</s>ME 44-1987 TOR: ngm 1 ROBERT LYNN POWELL, Doe Run, Missouri, was in prison at Jefferson City, Missouri. Doe Run. Missouri, from January, 1967, to February, 1968, at which time he knew JAMES EARLY EARLY only slightly. They both had worked in food service in the prison. They did both had worked for food service to the did not know any background nor in information concerning RAY'S escape. He did not consider himself a friend of RAY's and He further advised that RAYS' being somewhat of a loner resulted in no one being close to him. POWELL. had no idea of RAV'S present whereabouts. RAY PRUETT possesses Missouri State Penitentiary No. 2195 and is a Clerk in K Hall. He knew JAME'S EARL RAY well and visited him on occasion in the hall of the Missouri State Penitentary. He considered him a "neighbor." RAY had no ill feelings toward the Negro race and had no abnormal sexual habits. He first met RAY in St. Louis about 1959 and knew him all of the time they were in the penitentiary except for a brief period when he, PRUERTI, was on parole. 63 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail James Earl Ray's incarceration at Missouri state prisons from 1965 to 1968, including his time at Missouri State Penitentiary and Missouri Training School for Men. Inmates describe him as a quiet, solitary individual with escape plans involving prison work details or the Mexican Army, though no definitive evidence of his involvement in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination is provided. Ray's alleged sale of amphetamines to inmates and use of mechanical skills are noted. A speculative conversation about a bounty on MLK’s life occurred in Memphis, but this was deemed unfounded. Post-escape contact with inmates like Harry Sero and Charles Calvin Bookman (FBI #9929555) is mentioned, though no conclusive links to the assassination are established. The documents also reference FBI case number 443-A, which investigates MLK’s assassination, including Ray's arrest records for robbery and fugitive status from 1959–1968. Inconsistent witness accounts and administrative directives about report dissemination are noted. Fragmented records link Ray to Eric Stavro Galt, Charles Stein, Rita Stein, Marie Martin, and others, with travel routes between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and St. Louis. Financial transactions, voter registration efforts for George Wallace’s party, and alleged criminal activities such as burglary and forgery are detailed.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (also known as Joe C. Hester, Eric Starvo Galt)  
- Charles Stein (brother of Rita Stein)  
- Rita Stein (sister of Charles Stein)  
- Marie Martin (cocktail waitress at Sultan Room; met Galt and Stein)  
- Harry Sero (inmate in Memphis, Tennessee)  
- Charles Calvin Bookman (FBI #9929555, former inmate at Leavenworth)  
- Eric Stavro Galt (linked to Ray and Los Angeles/New Orleans activities)  
- John R. Keller (prisoner in Leavenworth; unclear context)  
- Walter Terry (imprisoned in Kansas; referenced with James May)  
- FBI agents (e.g., James McPherson, Joe C. Hester)  

Key Locations:  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, Missouri)  
- Missouri Training School for Men (Morrell, Missouri)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (speculative bounty conversation)  
- Los Angeles, California (Sultan Room, St. Francis Hotel)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (Provincetown Hotel, Royal Street)  
- St. Louis, Missouri (Ruby’s Bar, Haven Bar)  
- Leavenworth, Kansas (prison records for Bookman and Keller)  
- Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Ottawa, Mexico City  

Key Events:  
- Ray's incarceration at Missouri prisons (1965–1968) and escape attempts  
- Speculative conversation about a bounty on MLK’s life in Memphis  
- Travel routes between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and St. Louis with financial transactions  
- Voter registration efforts for George Wallace’s party in 1967  
- Alleged criminal activities: burglary, forgery, and parole violations  
- FBI case number 443-A investigating MLK’s assassination  
- Inconsistent witness accounts during interviews  
- Administrative directives on report dissemination and classification  

Key Organizations:  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- Missouri Training School for Men  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Postal Service (linked to forgery cases)  
- Memphis Police Department  
- Local law enforcement in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas  
- Administrative offices handling report classification and restrictions

MLK Declassified Files

157-ep-186_hs1-852950407_180-01-part_4_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search