Page:House Select Committee on Assassinations, final report.pdf/11

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(c) The Warrent Commission arrived at its conclusions based on the evidence available to it in good faith.

(d) The Warren Commission presented the conclusions in its report in a fashion that was too definitive.

II. Findings of the Select Committee on Assassinations in the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis Tenn., April 4, 1968

A. James Earl Ray fired one shot at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The shot killed Dr King

1. Dr King was killed by one rifle shot fired from in front of him.

2. The shot that killed Dr King was fired from the bathroom window at the rear of a rooming house at 422½ South Main Street, Memphis, Tenn.

3. James Earl Ray purchased the rifle that was used to shoot Dr. King and transported it from Birmingham, Ala. to Memphis, Tenn. where he rented a room at 422½ South Main Street and moments after the assassination he dropped it near 424 South Main Street.

4. It is highly probable that James Earl Ray stalked Dr. King for a period immediately preceding the assassination

5. James Earl Ray fled the scene of the crime immediately after the assassination.

6. James Earl Ray's alibi for the time of the assassination his and other allegedly exculpatory evidence are story of "Raoul", not worthy of belief.

7. James Earl Ray knowingly intelligently and voluntarily pleaded guilty to the first degree murder of Dr King.

B. The committee believes on the basis of the circumstantial evidence available to it that there is a likelihood that James Earl Ray assassinated Dr Martin Luther King as a result of a conspiracy.

C. The committee believes on the basis of the evidence available to it that no private organizations or individuals other than those discussed under section B were involved in the assassination of Dr. King.

D. No Federal State or local government agency was involved in the assassination of Dr. King.

E. The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation performed with varying degrees of competency and legality in the fulfillment of their duties.

1. The Department of Justice failed to supervise adequately the Domestic Intelligence Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in the Domestic Intelligence Division's COINTELPRO campaign against Dr. King, grossly abused and exceeded its legal authority and failed to consider the possibility that actions threatening bodily harm to Dr. King might be encouraged by the program.

2. The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation performed a thorough investigation into the responsibility of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Dr King and conducted a thorough fugitive investigation but failed to investigate ade-

H.R 1828