</s>DO NOT DESTROY HISTORICAL VALUE PATIONAL ARCHIVES DO NOT DESTROY-PRESERVE FOR SELECT COMATITEE ON ASSASSENATIONS DO NOT DESTROY-PENDING LITIGATION C. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into multiple individuals linked to potential connections with Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination or threats against him. The first set of records focuses on Eric Stavvo Galt, identified as James Earl Ray, who was tracked for hotel stays in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (October 19–November 6, 1967), and subsequent visits to U.S. cities including Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and others. The FBI sought information on residents who stayed at the Hotel Rio during Galt’s residency, including names like Ralph B. Anderson and Mrs. E. N. Collins, Jr., and referenced Thermo-Seal laundry marking machines with serial numbers as part of tracking efforts. A second set of records involves Donald Stout, a suspect linked to threats against MLK Jr., investigated in April 1968 through car rental records, arrest in Berlin, New Hampshire, for operating an unregistered vehicle, and cross-referencing his description with surveillance photos. The investigation also explored potential connections between Stout and James Earl Ray, though no direct link was established. A third set of fragmented records references Galt’s alleged trip to the U.S. around Labor Day 1967 (August 30–September 3), with inquiries into Canadian merchant marine facilities, dance studios in Barger, Maine, and a lease payment of $150 in cash. Administrative forms and routing slips dated April 30, 1968, were noted alongside document retention policies.  

Key People  
- Eric Stavvo Galt (identified as James Earl Ray)  
- Ralph B. Anderson  
- Mrs. E. N. Collins, Jr.  
- Arthur Thome  
- Christine Colley  
- Donald Stout  
- Robert Gundey (National Car Rentals manager)  
- Lionel E. Pelletier (Maine resident with car registration)  
- Stewart Lindh (individual who rode with Stout to Kansas City, Missouri)  
- Clarence Galt (Civil War connection)  
- Thomas F. Sullivan  
- Harold N. Widener  
- SA R. Nadeau  
- SA REYNOL C.ROSS  

Key Locations  
- Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico (Hotel Rio, Hotel Tropicana 6)  
- Boston, Massachusetts  
- Dallas, Texas  
- Houston, Texas  
- Los Angeles, California  
- Sacramento, California  
- St. Louis, Missouri  
- San Francisco, California  
- Seattle, Washington  
- New Haven, Connecticut  
- Portland, Oregon  
- Concord, California  
- Framingham, Massachusetts  
- Watertown, Massachusetts  
- Cambridge, Massachusetts  
- Providence, Rhode Island  
- Quonset Point, R.I.  
- Brunswick, Maine  
- Montreal, Canada  
- Barger, Maine (42 Brooklyn St)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Eric Stavvo Galt’s movements and associations (1963–1968), including hotel stay records in Puerto Vallarta and U.S. cities  
- Search for Thermo-Seal laundry marking machine serial numbers linked to Galt  
- FBI field office inquiries into potential connections between Galt/Ray and the MLK assassination  
- Investigation into Donald Stout’s identity, car rental records, and arrest in Berlin, New Hampshire (April 1968)  
- Coordination across FBI offices to locate Stout and confirm his involvement in threats against MLK Jr.  
- Inquiries into Galt’s alleged trip to the U.S. around Labor Day 1967, including lease payment of $150 in cash  
- Review of dance studio records in Barger, Maine, and Canadian merchant marine facilities  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Field offices in Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, etc.  
- National Car Rentals  
- State police agencies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Indiana)  
- United States Secret Service  
- Canadian merchant marine and financial institutions (implied)  
- Laundromats and businesses using Thermo-Seal machines (e.g., Sparkle Cleaners, Dolphin Cleaners)  
- U.S. Government agencies (including SAC offices in Albany, Boston, etc.)

MLK Declassified Files

157-bs-644_hs1-852666761_178-02-part_1_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

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