294.
9.
Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), p. 139.
10.
HSCA vol. VII, p. 355; Martin Luther King traveled to Chicago on two dates (5-19-67 and 6-12-67) when James Earl Ray was in the city: HSCA

King vol. III, p. 592.
11.
HSCA vol. VII, p. 347-376.
12.
Ibid.
13.
US House of Representatives,
The Final
Assassinations Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations
(New York: Bantam Books, 1979), p. 486.

14.
William Bradford Huie,
He Slew the Dreamer
(New York: Delacorte Press, 1970), p. 191, though Huie later changed his mind and decided that Ray had acted on his own.
15.
HSCA vol. VII, pp. 347-376.

16.
Justice Department memo 9-17-68, cited in 11-5-68 Memphis FBI memo.
17.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, #941 F.2d 280, 8-23-91.
18.
FBI LA 44-1574.
19.
Ibid.
20.
Ibid.
21.
Ibid.
22.
Ibid.

23.
HSCA VII, pp. 347-369; United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, #941 F.2d 280, 8-23-91.
24.
HSCA King vol. III, pp. 204, 205.
25.
HSCA Report, pp.387-388.
26.
Ibid.
27.
“Doctor Wins Libel Suit over Marcello Book,”
New Orleans Times-Picayune
, 2-4-95; 2008 phone interview with Lanny R. Zatzkis.
28.
We’ll release the references once all the affected parties have passed away.
29.
HSCA Report, p. 387.
30.
HSCA vol. III, p. 205; Ray likely had accepted the contract, but there is another possibility. In noting the earlier contract mentioned in one of the prisons, where substantial funds were available for someone willing

to track Dr. King without being the trigger man, author Larry Hancock speculated that Ray may have

818

LEGACY OF SECRECY

originally joined the plot just to provide surveillance on Dr. King. Ray’s expensive camera equipment

might support that possibility. But we believe, as does Hancock, that Ray was a knowing part of Dr.

King’s assassination, and likely fired the fatal shot.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

1.
William Bradford Huie,
He Slew the Dreamer
(New York: Delacorte Press, 1970), pp. 91-97.
2.
Martin Luther King Justice Department Task Force Report, 1977, p. 100.
3.
FBI Megiddo Report; Peter Noyes,

Legacy of Doubt
(New York: Pinnacle Books, 1973), p. 199.
4.
Transcript of Miami Police Intelligence Unit interview with William Somersett 11-26-63; Miami FBI report, “RE: Constitutional American Parties of the

United States,” 1-1-64. verify sp?
5.
Jack Nelson,
Terror in the Night
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993), pp. 139-141.
6.
Ibid Nelson; Jerry Mitchell, “Book probes MLK killing”
Jackson Clarion-Ledger
, 12-30-07.
7.

Ibid Nelson, pp.119, 139-141; Ibid Mitchell.
8.
www.israelect.com/reference/WesleyASwift/sermons/.

9.
FBI Laboratory to FBI Memphis, 4-23-68 report, FBI file #44-38861.
10.
Here are just a few of the many FBI files showing their interest in Rosselli and knowledge that he lived in the apartment building at 1333

South Beverly Glen from 1964 through 1970: August 1964 LA 92-113-C; FBI 124-10215-10222, 12-21-64;

February 1966 LA 92-113; 11-27-1970 #92-367.
11.
Martin Luther King Justice Department Task Force

Report, 1977; HSCA vol. III, p. 199; Gerald Posner,
Killing the Dream
(New York: Random House, 1998), pp. 297, 209, 210.
12.
FBI Laboratory to FBI Memphis, 4-23-68 report, FBI file #44-38861.
13.
HSCA King vol. VII, p. 453.
14.
Ann Louise Bardach,
Cuba Confidential
(New York: Random House, 2002), p. 183; CIA 104-10068-10010; HSCA 180-10143-10215.
15.
Ibid.
16.
HSCA CIA Posada Summary, p. 2, citing #92192, 4-16-68.
17.
Douglas Valentine,
The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America’s War on Drugs
(London, New York: Verso, 2004), pp. 456, 457.
18.
CIA Office of Security, Charles Kane, AD/OS 3-15-68, cited by A. J. Weberman.
19.
CIA 104-10125-10199, 7-15-66.
20.
Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with respect to Intelligence activities, Book III.
21.
Taylor Branch,
At
Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), p. 708.
22.
Ibid.

23.
Nick Kotz,
Judgment Days
(New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005), pp. 383, 386, 387, 388.
24.
Taylor Branch,
At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years 1965-68
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), pp. 708, 709.
25.
Ibid, pp. 694, 695.