</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 5-10-68 560 RD RAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATI WASHINGTON, D.C ., 2057 Director. 4 The following FBI record. NUMBER: 5:3 167 B is furnished FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY. All descriptive factors (if any) furnished by you match those in our identification file unless herein quoted. DESCRIPTION AND RELATED DATA: Race: White Since neither fingerprints nor an Sex: male Identifying jamber which is indexed in our files accompanied your request. Height: 5-0 FBI carries guarantee in any manner, Weight: 200 that this material concerns the individual in whom you are interested. Hair: black eyes: green Date and Place of Birth: Tupelo, Miss Scars & Marks: tattoo left forearm bird & word Mamma, pit ser it side face Address: in 1968-Tupelo, Mississippi. Occupation: farmer Information shown on this Identification Record represents data furnished FBI by fingerprint contributors. Where final disposition is not shown or further explanation of charge is desired, com- municipate with agency contributing those fingerprints in FBI files but are listed only as investi- Notations indicated by a "are NOT based on fingerprints in this record. getive leads as being possibly identical with subject of this record." 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between bootlegging operations in Mississippi and threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Robert Wayne Phillips, a farmer in Tupelo, Mississippi, provided information to the Chicago FBI office about illegal "booze" activities, including claims that Carl Murphy Jr., a known bootleg whiskey operator, hired J.W. Riley to kill James "Grubby" Grubbs. Local authorities believed Murphy would retaliate against anyone infringing on his bootleg business. Attempts to locate Murphy for an alleged $2,500 offer to kill MLK were unsuccessful.  

Further records mention James Earl Ray's financial activities between April 1967 and April 1968, with the FBI noting unexplained expenditures. A separate investigation referenced an alleged $100,000 offer by the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of Mississippi (WKKKKOM) to kill MLK. Donald James Nissen, a former inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary, claimed he was approached by Leroy Basil McManaman, who allegedly relayed the KKK offer and instructed Nissen to contact Sybil Eure in Jackson, Mississippi, for assistance. Eure denied knowledge of the offer but recalled discussions about potential payments for killing MLK during a 1964 meeting with McManaman, whom she described as having ties to Klan activities.  

The document also contains records from Leavenworth Penitentiary related to Leveroy Basil McManaman, a prisoner with multiple arrests in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Missouri. His parole status is discussed, including plans for a real estate business venture in Jackson, Mississippi, upon release. The FBI interviewed Sybil Eure in 1967 and re-interviewed her in 1968 regarding the murder of MLK. She denied involvement in Klan activities or knowledge of an alleged $1 million offer by the KKK to kill MLK but acknowledged that McManaman may have mentioned such an offer casually.  

Additional records reference James Earl Ray’s activities in Los Angeles in early 1968, including a bartending course and job searches at country clubs before departing the city in March 1968. FBI notes also mention John R. Smith (possibly an alias) purchasing trailers in Arkansas with associates like Tom McNally, described as a transient worker. Discrepancies in identifying individuals linked to these activities are noted, including a deceased individual named John R. Smith recorded in vital statistics.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected of financial ties and linked to MLK’s assassination; investigated for activities in Los Angeles in 1968.  
- **Carl Murphy Jr.**: Bootleg whiskey operator in Tupelo, Mississippi; allegedly hired J.W. Riley to kill James "Grubby" Grubbs.  
- **Robert Wayne Phillips**: Farmer in Tupelo, Mississippi; provided information on bootlegging operations.  
- **Donald James Nissen**: Former inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary; claimed to have received instructions about the KKK’s $100,000 offer for MLK’s assassination.  
- **Sybil Eure**: Businesswoman in Jackson, Mississippi; interviewed regarding her 1964 meeting with Leroy Basil McManaman and alleged discussions about a payment for killing MLK.  
- **Leroy Basil McManaman**: Inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary; allegedly connected to the KKK’s offer to kill MLK.  
- **Leveroy Basil McManaman** (prisoner at Leavenworth Penitentiary): Parole status discussed, with plans for a real estate venture in Jackson, Mississippi.  
- **John R. Smith** (possibly an alias): Linked to trailer purchases in Arkansas with associates like Tom McNally; discrepancies noted in identifying individuals.  

Key Locations  
- **Tupelo, Mississippi**: Center of bootlegging operations and alleged threats against MLK.  
- **Jackson, Mississippi**: Home of Sybil Eure and a hub for Klan-related activities.  
- **Leavenworth Penitentiary, Kansas**: Site where Donald James Nissen and Leroy Basil McManaman were incarcerated; key to the KKK offer investigation.  
- **Little Rock, Arkansas**: Location of Ernest Moyer’s residence and business, who provided details about Kenneth Rayes Hayles.  
- **Water Valley, Mississippi**: Area where Kenneth Rayes Hayles allegedly purchased property.  
- **Carthage, Texas**: Location of John Jacobs’ real estate business and interactions with Hayles.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Involved in death certificate inquiries and FBI communications.  

Key Events  
- **Alleged $2,500 Offer to Kill MLK**: Carl Murphy Jr. was suspected of offering this sum for MLK’s assassination, though no confirmation was found.  
- **$100,000 KKK Offer**: The WKKKKOM allegedly offered a reward for killing MLK, per claims by Donald James Nissen and Leroy Basil McManaman.  
- **FBI Interviews with Sybil Eure**: Eure recalled discussions about potential payments for MLK’s assassination during her 1964 meeting with McManaman; re-interviewed in 1968 following MLK’s assassination.  
- **Investigation into James Earl Ray’s Activities**: Ray took a bartending course in Los Angeles in early 1968 and sought employment at country clubs before departing the city in March 1968.  
- **Tracking of John R. Smith and Associates**: FBI noted discrepancies in identifying individuals linked to criminal activity, including a deceased individual named John R. Smith recorded in vital statistics.  
- **Inquiries into Death Records**: Efforts to verify HAYLES’ identity against Ray through law enforcement contacts and death certificate records for Johnny S. Smith (died November 27, 1966).  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into bootlegging, Klan activities, financial ties to James Earl Ray, and potential threats against MLK.  
- **Leavenworth Penitentiary**: Site where Donald James Nissen and Leroy Basil McManaman were incarcerated; key to the KKK offer investigation.  
- **Bureau of Vital Statistics (Jackson, Mississippi)**: Provided death certificate details for Johnny S. Smith.  
- **Local Law Enforcement Agencies**: Involved in locating Kenneth Rayes Hayles and verifying records.  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**: Implied involvement in the alleged offer to kill MLK through the WKKKKOM.

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427c-03-part_5_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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