</s>KC 44-760 2 photograph, although the record indicates it was a court room" identification. PARKER said the victims were RITA BROCKELMAN, 1502 A Montgomery, St. Louis, Missouri, and GEORGE MC QUADE, JR. ,. 4708 Montgomery, Louis. Missouri. He said the case was investigated by JOHN LEPPING and EDWARD ALLERS, Fifth District, ST. Louis Police Department. PARKERS said he was in jail at St.Louis for ten months, and all this time he talked to whoever he could to find out who might have been the real perpetrator of this crime. He was on the main custodial floor. He could be in 1967, and out on 23 on the day he was convicted of murder. however, that prisoners mingled pretty much throughout the whose building and the would continue to name the names of anyone he who had to be executed. He wanted him to be in memory for the name of the person who told him RAY had been in St. Louis during the Summer of 1967, and was there as late as September of 1967. PARKNER said there was publicity of this case in the St. Charles said Missouri, Daily Banner of July 12, 1967, which carried into Missouri. The victims, and he has a deposition in which Miss BROOKELMAN testified that the kidnaper had blue eyes and was very positive of this fact. He also noted the and was not out about his death. where he believes MY formerly lives from Alton, Illinois of him and RAY are practically identical except for marks and eyes. 46 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s activities during his incarceration at Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) and subsequent escape in April 1967. Inmates described Ray’s escape method involving a bread box, his alleged smuggling operations through Mexican border towns, and interactions with other inmates. Some accounts suggested potential connections to unverified groups like "Cooley's Organization," though these were not substantiated. Discussions included Ray’s awareness of bounties for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, his disdain for Black individuals, and financial transactions involving money orders sent from Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. The FBI sought information on Ray’s whereabouts, escape plans, and potential involvement in the assassination of Dr. King, though no direct evidence linking him to the crime was presented. Financial records from 1960–1968 documented Ray’s earnings, cash withdrawals, and interactions with other inmates at MSP and Mississippi State Penitentiary. Inmate accounts also referenced legal proceedings, parole records, and detainers for individuals like Harold Wade, Kenneth Lee Wade, Dennis Wade, and Ivan Underwood. A psychiatric evaluation from Fulton State Hospital in 1966 noted Ray had no mental disease or defect but exhibited sociopsychotic personality traits.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Escaped MSP on April 23, 1967; described as a reclusive "loner" with alleged smuggling activities and knowledge of bounties for Dr. King’s life.  
- **Sterling Junior Hill**: Inmate who claimed no close ties to Ray and noted his troubled demeanor.  
- **Richard Benan**: Prison kitchen worker who denied knowledge of Ray’s escape or involvement in criminal activities.  
- **Lt. William Robert Turner**: Prison guard who observed Ray’s behavior, noting he had no association with hate groups like the KKK.  
- **Dr. D. Peterson**: Psychiatrist at Fulton State Hospital who evaluated Ray for mental health issues in 1966.  
- **Harold Wade**: Inmate at Mississippi State Penitentiary (white male, born in Wayneville, Missouri).  
- **Kenneth Lee Wade**: Inmate at Mississippi State Penitentiary (FBI #56812B3, discharged in 1969).  
- **Dennis Wade**: Inmate at Mississippi State Penitentiary (charged with burglary and stealing, born in New Orleans, Louisiana).  
- **Ivan Underwood**: Former MSP inmate (discharged in 1967; wife Kathleen received Aid for Dependent Children).  
- **RUSSELL MARTIN** (RUSSELL LEE MARTINA): Incarcerated at MSP from 1961–1968 for fraud, with multiple escape violations.  
- **JACK FOX LAMPLER**: Incarcerated for robbery and paroled in 1967; emergency address and family details recorded.  
- **JAMES HUGH CARPENTER**: History of violent offenses (assault, weapon charges), discharged in 1967; [SSN REDACTED].  
- **RAYMOND LOUIS CURTIS** (RAYMOND CURTS): Robbery sentence from 1962–1964, parole deferred until 1981.  
- **JERRY WILLIAM RYAN**: Incarcerated for armed robbery and larceny; prior incarceration in Illinois.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, Missouri)**: Ray’s incarceration site; records of cell assignments, escape details, and financial transactions.  
- **Fulton State Hospital (Missouri)**: Mental evaluation facility where Ray was assessed in 1966.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Mentioned as a location for money orders sent to Ray.  
- **Wayneville, Missouri**: Harold Wade’s birthplace.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Dennis Wade’s birthplace.  
- **Sanford, Florida**: Family details referenced for Harold Wade.  
- **Jackson County, Missouri; St. Louis City, Missouri; Arkansas; Colorado; Georgia; Illinois**: Locations associated with other inmates’ records.  

Key Events  
- **Ray’s escape from MSP (April 23, 1967)**: Investigated by prison staff and FBI agents; no confirmed associates were identified.  
- **Psychiatric evaluation of Ray (September 1, 1966)**: Concluded he had no mental disease or defect but exhibited sociopsychotic traits.  
- **FBI investigation into potential links between Ray and Dr. King’s assassination**: No conclusive evidence found; inquiries into prison inmates’ associations with hate groups or criminal activities were conducted.  
- **Financial transactions of James Earl Ray (1960–1968)**: Records include earnings, cash withdrawals, and money orders sent from Missouri, Illinois, and Florida.  
- **Inmate records for Harold Wade, Kenneth Lee Wade, Dennis Wade, and Ivan Underwood**: Details on charges, sentences, parole dates, detainers, and family information.  
- **RUSSELL MARTIN’s incarceration (1961–1968)**: Multiple escape violations and cell assignments noted.  
- **JAMES HUGH CARPENTER’s discharge in 1967**: History of violent offenses; [SSN REDACTED].  
- **RAYMOND LOUIS CURTIS’s parole deferral until 1981** and escape conviction in 1964.  
- **JERRY WILLIAM RYAN’s armed robbery and larceny convictions**: Prior incarceration in Illinois.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray’s activities, prison inmates’ associations, and potential links to the assassination.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Managed Ray’s incarceration, provided cell assignment records, and documented financial transactions.  
- **Mississippi State Penitentiary**: Incarceration site for Harold Wade, Kenneth Lee Wade, Dennis Wade, and others.  
- **Legal Aid and Defender Society of Greater Kansas City**: Involved in legal proceedings related to inmate Sterling Junior Hill.

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427c-05-part_2_of_6.pdf

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