</s>0.9 (ft. 5:22:84) FBI Date: May 10, 1968 Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) Via Airtel (Priority) To: All SACS LEGATS, Mexico City Kifrom Director, FBI Ottawa MURKIN For your information and investigative assistance, subject James Earl Ray took a bartending course in Los Angeles, California, during the early part of 1968, and prior to his departing Los Angeles, in March of 1968. he made several telephone calls to country clubs in an effort to obtain employment. This should be borne in mind in covering leads in connection with this and other cases. Armed and Dangerous. ASAC Maveri Am Gorman 157-186-28R Dickin Sent Via M Per 2020 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts into James Earl Ray’s potential involvement in Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Key findings include Ray’s enrollment in a bartending course in Los Angeles during early 1968 and his prior telephone calls to country clubs before March 1968. The FBI sought state-level records of unidentified deceased individuals from April–June 1968 to identify potential matches for Ray. Carl Ray, a possible look-alike, was investigated for travel to Texas and associations with unknown contacts. William A. Marshall in San Diego was linked to Ray through physical descriptions and financial activities involving a $50,000 home purchase contract and automobile transactions. Frank Brickley of Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a criminal record, was connected to Samuel Lewis, alleged to have provided information to the Los Angeles Times. The FBI requested prison records reviews and recent photographs for identification purposes. Additional inquiries included cross-checking phone numbers associated with Paul Diaz/Diez in Indiana and law enforcement coordination across multiple states.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin)  
- Carl Ray (potential look-alike)  
- William A. Marshall (San Diego, linked to Ray via physical description)  
- Frank Brickley (Chattanooga, Tennessee; criminal record)  
- Samuel Lewis (alleged informant for Los Angeles Times)  
- Paul Diaz/Diez (Indiana, associated with Ray’s activities)  

Key Locations:  
- Los Angeles, California  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- San Diego, California  
- Chattanooga, Tennessee  
- Milltown, Indiana  
- Tell City, Indiana  
- Muncie, Indiana  

Key Events:  
- FBI investigation into Ray’s employment history and movements (1968)  
- Search for unidentified deceased individuals from April–June 1968  
- Inquiry into Carl Ray’s associations and travel to Texas  
- Examination of William A. Marshall’s financial transactions and vehicle purchase attempts  
- Review of Frank Brickley’s prison records and potential identity as Samuel Lewis  
- Cross-checking phone numbers and call logs across multiple states  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare  
- State Bureau of Vital Statistics (various states)  
- Local law enforcement agencies (e.g., Memphis, San Diego, Indiana)

MLK Declassified Files

157-ep-186_hs1-852950407_179-04-part_6_of_9.pdf

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