Digitization of the National Civil Rights Museum's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassination Evidence Collection in Collaboration with Rhodes College

Material Description

The Evidence Collection provides a unique glimpse into the assassination of Dr. King, and has numerous items and documents that illuminate this tragic moment in American history. The collection is comprised of items collected in discovery by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Shelby County District Attorney and the Shelby County Clerk, which include various clippings from newspapers and other print publications. The collection contains criminal court documents in the case against James Earl Ray; both documents from the prosecution as well as the defense. Further, the collection has evidence provided by local authorities as well as reports by the FBI. The reports of the FBI provide a detailed account of both King and Ray’s movements up to that fateful day. In addition, there are numerous artifacts in the collection, including Ray’s clothes, personal items, and passports.