</s>JN 157-9586 CANNONER MOTEL CONTINUED MARVIN ALFORD Florence, Mississippi Mississippi license T-2925 J. A. WAINWRIGHT, JR. 607 Waverly Drive Jackson, Mississippi ROBERT L. BOUNDS P. O. Box 536 Brandon, Mississippi LEON ARMSTRONG Box 299 Verona, Mississippi Mr. and Mrs. HERBERT W. BERZ 186 East Market Street Winona, Mississippi JOE COX Ripley, Mississippi PRENTISS PEARSON 110 Fillmore Drive Tupelo, Mississippi JOHN SIMPSON 110 Vance Place, Long Beach, Mississippi P. G. STEELE Greenwood, Mississippi Missississippi licence N-7153 9 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, including internal reviews by the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility. Key elements include assessments of the field office’s investigation thoroughness, evidence linking the field office to the assassination, new evidence discovered, and legal actions such as potential prosecutions or disciplinary measures. The FBI released documents under Executive Order 14176, including files on James Earl Ray (convicted of King’s assassination), informants, and committee reviews. References include case numbers like 100-106670, file serials, and mentions of the Clarion Ledger newspaper. The FBI also handled administrative tasks such as file serialization, indexing, and document preservation for committees like the Committee on Assassinations.  

Key People  
- **Martin Luther King Jr.** (assassination subject)  
- **James Earl Ray** (convicted assassin; details include his escape attempt from prison in 1968, legal appeals, and alleged connections to a "civil war veteran" designation)  
- **Deputy Assistant Director James O. Ingram** (FBI)  
- **Louis Stokes** (Rep., D-Tenn.)  
- **Oliver Patterson** (former FBI informant)  
- **Mark Lane** (attorney; allegations against FBI)  
- **Byron Beckwith** (suspect in some documents)  
- **James E. Hunt** (resided at 5002 Kendall Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi; employed by Scoville Manufacturing Company with income listed as $13,200 in August 1967)  
- **John Simpson** (lived at 110 Vance Place, Long Beach, Mississippi; no criminal record noted)  
- **Walter H. Coleman** (formerly associated with plumbing; residence in Kosciusko, Mississippi)  
- **Reverend Wilson W. Bogan** (pastor in Lucedale, Mississippi; previously affiliated with the Southside Baptist Mission)  
- **George E. Butler** (driver for Brown and Miller Pickle Company in Wiggins, Mississippi)  
- **J. Edgar Hoover** (FBI Director referenced in discussions about MLK’s public persona and perceived threats)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (assassination site; references to MLK’s assassination and related commemorations)  
- **Jackson, Mississippi** (FBI field office reviewing motel records and individuals)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (FBI headquarters; Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility)  
- **Gulfport, Mississippi** (James E. Hunt’s residence)  
- **Long Beach, Mississippi** (John Simpson’s residence; Sunflower Credit Bureau records)  
- **Lucedale, Mississippi** (Reverend Wilson W. Bogan’s church affiliations)  
- **Wiggins, Mississippi** (George E. Butler’s employment)  
- **Kosciusko, Mississippi** (Walter H. Coleman’s residence)  
- **Corinth, Mississippi** (motel records reviewed for James Earl Ray’s stay)  
- **Natchez, Mississippi** (Shirley Jackson’s address)  
- **Greenwood, Mississippi** (Corona Plaza Motel)  

Key Events  
- Review of motel records in Corinth, Mississippi, for March 29–April 3, 1968, to identify James Earl Ray.  
- Credit and criminal checks conducted on listed individuals to determine associations with Ray.  
- Investigation into Soil Conservation Service employees’ activities near Corinth during the relevant period.  
- Discontinuation of leads in some FBI divisions due to lack of productive results.  
- FBI investigation into King’s assassination (1968–1976).  
- Review of field office investigations by DOJ task force (August 1976).  
- Release of documents under Executive Order 14176 (1976–1978).  
- Committee on Assassinations review and allegations against FBI.  
- James Earl Ray’s escape plan map (1978).  
- Legal proceedings involving Ray, informants, and attorneys.  
- Public commemorations of MLK’s birthday and legacy in Memphis, Tennessee, with references to civil rights memorials.  
- Investigation into James E. Hunt as a potential witness or associate of MLK’s assassination.  
- Legal appeals and prison escape attempts by James Earl Ray, including his alleged connection to "civil war veteran" designations.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** (including SAC offices in Jackson, Memphis, Cleveland, Salt Lake City; field office in Jackson, Mississippi)  
- **Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility**  
- **Committee on Assassinations**  
- **Soil Conservation Service** (U.S. Department of Agriculture)  
- **Credit Bureaus** (e.g., Oxford Credit Bureau, Merchant’s Credit Bureau, Sunflower Credit Bureau in Long Beach, Mississippi)  
- **Local Police Departments** (Gulfport, Long Beach, Kosciusko, Lucedale, Wiggins)  
- **Clarion Ledger** (newspaper referenced in documents)

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427d-05-part_2_of_2.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search