</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 18 USA PROPERTY OF (P) 181418 USA PROPERTIES OF (PA) 181818 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO Director, FBI (44-38861) DATE: 4/19/68 : : : SAC, Kansas City (44+38861] SUBJECT: MURKIN Enclosed to the Bureau are six copies and to each office one copy of the following photographs: office one Copy of the Following photographs: JAMES EARL RAY, Missouri Department of Correction: 400416, dated 3/17/60 and 9/8/66 WALTER TERRY RIFE, Kansas CITY SO #29636 FBI #5585766 Stand up photographs of RAY on the left, Kansas city SO #29836 #29367 and RIFF, KansasCity SO 29236, taken 3/28/35. 2 - Bureau (Encs. 24) (AM) 2 - Each Field Office (Ences. 4) (CAM) Y 2 - Kansas City (120) 17-6/11/10.3 MILITER, MOORETER, APR 21 1964 FRI-BOSTON make achiloto Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray (FBI No. 405,942 G), identified as Eric Starvo Galt, a fugitive linked to multiple crimes including burglary, robbery, and forgery. Ray’s criminal history includes prior convictions for operating a motor vehicle without permission, armed robbery, and other offenses. The FBI issued federal warrants charging him with conspiracy to interfere with civil rights (Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 241) in connection with the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., though his direct involvement in the assassination is not explicitly confirmed in the summaries. Ray’s identity was verified through latent fingerprints found at the scene of MLK’s assassination, leading to a press release confirming his association with the case. The FBI sought public assistance in locating him and coordinated with field offices across Boston, Memphis, New York City, and other locations. Investigations also examined hotel records, travel patterns, and aliases such as W.C. Herron, Harvey Lawyer, and James McBride. Additional inquiries included tracking Joseph Murphy’s son, Joséph Anthony Murpy, who traveled to Colorado Springs in April 1968, and reviewing textile machinery records linked to Thermo-Seal marking machines in Atlanta. Some documents contain garbled or unclear text, possibly due to OCR errors, including fragmented references to the MLK assassination and dates around April 1968.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray** (FBI No. 405,942 G): Identified as Eric Starvo Galt; fugitive with aliases including W.C. Herron, Harvey Lawyer, James McBride, and others.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Alias used by James Earl Ray; linked to a 1966 white Mustang registered in Atlanta and investigated for potential ties to the MLK assassination.  
- **Mario Croff**: Italian national connected to Galt; hotel and travel records reviewed by the FBI.  
- **Bruce Cochran**: Suspected alias for a fugitive linked to Florida and New Hampshire, investigated for possible ties to Galt.  
- **Joseph Murphy**: Father of Joséph Anthony Murpy, reported traveling to Colorado Springs in April 1968.  
- **Joséph Anthony Murpy**: Son of Joseph Murphy; described as a teacher-coach at Boston Technical High School.  
- **Lawrence Galt** (Brother): Relative of Eric Starvo Galt with an address in San Marino, CA.  
- **Alice Galt Marshall** (Aunt): Relative of Eric Starvo Galt with an address in Carmel, CA.  
- **Alexander Galt**: Retired librarian in Buffalo, NY; relative of Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **Clarence Galt**: Social worker in Springfield, MA; relative of Eric Starvo Galt.  

Key Locations:  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City)**: Ray’s former incarceration site; he fled in 1967.  
- **New York City**: Hotel registrations and phone records reviewed for Mario Croff.  
- **Boston, Massachusetts**: Hotel registrations, police inquiries, and connections to Joséph Anthony Murpy.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Linked to the MLK assassination investigation.  
- **Colorado Springs, Colorado**: Travel destination for Joséph Anthony Murpy.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Associated with Thermo-Seal marking machines and laundry operations.  
- **South Portland, Maine**: Involved in textile machinery records.  
- **San Marino, California**: Address of Lawrence Galt (Brother).  
- **Carmel, California**: Address of Alice Galt Marshall (Aunt).  
- **Buffalo, New York**: Address of Alexander Galt.  
- **Springfield, Massachusetts**: Address of Clarence Galt.  

Key Events:  
- **April 1968 press release**: Announcement that James Earl Ray was identified as Eric Starvo Galt via fingerprint evidence in the MLK assassination case.  
- **FBI warrants issued**: April 17, 1968, and July 20, 1967, charging Ray with civil rights conspiracy.  
- **Hotel records review**: Examination of stays at the Paramount Hotel (New York) and other locations to track Mario Croff and associates.  
- **Investigation into Joséph Anthony Murpy’s travel**: Inquiries into his April 1968 trip to Colorado Springs and alleged resemblance to Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **Textile machinery inquiries**: Requests to investigate purchase orders for Thermo-Seal marking machines linked to Atlanta laundry operations.  
- **Urgent directives**: FBI requests to distribute suspect photographs, maintain surveillance on "armed and dangerous" persons, and track Ray across borders.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations, issued warrants, coordinated field offices, and disseminated fugitive alerts.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Provided institutional records to verify Ray’s criminal history.  
- **U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)**: Reviewed records for Mario Croff and associates.  
- **Local police departments** (Boston, Memphis, South Portland): Provided information on suspects and criminal records.  
- **Ametek Corporation** and **Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc.**: Involved in machinery shipment inquiries.  
- **United States Department of Justice**: Implied through FBI directives related to civil rights conspiracy charges.

MLK Declassified Files

157-bs-644_hs1-852666761_178-01-part_7_of_9.pdf

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