JFK & MLK Were Likely Victims of Separate Conspiracies – Key Questions Unanswered

In December 1978, the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded in its official final report that both President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were “probably assassinated as a result of conspiracy” — a historic break from earlier government conclusions.

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For JFK, while affirming Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shots, the committee cited “scientific acoustical evidence” suggesting the involvement of a second gunman. However, the Committee failed to identify the second shooter or the extent of the conspiracy. 

It definitively ruled out involvement by the Soviet or Cuban governments, organized crime syndicates, and U.S. federal agencies, while leaving open the door that individual actors from these circles may have played a role.

Regarding Dr. King’s assassination, James Earl Ray was confirmed as the shooter, yet the Committee pointed to circumstantial evidence suggesting a broader plot. 

Despite this, it found no institutional involvement from federal, state, or local authorities. Crucially, the HSCA criticized the FBI for its “gross abuse” of power under COINTELPRO, highlighting their harassment of Dr. King, which may have indirectly contributed to a climate of violence.

The final report, initially embargoed and released on December 31, 1978, recommended sweeping reforms in federal homicide law, jurisdictional clarity, and enhanced protection for public figures — many of which remain debated or unfulfilled. 

The Committee’s inability to fully unravel the conspiracies reflects enduring limitations in America’s quest for transparency and justice.