</s>ME 44-1987 IV. PRISON INMATES AND ASSOCIATES 46 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents contain fragmented witness statements, prison records, and FBI fingerprint data related to individuals associated with James Earl Ray (JER) and activities in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Missouri during 1967–1968. Key figures include JER, ERIC STAVO GALT, MARIE MARTIN, RITA STEIN, CHARLES J. STEIN, and JEROME WILLIS VERNON. JER was incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where inmates described his drug trafficking, escape attempts, and alleged racism. References to a potential bounty for killing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were noted in prison conversations but not confirmed as evidence of involvement. FBI records detail JER’s criminal history, including arrests for burglary, robbery, and forgery between 1946 and 1969. GALT is linked to travel between New Orleans and Los Angeles with the STEIN family, political activity under GEORGE WALLACE’s party, and transactions involving a television set and laundry services.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Central figure; incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary; described as racist, secretive, and involved in prison drug networks.  
- **ERIC STAVO GALT**: Associated with MARIE MARTIN, RITA STEIN, and CHARLES J. STEIN; traveled between New Orleans and Los Angeles; traded a television set with MARIE MARTIN on February 14, 1968.  
- **MARIE MARTIN**: Resided at St. Francis Hotel, Los Angeles; engaged in trade with GALT.  
- **RITA STEIN**: Sister of CHARLES J. STEIN; provided details about GALT’s travels and possessions.  
- **CHARLES J. STEIN**: Brother of RITA STEIN; traveled with GALT from New Orleans to Los Angeles.  
- **JEROME WILLIS VERNON**: Laundry business owner in Los Angeles; reported GALT as a customer with similar laundry markings.  
- **Charles Calvin Bookman**: Linked to FBI tracking and alleged contact with JER in 1968.  
- **Billy Brown, Richard Beaman, Julius Maurice Block, Carl Drake, Walter W. Holan, Howard Nunn, Floyd Evans Hill, John Edward Johnson**: Inmates at Missouri State Penitentiary who described JER’s behavior, drug use, and escape attempts.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City)**: Primary incarceration site for JER; hub for prison drug trafficking and smuggling.  
- **Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary (Kansas)**: Where JER served time alongside Charles Calvin Bookman.  
- **St. Francis Hotel, Los Angeles**: Associated with MARIE MARTIN and GALT’s residence.  
- **Sultan Room, Los Angeles**: Regular gathering place for GALT.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana** (specifically the 1000 block of Charter Street, Provincetown Hotel): Linked to GALT’s travel and activities.  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Birthplace of JAMES EARL RAY.  

Key Events  
- **Escape Attempts (April 1967)**: Inmates described methods JER allegedly used to escape, including smuggling contraband via bread boxes.  
- **Prison Drug Networks**: JER and associates sold amphetamines ("bennies") to other inmates; some received sentences for this activity.  
- **Racial Prejudice**: Multiple accounts note JER’s expressed hatred toward Black individuals, with one inmate claiming he “hated Negroes.”  
- **Alleged Contact with FBI**: Charles Calvin Bookman claimed to receive a phone call from JER in 1968, though inconsistencies were noted.  
- **Registration for GEORGE WALLACE’s Political Party (1967)**: GALT and others registered to vote for Wallace’s party in California.  
- **Travel Between Los Angeles and New Orleans (December 1967)**: GALT, STEIN family, and associates traveled between cities; GALT carried a yellow-and-black Kodak camera box during the trip.  
- **FBI Fingerprint Records (1946–1969)**: Detail JER’s arrests for burglary, robbery, and forgery.  

Key Organizations  
- **Black Muslim Groups**: Mentioned as sources of tension within prisons, with some prisoners involved in conflicts with Black Muslim leaders.  
- **International School of Bartending**: Linked to ERIC STAVO GALT.  
- **Home Service Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company**: Operated by JEROME WILLIS VERNON; associated with GALT’s laundry transactions.  
- **FBI Identification Division**: Provided fingerprint records for JAMES EARL RAY, including his birthplace (Alton, Illinois) and physical description (5'10", 163–174 pounds).

MLK Declassified Files

157-dn-203_617806_44-03-part_6_of_7.pdf

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