Nationwide — The family of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has expressed hope to review declassified records about his assassination before their public release. This follows President Trump’s executive order to release documents related to the assassinations of King and other prominent political figures.
In a statement, the King family expressed their wish to examine the files privately before they are shared with the public.
“Today, our family has learned that President Trump has ordered the declassification of the remaining records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and our father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release,” said the statement, according to Atlanta News First.
Dr. King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, outside a motel in Memphis, Tennessee while in town supporting striking sanitation workers. James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the crime but later recanted, claiming innocence until his death.
Documents from the FBI have revealed their surveillance of King, including wiretapping his phone and bugging his hotel rooms. This controversial conduct was explored in the recent documentary “MLK/FBI.” The official release date for the records is yet to be determined.