Chairman doubts whole truth came out in King inquiry
(API — In 197H, Walter Fnuntrov spoke proudly of the
congressional inquiry he helper! oversee into the assas
sination of the Rev. Martin I.other King |r . with its dozens
of hearings, scores of witnesses and 4H7 trips by inves
tigators to track loads in five countries.
The far-ranging effort by the House Select Committee
on Assassinations was well worth it. Fauntroy said then
"The American people want to know that their govern
ment is telling them the whole truth." he said
Today, however, he doubts the whole truth came out.
Fauntroy has joined historians and researchers in ( ail
ing for a new and independent re-investigation of what
happened in Memphis 25 years ago Sunday.
"I'm not out to prosecute anyone." said the former chair
man of the subcommittee examining King's death "I'm
looking for the truth."
Fauntroy's concern grew not from any newly discov
ered "smokinggun" evidence, but from what he called a
troubling "plethora of new information" — notably for
mer FBI Director | Fdgar Hoover s hatred and harassment
of King and reported U S Army spy mg on the civil rights
movement.
"I feel that a very determined effort was made bv the
FBI to — I want to choose my words very carefully — to
prevent oun ommittee from conducting a thorough invex
ligation of the assassination." he said. "Not the FBI
operatives in the FBI."
Thousands of pages of documents that the assassina
tions committee received from the FBI wore partially
blacked out. Fauntroy said. oIim uring information he now
believes may hold t int's
"There's been just loo much secrecy." said Hob Fdgar.
another format assassinations committal member who
now supports a re-investigation
For nearly a quarter i entury. despite James Far I Ra\ s
imprisonment for King's murder, rest1 art hers have said
the same Still, the King case often was lost in the glare
trained on President John F Kennedy's assassination,
which the committee also Investigated
Now. tin* spotlight may he turning bat k to Memphis.
Airing Sunday night is an HHO cable network spat nil
in who h Ray. who pleadetl guilty as King s killer and
ever sint e has sought a trial to disprove it. finalK gets bis
day in "court." A mock trial on the murder charge was
filmed in a Memphis courtroom, using the prose
cutor's file that Ray sued to open
From the beginning, some have suspts toil that Ray was
at most a bit player in a conspiracy.
Arthur Manes Sr and Jr . his first lawyers, said tune has
not erased their many reasons for doubting Ray s guilt
from his own statements to inconclusive ballistics evi
dence "The i emulative efTei t of all of it is just conqielling
to us." said Manes Jr , now on Alabama judge
Some investigators insist that government files sealed
until Jtts!1*. to protect confidential sources and individ
uals' privot y, could help point to people with answers
"Not only are there unpursued leads but there are
definitely clues in there tor expanding the datalwse." said
Philip Melanson. a scholar on politit id violent e who has
called for unsealing the files and urged appointment of a
special prosit utor
Hut Harold Sawyer, another former committee mem
ber. notes that no criminal investigation answers even
question
"There are always loose ends." said Sawyer, who as a
lawyer defended and prosecuted murder cases "It nev
er works out like it does on TV
Ultimately, he com luded Kay was the triggerman. he
said, partly because Rav did not take up Sawyer's offer to
intercede to get Ins senteiu *' reiiui ed if he would provide
evident e leading to tun other i onspirators
1'he c ircumstantial case against Kay seems over
whelming.
No one disputes that Kay. a petty c riminal w ith numer
ous arrests for nonviolent property t rimes, was in Mem
phis when king was killed 11 is fingerprint was found on
a rifle at the si one
Kav at knowledges he rented a room in the flophouse
from whtc h authorities say the single it) ut> rifle shot yvas
fired, and that he drove a while Mustang like one
dest tilled as leay mg the sc ene
Hut he maintains he yvas set up hv a man knoyvn to him
only as Raoul," who gave Kay instrui lions to buy the car
and yyeapon and thousands of dollars to pay tor them
and direc ted his movements ai ross the l Suited Stales
and in ( anada and Mexii o in the months leading up to
the assassination
Kav denies he fired the shot 1 ie pleaded guilty. he c on
tends, only liei ause of the duress of eight months of soli
tary confinement
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