The Murkin Conspiracy: An Investigation Into the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Philip H. Melanson

Book Overview

Murkin was the code name chosen by the FBI for their investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968. Today, 20 years after the fatal shooting of the civil rights leader, Philip H. Melanson, a renowned authority on American political assassinations, unveils his own investigation into the murder. Melanson . . . has done an exhaustively thorough job on the still-mysterious King assassination. After following Melanson's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275930297
• ISBN13: 9780275930295
• Release Date: February 1989
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 219 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Questions about the HSCA report.

In "The Murkin Conspiracy" Philip Melanson makes a lot of valid points about the weakness of the government's case against James Earl Ray as the murderer of Martin Luther King,Jr. "The fingerprint evidence is not nearly as extensive or conclusive as HSCA's final report makes it appear."-page 100. That quote references the committees selective use of experts. Two of the three experts found no fingerprints from Ray on the rifle. The committee also relied heavily on the inconsistent eyewitness statements from an alcoholic boarder. The author summed it up quite well on page 84-"In reaching it's conclusion concerning Ray's guilt and his modus operandi,HSCA tended to oversell the evidence,glossing over inconsistencies and gaps in order to achive an investigative closure." What really makes it hard to pinpoint the shooter's location is the uncertainty of King's body position. It's also obvious that at least one government agency was surveilling MLK. There is evidence that some of his personal documents(receipts,notes,slips) were "aquired" and that the F.B.I. wasn't the only agency involved in those type of activities. Some of the questions that may weigh on a reader's mind in the book: Where did James Earl Ray get the Canadian aliases that he used before going to Canada? What was exchanged between Ray and the "fat man" in Toronto? Who was Kimble? Why did the police presence at the crime scene collapse so conspicuously? You will find some theories in answer to these questions. "The best evidence suggests that Ray was an unexceptional criminal who had exceptionally clever help."-page 125. This book is a worthwhile read about the assassination of Martin Luther King,Jr.

Another Unsolved Conspiracy

The author is Chairman of the RFK Assassination Archives at Southeastern Massachusetts University. This book tells of his investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. "The truth of the King assassination is that it was a much more sophisticated conspiracy executed by persons possessing the kind of expertise generally found within intelligence circles."Chapter 2 discusses the coincidences in the life of the two Canadians whose names were used by James Earl Ray: they both traveled to the US in the 1960s, and both resembled Ray. This allowed Ray to obtain a legal (if false) passport rather than a forgery. Chapter 7 tells of his discovery of the "fat man" who delivered a letter to Ray; hours later Ray picked up and paid for his flight to London. There was "big money" behind Ray (p.60). Years later this "fat man" was still afraid for his personal safety (p.61). Chapter 9 discusses the problems with the evidence against Ray. Only one spent cartridge was in the rifle; no other cartridges were in the rifle. The cartridge had no fingerprints on it!Chapter 10 attempts a systematic and logical reconstruction of Ray's time and actions. Did Ray use his binoculars to spy on King and then go to the communal bathroom? Did he spend time in a communal bathroom shared by the 13 tenants? There are problems with either scenario. Why would an experienced criminal like Ray leave his fingerprints on the rifle? "The best evidence suggests that Ray was an unexceptional criminal who had exceptionally clever help" (p.125). Chapter 12 notes that Ray had plastic surgery on his nose in 1968; it made him appear more like Eric Galt. Eric Galt's activities and travel would make him suspicious (p.139). Ray had a flawless performance as a fugitive - until he flew to Europe (and was now on his own). Chapter 13 tells of Melanson's interview with Ray in 1984. Ray claimed to have been set up as a fall guy by the conspirators (p.153). Ray probably does not know the identities of the conspirators anyway, only the go-betweens. So the truth about this tragic assassination remains shrouded in official secrecy.Where was James Earl Ray when Kennedy was shot? The first shot that hit JFK was in the throat. Did it narrowly miss being a fatal shot like the one that killed M L King? There is a difference between using a rifle or a piston in an assassination. A fanatic may use a pistol, and be quickly caught or killed. A professional will use a rifle so he can make his escape before being located, and collect his reward (except when using a piston allows this escape).

??????

This book exposes the faults and failures of the government's case against James Earl Ray as glaringly as television exposed the faults in the state's case against O.J. Whether or not, and it seems plausible he did not, James Earl Ray shot Martin Luther King, Jr. the state would have had no chance of convicting him in court. (Perhaps that is why his lawyers were co-erced into pleading the case.) In the "Murkin Conspiracy" every piece of evidence, motive, and opportunity is laid out and examined. The results are less than convincing beyond a reasonable doubt. Did a conspiracy kill Dr. King? This book cannot answer that question, it doesn't attempt to; it merely asks, "Did James Earl Ray?"