</s>FBI DENVER FBI MEMPHIS 1014AM URGENT S-17-68 SAB TO DIRECTOR, ALBUQUERQUE, ATLANTA, BUTTE, DENVER, JACKSON, LAS VEGAS LITTLE JOCK MILWAUKES MINNEAPOLIS. MOBILEX, NEW ORLEANS, OKLAHOMA CITY, PHILADELPHIA, PHOENIX, PORTLAND, SACAMENTO, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE FROM MEMPHIIS 44-1937 2/2 MURKINS CIB 03: ME. KE BUKEAU TEL TO ANVE OFFICES, APRIL SIXTEEN, LAST. ALABAMA DRIVERS LICENSE OF EIC STAVO GALT LISTS DESCRIPTION OF W/M. WO.N. FIVE FEET ELEVEN INCHES, ONE SEVEN FIVE POUNDS, BLUE EYES, SHOWN HAIL. NEW ORLEAS COMPAE: DESCRIPTIONS OF FITY WHITE MALE'S CONTAINED ON LOUISIANA DRIVES. LICENSES AGAINST 4LATIOMA DIVER'S LICENSE DESCRIPTION AND ELIMINATE OBIVIOUS NON-IDENTS. LOCATE REMAINING PERSONS AND 15-7-203-122 OBITAIN ADEQUATE BACKGROUND AND ADDITIONAL IDENTIFYING DESIG: IPTIVE DATA SUITABLE FOR LOCATION AND LATENT MED INDEXED. COMPAISIONS BY IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. ASCENTAIN SERIALIZED. FIB1-DENVER LOCATION OF LICENSEDS DURING PEIINENT PERIOD OF THIS CASE. OTHER RECEIVING OFFICES SHOULD DU LIKEWISE IF. END PAGE ONE 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI records from 1963–1968 detailing investigations into Eric Starvo Galt (also known as Harvey Lowery, John Willard) as a suspect in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. The Bureau alleges Galt conspired with an individual he claimed was his brother to intimidate King, violating Title 18, Section 241 of the U.S. Code. A 30-06 rifle with a telescopic sight, purchased by Galt in Birmingham, Alabama on March 30, 1968, was found near a rooming house overlooking the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, where King stayed. The FBI also notes Galt owned a 1966 white Mustang abandoned in Atlanta, Georgia, and details his travel history, including trips to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Mexico, and Memphis. Galt is described as a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, and a nervous habit of pulling at his earlobe. The FBI released photographs of Galt for public identification, emphasizing his potential danger and urging immediate reporting. Additional records from April 1968 describe FBI efforts to track Galt’s movements through dance studios in Denver, Wyoming, and Atlanta, including checks for employment or attendance records. A suspect named Paul Hamilton Ledwell was arrested in Wyoming for a CCW charge; he claimed to be a jockey and possessed documents suggesting merchant marine ties. An anonymous tip described a man at the Lamar Hotel in Colorado matching the description of the person who shot King, identified as Donald Finch (180 lbs., brown hair). The FBI explored using NEODATA’s computer program to check Galt’s subscription status with Argosy Magazine and considered tracking his movements via media clippings. Some leads were dismissed as false or unverified, including claims by cabbies in Atlanta and a landlord in Birmingham about Galt’s presence.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt** (also known as Harvey Lowery, John Willard) – central figure of the investigation; no confirmed records found at dance studios.  
- **Paul Hamilton Ledwell** – arrested in Wyoming for CCW charge; claimed to be a jockey and merchant seaman.  
- **Donald Finch** – described by an anonymous caller as the suspect who shot King, staying at Lamar Hotel in Colorado.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover** (FBI Director)  
- **Attorney General Ramsey Clark**  
- **SA Andrew P. Bugag**, **SA Wallace G. Mague**, **Alvin W. Berry**, **Ranche A. Whittle** – FBI agents involved in the investigation.  
- **Mr. F. Mark**, **Mrs. Irene Kurtz**, **Richard Kurtz** – dance studio managers and staff contacted regarding Galt’s records.  
- **Frank H. Holloman** – mentioned as director of fire and police in Birmingham, Alabama.  
- **William Huston** – identified as chief of detectives in Denver, Colorado, associated with Galt’s case.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (Lorraine Hotel, South Main Street rooming house)  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** (gun dealer, First National Bank of Cripple Creek; landlord’s account of Galt renting a room)  
- **Denver, Colorado** (dance studios [Arthur Murray, Fred Astaire], FBI offices)  
- **Laramie, Wyoming** – Ledwell’s arrest location.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia** (media clippings and cabbies’ claims about Galt’s presence; abandoned Mustang discovery)  
- **Colorado Springs, Colorado** (various law enforcement agencies, credit bureaus)  
- **Los Angeles, New Orleans, Mexico** – locations tied to Galt’s travel history.  

Key Events  
- FBI contacted Denver dance studios (April 15–16, 1968) to check for records of Galt or others linked to him.  
- Paul Ledwell arrested in Wyoming (April 17, 1968); his possession of merchant marine documents and cryptic notes about “GALT” noted.  
- Anonymous tip about Donald Finch at Lamar Hotel (April 17, 1968), leading to FBI request for local authorities to verify his identity.  
- NEODATA’s computer program proposed to check Galt’s Argosy Magazine subscription status (April 15–17, 1968).  
- Discovery of the 30-06 rifle near the Lorraine Hotel post-assassination.  
- Purchase and abandonment of Galt’s white Mustang in Atlanta.  
- FBI efforts to track Galt’s movements and employment history between cities like Denver, Memphis, and Birmingham.  
- FBI release of photographs of Galt for public identification (April 17, 1968).  
- Investigation into Galt’s alleged conspiracy to intimidate Dr. King (March 29, 1963 – April 5, 1968).  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** – central to the investigation, coordinating with other offices and agencies.  
- **NEODATA** – used for computerized subscription checks to track potential suspects.  
- **Local Law Enforcement (e.g., Lamar Hotel, Denver Offices)** – requested to verify leads on Finch and Galt.  
- **Locksmithing Institute Records**, **Superior Bulk Film Company** – referenced in Galt’s background checks.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice (Attorney General Ramsey Clark)** – involved in the investigation.

MLK Declassified Files

157-dn-203_617806_43-02-part_4_of_5.pdf

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