</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 19 BSA CED. FED. NO. 17 800-00-08 USA CED ., No. 17 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO : SAC (157-664) ATT: Sept. 3. T. McCabe DATE: 4/30/68 FROM : SA O'Rtlin D. Fuehited SUBJECT: Markin Mr. R. Freeman, owner, Freeman Cleanser, 269 North A.N. washfield, Mass. advised that the laundry marke "20k-3" and "0'8-6" could not be from his cleaners. according to the code used by Freeman, the 3rd auget would be to the designated the braunk, in Freeman's carl, "W" (workfield), or'm "(m" (m) (mature) on "1" (fungfield) 157.6/4-229 Kirsty Vorte 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements, potential connections to laundry equipment serial numbers, and efforts to verify alibis related to the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Key activities include tracking Ray through sightings in Boston, such as a report by James Lewis on May 8, 1968, of a man resembling Ray near the War Memorial Auditorium. The FBI examined laundry machine serial numbers (e.g., 32146, 32151) and ownership records from companies like Pantex-Prosperity and Budget Cleaners to identify potential links to suspects or locations. Investigations also focused on individuals such as Earl B. Shields, a former motel employee in Massachusetts, and Donald Stout, a car rental operator linked to alleged thefts. Witness interviews included Robert Grims (reporting a suspicious individual near Boston City Hospital) and Morgan Gilbertson (liquor store manager). Laboratory analysis of laundry tags from Thermo-Seal machines at Newport Naval Base and Quonset Point found no matches with specimens recovered from MLK’s assassination scene. The FBI also explored Ray’s potential ties to the John Birch Society, contacting Robert Wilch for records, and tracked his alleged movements in Los Angeles and Massachusetts. Unrelated investigations into bank robberies in Bangor, Maine, were noted but not directly tied to MLK.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (accused in MLK’s assassination)  
- James Lewis (Boston resident reporting a man resembling Ray)  
- Earl B. Shields (former motel employee under investigation)  
- Donald Stout (car rental operator linked to alleged thefts)  
- Robert Grims (witness reporting suspicious individual near Boston City Hospital)  
- Morgan Gilbertson (liquor store manager contacted for information)  
- Josephine Butte (landlord providing details on Earl B. Shields)  
- Robert Wilch (John Birch Society director, contacted regarding Ray’s potential affiliations)  

Key Locations:  
- Boston, Massachusetts (War Memorial Auditorium, Logan Airport, Beacon Street areas, Randolph)  
- New York City (Great Neck, St. Albans)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (referenced in airtel communications)  
- Rochester, New York (Pantex-Prosperity Division)  
- Newport Naval Base, Rhode Island  
- Quonset Point, Rhode Island  
- Los Angeles, California (alleged bartending course and employment)  
- Bangor, Maine (unrelated bank robbery investigation)  

Key Events:  
- FBI investigation into James Earl Ray’s movements and alibis (May 1968)  
- Examination of laundry machine serial numbers and ownership records (Pantex-Prosperity, Budget Cleaners)  
- Interviews with witnesses and employees at hotels, car rental agencies, and liquor stores  
- Laboratory analysis of laundry tags from Thermo-Seal machines (Newport Naval Base, Quonset Point)  
- Inquiry into James Earl Ray’s potential ties to the John Birch Society  
- Tracking of Ray’s employment history and movements in Massachusetts and California  
- Investigation into unidentified corpses in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts (1966–1968)  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Pantex-Prosperity Division (laundry equipment company)  
- Budget Cleaners (New York City)  
- National Car Rentals (car rental agency linked to Donald Stout)  
- John Birch Society (contacted for information on Ray’s potential affiliations)  
- New Hampshire Department of Health  
- Maine State Police  
- Massachusetts Medical Examiners’ offices  
- Boston Police Department (Identification Section)

MLK Declassified Files

157-bs-644_hs1-852666761_178-02-part_3_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

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