Justice Department Statement On MLK Investigation
The following statement was issued by the Justice Department Wednesday announcing the investigation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination:
"Attorney General Janet Reno today announced that the Justice Department will
conduct an inquiry into certain allegations regarding the 1968 assassination of
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The inquiry will review allegations raised by former FBI agent Donald Wilson
and former Memphis bar owner, Lloyd Jowers, suggesting that there may have been
an assassination conspiracy broader than James Earl Ray. The evidence gathered
during the inquiry will be followed wherever it may lead.
"Even if the allegations were proven true, federal prosecutions may be barred
because the relevant statutes of limitations have expired. But federal law
gives the Attorney General the power to conduct an investigation to detect
whether criminal activity took place, even if prosecutions are not possible.
"The decision to open the inquiry follows a Justice Department review of
information presented by Mrs. Coretta Scott King and others. Attorney General
Reno met with them April 8 at the request of President Clinton.
"We hope this review will provide answers to new questions that have been
raised about a tragedy that still haunts our nation," said Reno.
"The King assassination was investigated in 1977-78 by the House Select
Committee on Assassinations, and again in 1997-98 by the Memphis District Attorney's office.
"The inquiry will be overseen by the Department's Civil Rights Division, with
support from the Criminal Division. Barry Kowalski, who prosecuted the
officers who beat Rodney King, will serve as the led attorney investigating the
allegations. Depending on its findings, Reno said that the Justice Department
would consider what further action might be appropriate. She added that the
Department will issue a report outlining its findings."
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