US President Donald Trump ordered the declassification of all remaining records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, fulfilling a long-standing promise. The move was formalised through an executive order, which also called for the release of files concerning the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The comprehensive results of governmental probes into these three assassinations remained concealed for many years, leading to extensive conjecture and denying numerous Americans a chance to find closure. These prominent figures were renowned both domestically and globally, and their murders – along with the surrounding speculations – have been extensively documented in literature, films, debates and historical records.
“A lot of people were waiting for this . . . for years, for decades,” said Trump while authorising the documents’ release. “Everything will be revealed.”
So, here’s a brief on the stories behind the assassinations of the three political leaders that has intrigued people for decades:
Assassination of John F Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy, celebrated for his charismatic leadership and crucial role during the nuclear crisis, met his tragic end in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. He was killed while travelling in an open-top vehicle during a presidential motorcade through the city centre, as he acknowledged the crowd of supporters.
The authorities apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald within sixty minutes of the incident. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when Oswald was fatally shot during a live television broadcast whilst being moved to county detention, merely 48 hours after his arrest. The Warren Commission, officially titled the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, determined that Jack Ruby, who shot Oswald, had acted independently and spontaneously. Similarly, they concluded that Oswald had operated without accomplices.
The nation plunged into profound grief following Kennedy’s assassination, as citizens grappled to comprehend the tragedy. The event continues to generate new information, spawning countless literary works and documentaries.
Many individuals reject the commission’s findings, viewing them as a governmental attempt to conceal the truth. Alternative theories about Kennedy’s death implicate various entities, from Cuban involvement – considering the nuclear missile crisis – to the CIA, , as reported by USA Today.
The numerous speculations surrounding Kennedy’s assassination, including debates about the number of shooters and bullets, became so deeply embedded in American consciousness that they were even referenced in the popular television programme Seinfeld.
Assassination of Robert F Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy, whilst not reaching the political prominence of his elder brother, earned widespread admiration for his dedication to civil rights advocacy. His roles included serving as attorney general during his brother’s presidency and later as a senator. His life was cut short in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968 during the California Democratic primary, shortly after announcing his bid for presidency.
On that fateful election evening, Kennedy waited for results in an Ambassador Hotel suite. After addressing his supporters in the hotel ballroom, he proceeded through the kitchen, having been informed it provided a shorter route to the press area.
The incident occurred when Sirhan Sirhan fatally shot him whilst he was greeting a hotel busboy. Sirhan continues to serve his prison sentence to this day.
Some individuals suspect that the forces responsible for the elder Kennedy’s death were also behind the former senator’s assassination.
Robert F Kennedy Jr, selected by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has consistently argued that Sirhan was not his father’s actual killer. He contends that Sirhan’s shots missed and that his father was actually shot by someone with CIA connections.
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
The Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968 while standing on the balcony of his Memphis, Tennessee motel room.
The minister from Atlanta was in the city to support striking workers. As he prepared to dine at a local minister’s residence that evening, he was hit. Whilst conversing with associates in the car park below his room, he was struck in the face by a bullet. The perpetrator, James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old fugitive, admitted to the shooting and received a 99-year prison sentence.
Subsequently, Ray attempted to retract his confession, claiming he was framed by an individual called Raoul. Until his death in 1998, he maintained his innocence in King’s murder.
According to the Department of Justice, both a Memphis pub proprietor and an ex-FBI agent independently identified a person named Raoul as the orchestrator of the assassination.
Twenty-five years after the incident, Loyd Jowers, who owned a Memphis tavern, stated he was involved in a mafia-connected plot to assassinate King. The Justice Department reported that Jowers also implicated Memphis police and Raoul in the killing.
In 1998, Donald Wilson, a former FBI agent, revealed that following MLK’s death, he discovered documents in Ray’s vehicle mentioning Raoul and individuals connected to the Kennedy assassination. According to the Justice Department cited by USA Today, Wilson claimed these papers were stolen by someone who later worked in the White House.
