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Primary sourceDocument4 April 1968

X-ray of Martin Luther King Jr. After His Assassination

Dr. Jerry T. Francisco · 4 April 1968

A chest X-ray taken of King after his death on April 4, 1968, showing bullet fragments, before his autopsy.

This X-ray documents the physical aftermath of King's assassination, taken just after his death.

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Black-and-white chest X-ray with a label reading 'St. Joseph Hospital' along the bottom. Bright, scattered metal fragments are visible in the upper chest near the spine and collarbone area, with a larger bright fragment to the right.
Chest X-ray of Martin Luther King Jr., taken by Dr. Jerry T. Francisco, April 4, 1968. St. Joseph Hospital.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white chest X-ray of Martin Luther King Jr., made at St. Joseph Hospital on April 4, 1968, by Dr. Jerry T. Francisco. It was taken after King's death but before his autopsy.

Why it matters

This medical document records the moment of King's assassination in clinical, factual form. It shows bright metal fragments in his upper chest near the spine and collarbone, physical evidence of the shooting that ended his life and shook the civil rights movement.

Look closer

  • What does this image show that a photograph of the scene could not?
  • Why might a medical record like this be kept and preserved as a historical document?
  • How does seeing this object change how you think about King's death compared to just reading about it?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther King Jr. on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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