</s>JN 157-9586 RPM/bdb 1 The following investigation was conducted by SA ROBERT P. WOMACK: On April 11, 1968, the names of JOHN WILLARD, HARVEY LOWNEY, HARVEY HAYLEY, MYMVER and ERIC STARVO GALT were checked with the individuals listed, and no pertinent information was developed: POLLY GATEWOOD State Bank and Trust Company Collins, Mississippi (GATEWOOD searched records of this bank branch in/seminary, Mississippi also.) J. VIRGINI SERIES Circuit Clerk and Voter Registrar Covington County, Mississippi DIANNE HALL Motor Vehicle License Records Sheriff's Office Covingtons County, Mississippi Deputy CHARLES DRENNAN Covingston County, Missouri Sheriff's Office Covingtown County, MISSISSIPPI Real Estate Tax Rolls CovingTON County, Mississippi SONIA HERRIN Credit Bureau Covingdon County and Jeff Davis County Mrs. CHRISTINE DICKSON Mount Olive Bank Mount Olive, Mississippi CARROLL WILLIAMS Bank of Blountville Prentiss, Mississippi 30 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
Federal investigative efforts in April 1968 focused on verifying the identities and activities of individuals linked to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Agents reviewed records from Mississippi counties including Covington, Smith, Jasper, Greene, Perry, Forrest, Union, and Lafayette, as well as entities like credit bureaus, motor vehicle registration offices, voter databases, and Selective Service boards. Names such as JOHN WILLARD, HARVEY LOWNEY, ERIC STARVO GALT, and others were scrutinized for arrest records, utility registrations, marriage/divorce filings, and voter data. No confirmed records were found for these individuals. Additional FBI inquiries in 1968 tracked Thomas Joseph Cox through hotel records and family interviews, requested driver’s license data for individuals born on July 20, 1931, investigated passport applications for John Alan Feduccia and Charles Walker (both affiliated with the University of Michigan), and explored connections between James Earl Ray and potential Minutemen cell activity in Missouri State Penitentiary. A separate investigation examined ERIC STARVO GALT’s presence in Gulfport, Mississippi, and JOHN RAY WILLARD’s alibi during the assassination period, including flight logs from Natchez Flying Service and employment records. All searches yielded no conclusive evidence linking these individuals to MLK’s assassination.  

Key People  
- John Willard (subject of investigation; confirmed as Field Superintendent of Natchez Grazel Company)  
- Harvey Lowney  
- Eric Starvo Galt (investigated in Gulfport, Mississippi, and linked to MLK case)  
- John Alan Feduccia (University of Michigan associate with passport application history)  
- Charles Walker (University of Michigan associate; passport details reviewed)  
- James Earl Ray (fugitive suspect in MLK assassination case; linked to Minutemen cell activity)  
- Robert P. Womack, Lester L. Amanni, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Edgar C. Fortenberry, Robin O. Cotten, Reesie L. Timmons (investigators)  
- Mrs. Eva Willard (wife of John Ray Willard; confirmed alibi for husband during assassination period)  
- Christopher Cumbs (pilot at Natchez Flying Service)  
- Cletus Seale (neighbor of John Ray Willard; reported sightings of him fishing)  

Key Locations  
- Covington County, Mississippi  
- Smith County, Mississippi  
- Jasper County, Mississippi  
- Greene County, Mississippi  
- Perry County, Mississippi  
- Forrest County, Mississippi  
- Union County, Mississippi  
- Lafayette County, Mississippi  
- Leakesville, Mississippi  
- New Augusta, Mississippi  
- Coffeeville, Mississippi  
- Gulfport, Mississippi (port authorities and tugs investigated)  
- Natchez, Mississippi (Natchez Flying Service, Adams County officials, airport)  
- Homestead National Forest (location of turkey hunting activities)  
- Houston, Texas (Hotel De George; Thomas Joseph Cox’s last known address)  
- New Jersey (Sommerdale; Cox’s mother’s residence)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (linked to Minutemen cell activity)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (Corvair convertible sighting)  

Key Events  
- April 10–15, 1968: FBI agents reviewed telephone directories, voter registration records, motor vehicle registrations, credit bureau files, and Selective Service records across Mississippi counties.  
- Searches for individuals like ERIC STARVO GALT, JOHN WILLARD, and others in jurisdictions such as Covington County, Smith County, and Union County found no matches.  
- FBI requested Mississippi driver’s license data for individuals born on July 20, 1931, as part of a broader investigation.  
- Passport applications for John Alan Feduccia and Charles Walker (University of Michigan associates) were reviewed, including travel plans and prior passport histories.  
- Leads on James Earl Ray’s potential connection to Minutemen cell activity in Missouri State Penitentiary and sightings of a man resembling Ray in a Corvair convertible near New Orleans.  
- Examination of flight logs from Natchez Flying Service to determine JOHN RAY WILLARD’s movements around April 4, 1968; Mrs. Eva Willard confirmed his alibi for turkey hunting and flying activities between March 29–April 8, 1968.  

Key Organizations  
- Circuit Clerk’s Office (various Mississippi counties)  
- Sheriff’s Office (various Mississippi counties)  
- Motor Vehicle Registration Bureau  
- Credit Bureaus (e.g., Oxford, McComb)  
- Selective Service Board  
- Mississippi Employment Security Commission  
- Local Union 891 (Teamsters)  
- U.S. Post Office  
- Water and Power Departments  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol (cooperated on driver’s license records)  
- University of Michigan (linked to Feduccia and Walker’s academic ties)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (associated with Minutemen cell activity)  
- Musician’s and Longghoremen’s unions (involved in locating Ray-related suspects)  
- Gulfport State Port Authority  
- Natchez Flying Service Incorporated  
- Adams County, Mississippi (police, motor license bureau, public health department)

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427b-02-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search