</s>JN 157-9586 The following lead will be given expeditious attention, UACB: LEAD: CHICAGO AT ILLINOIS STATE PENTENTIARY, Will, if JAMES ROBERT WILLET, is still incarcerated at Illinois State Pententiarty, determine if he is the individual referred to by RAYMOND CURTIS as "Mississippi," and will thereafter conduct exhaustive interview concerning the allegations made by RAVOND CURRTS. Will furnish results of the interview to the Bureau by report or LEM. If WILLETT is no longer incarcerated at the Illinois State Penitentiary, will set out such leads as are necessary to locate and set set him, as above. UACB, interview of DONALD ROY WILLEY and MILTON LAWRENCE WILlett, the other inmates of the Missouri State Penitentiary by the name of WILlette, who were incarcerated subsequent to 1960, will not be conducted, as no information was contained in the Missouri state Pententiatory Records indicating that these individuals have ever resided in, or had contacts in, the state of Mississippi. 2 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations in 1968 into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), focusing on leads involving Raymond Curtis’s reference to "Mississippi," James Robert Willett, incarcerated at Illinois State Penitentiary, and KKK members Burris L. Dunn Jr., Joe Daniel Hawkins, J.L. Harper, and Robert Earl Wilson. Thomas Tarrants III is implicated by Margaret Capomacchia, mother of Kathleen Ainsworth, who alleged he and others used a car, radio equipment, and an unknown accomplice to set up the attack. The FBI investigated Ralph Ainsworth (Kathleen’s husband), Mrs. Vera Boutwell (school principal), William Somerset (former informant), and Sidney Barnes (residence in Mobile, AL). Costs for the Jackson Division’s investigation (July 1–31, 1968) included agent hours, mileage, and expenses. Additional inquiries involved Margaret Capomacchia’s August 1968 interview in Hollywood, Florida, where she denied knowledge of MLK’s assassination or ties to suspects like Albert Tarrants, Hawkins, Dunn, Harper, and Wilson, citing stress from her daughter’s death. Phone number investigations linked Wesley Arnold in Laurel, Mississippi, to K.D. Kazaz and Eric Starvo Galt (James Earl Ray), who was sought in connection with MLK’s murder. Mrs. CROMEANS provided details about James Earl Ray’s potential location and a $40,000 reward for his capture. Henry Grady Carroll denied involvement, while Leon Clinton Blaylock reported J.W. Rogers’ drunken threats to kill MLK. Carl Murphy Jr. denied ties to the case. Investigations also explored phone calls from Houston, Texas, and connections between Sidney G. Barnes (bombing suspect) and the Ainsworth case.  

Key People  
- James Robert Willett (incarcerated at Illinois State Penitentiary)  
- Raymond Curtis (referenced as "Mississippi")  
- Burris L. Dunn Jr., Joe Daniel Hawkins, J.L. Harper, Robert Earl Wilson (KKK members)  
- Thomas Tarrants III (alleged assassin of MLK)  
- Margaret Capomacchia (mother of Kathleen Ainsworth; denied knowledge of MLK’s assassination)  
- Ralph Ainsworth (husband of Kathleen Ainsworth)  
- William Somerset (former FBI informant)  
- Sidney Barnes (residence in Mobile, AL; bombing suspect linked to Ainsworth case)  
- Wesley Arnold (Laurel, Mississippi; phone number investigations)  
- K.D. Kazaz (phone number changes and business ties)  
- Eric Starvo Galt (James Earl Ray; sought in MLK’s murder)  
- Henry Grady Carroll (segregationist; denied involvement)  
- Leon Clinton Blaylock (reported J.W. Rogers’ threats)  
- Carl Murphy Jr. (denied association with MLK’s assassination)  

Key Locations  
- Illinois State Penitentiary  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- Jackson, Mississippi  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Atlanta, Georgia  
- Mobile, Alabama  
- South Carolina  
- Shreveport, Louisiana  
- Topton, North Carolina  
- Hollywood, Florida (Margaret Capomacchia’s interview)  
- Laurel, Mississippi (Wesley Arnold and K.D. Kazaz)  
- Grenada, Mississippi (Henry Grady Carroll’s residence/business)  
- Winona, Mississippi (Leon Clinton Blaylock’s location)  
- Tupelo, Mississippi (Carl Murphy Jr.’s residence)  
- Houston, Texas (phone calls linked to investigation)  
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Herrin family’s location)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into James Robert Willett’s connection to Raymond Curtis’s "Mississippi" reference  
- Interviews with inmates and records checks for Mississippi contacts  
- Tracking of KKK members Burris L. Dunn Jr., Joe Daniel Hawkins, J.L. Harper, and Robert Earl Wilson  
- Margaret Capomacchia’s August 1968 denial of MLK assassination knowledge and ties to suspects  
- Phone number investigations linked to Wesley Arnold in Laurel, Mississippi, and Eric Starvo Galt (James Earl Ray)  
- Mrs. CROMEANS’ details about James Earl Ray’s potential location and reward for his capture  
- Henry Grady Carroll’s denial of involvement in MLK’s assassination  
- Leon Clinton Blaylock’s report on J.W. Rogers’ drunken threats to kill MLK  
- FBI cost tracking for Jackson Division’s case (July 1–31, 1968)  
- Investigation into phone calls from Houston, Texas, and Sidney G. Barnes’ ties to the Ainsworth case  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Ku Klux Klan (KKK)  
- Illinois State Penitentiary  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- Schlumberger Oil Field Equipment Company (K.D. Kazaz’s employment)  
- International Businessman's Association (referenced in religious pamphlets distributed by EVANS)  
- Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol  
- Credit Bureau of Tupelo, Mississippi

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427d-04-part_3_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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