</s>PAGE THREE IN SEPTEMBER, 1966, WHILE SERVING THIS SENTENCE, HE WAS CONFINED FOR A TIME IN THE MAXIMUM SECURITY WARD AT THE STATE HOSPITAL AT FULTON, MISSOURI. ACCORDING TO MR. HOOVER, RAY HAS A KNOWN ARREST RECORD DATING BACK TO 1949. PRIOR TO THE 1960 CONVICTION FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED THE 20-YEAR TERM. PRION TO THE1960 CONVICION FOR BURGLARY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, IN 1949! ARMED ROBBERY IN CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, IN 1952; AND FORGING UNITED STATES POSTAL HONEY ORDERS IN MISSOURL IN 1955. HE HAS SERVED TERMS IN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAIL IN 1949) IN STATE PRISONES AT JOLIET AND PONTIAC, ILLINOIS. IN 1958-54 AND IN THE FEDERAL PENTENTIARY AT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. IN 1955-58- RAY WAS AN ENLISTED MAN IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY FROM FEBRUARY. 1946. TO DECEMBER. 1948, AT WHICH TIME HE WAS GIVEN A GENERAL DISCHARGE DUE TO INDEPENESS AND LACK OF ADAPTABILITY FOR MILITARY SERVICE. WHILE IN THE ARMY. HE RECEIVED A THREE-MONTH SENTENCE AT HARD LABOR FOR BEING DRUNK AND BREAKING ARRENT. MR. HOODER SAID THAT DRUNG HIS CRIMINAL CAREER. RAY HAS ALSO USED THE NAMES OF JAMES MCBRIDE, JAMES WALTON, W. C. HERRON AND JAMES O'CONNER. HE IS A WHITE MALES CLAIMS TO HAVE 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains two distinct segments detailing FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s activities and potential connections to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The first segment outlines FBI efforts to locate Ray following his escape from Missouri State Hospital in April 1967, noting his criminal history, aliases (including Eric Starvo Galt), and alleged involvement in the 1968 assassination. It references military records, criminal activities in Illinois, California, and Missouri, and details FBI operations in El Paso, Kansas City, Memphis, and Birmingham, including tracking methods like laundry machine markings and fingerprint comparisons. A federal complaint was filed against Ray in April 1968 charging him with MLK’s murder. The second segment includes a Spanish-language telegram from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, signed by Alejandro Rivera, claiming knowledge of the assassin and providing a phone number (3-26-85). The FBI Phoenix office directed El Paso and Memphis divisions to investigate due to proximity to Hermosillo. Fragmented Spanish-language newspaper clippings reference “Conspiración en el Asesinato de Luther King” (Conspiracy in the Assassination of Luther King) and mention Galt, John Willard, and FBI activities in Birmingham. Some text is garbled or non-English, possibly due to transcription errors.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (also known as Eric Starvo Galt): Convicted criminal, fugitive linked to MLK’s assassination; escaped Missouri State Hospital in April 1967.  
- **Walter Terry Rife**: Alleged associate of Ray with a history of burglary and prison time.  
- **FBI Agents**: Including W. J. W. Hooten (author), Special Agent in Charge for El Paso, Birmingham, Memphis, and Kansas City; William A. Kitchen (U.S. Attorney for Western District of Missouri).  
- **Alejandro Rivera**: Sender of a Spanish-language telegram claiming knowledge of MLK’s assassin.  
- **Dick Kaiser**: Individual associated with Hermosillo, Mexico, mentioned in the context of the telegram.  
- **John Willard**: Referenced in FBI communications.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Hospital (Fulton, Missouri)**: Site of Ray’s incarceration and escape in April 1967.  
- **El Paso, Texas**: Central to FBI operations and witness reports; linked to Hermosillo, Mexico via the telegram.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Site of Ray’s alleged criminal activities and FBI investigations.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Linked to MLK’s assassination and FBI investigative efforts.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Mentioned in FBI communications and potential connections to Galt.  
- **Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico**: Location of the Spanish-language telegram and alleged tip about MLK’s assassin.  

Key Events  
- **April 1967**: James Earl Ray escaped from Missouri State Hospital.  
- **April 1968**: FBI issued warrants for Ray’s capture, linking him to MLK’s assassination; federal complaint filed against him for the murder.  
- **March 1955**: Ray and Walter Terry Rife burglarized a U.S. Post Office in Kellerville, Illinois, stealing postal money orders.  
- **April 1968**: FBI instructed El Paso and Memphis divisions to investigate a Spanish-language telegram from Hermosillo, Mexico, claiming knowledge of MLK’s assassin.  
- **Publication of fragmented Spanish-language newspaper clippings**: Referencing conspiracy theories surrounding MLK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Conducted investigations, issued warrants, coordinated with local agencies, and directed operations in El Paso, Memphis, and Phoenix.  
- **U.S. Postal Service**: Mentioned in Ray’s criminal history (forgery of postal money orders).  
- **Missouri Department of Correction**: Documented Ray’s incarceration and release under Executive Order 14176.  
- **Immigration Inspectors** (e.g., Gerald J. Oconor, G. V. McDonald): Involved in tracking fugitives like Ray.  
- **Local newspapers** (references to “El Fronterizo,” “El Mexicano”): Published fragmented Spanish-language clippings referencing conspiracy theories.

MLK Declassified Files

157-ep-186_hs1-852950407_179-02-part_2_of_7.pdf

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