</s>TO .- 2AB (BEV. 415-00) H. S. Department of Justice F.O.I.P.A. (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM:929787878286834 REQUEST 2.0.09 DO NOT DESTROY UNTIL. O.I .- P. A. REQUEST 57-05-986 ST-2 DO NOT ESTROY UNTILL 1-27-83 FEDERAL BUREAU DO NOT DESTROY UNITED1-87-83 F. O ., P.A ., of DO NOT DESTROY - 157.986 PENENGING LITIGATION Aue. REQUEST Sue 190-82 197-21-3/2323 DO NOT DISTROY UNTI. 8/84 INVESTIGATION Volume Number Serial Bureau File Number STORIGA ROROI STORICA RORI See also Not. 157-9856-57/ Newspaper 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O ., 14176

Summary  
The document contains multiple FBI FD-302 reports dated April 1968, detailing inquiries into individuals associated with potential connections to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The first report (4/10/68) notes that Mrs. Joan Edwards of Tupelo, Mississippi, has no identifiable records for John H. Willard but confirms he is employed at Day Brite Lighting in Tupelo, Missouri. She describes him as honest, non-violent, and owning a pickup truck. His wife, Barbara Willard, previously worked at Edwards' credit bureau but is now manager of the Oxford, Mississippi, branch. The report also mentions Willard's 1958 arson conviction and probation termination in 1961, per records from Mrs. W.J. Baker, Circuit Clerk of Pontotoc County, Mississippi.  

A second report (4/15/68) details David Marlon Brewer of Jackson, Mississippi, who owns a 1965 black Mustang convertible with a transferred license plate. He states Oscar Word, an employee at Briarwood Texaco Station, took over the vehicle and left for Nevada with his wife and children. Word is expected to return to Mississippi, and Brewer believes Word may have driven the Mustang in Oklahoma on April 13, 1968.  

A third report (4/15/68) describes Lonnie Phil Smith, a patient at the Biloxi VA Hospital since March 15, 1968, who was previously hospitalized in Birmingham, Alabama. He met an individual at the Economy Boarding House in September 1967, described as white, male, late 20s, medium build, with brown hair and a business cut.  

Key People  
- John H. Willard (Tupelo, Mississippi) – Indicted for arson in 1958, probation terminated by May 1961; employed at Day Brite Lighting.  
- Barbara Willard (Oxford, Mississippi) – Former employee of Tupelo Credit Bureau, currently manager.  
- David Marlon Brewer (Jackson, Mississippi) – Owner of a 1965 Mustang convertible with transferred license plate.  
- Oscar Word – Employee at Briarwood Texaco Station; left for Nevada with his wife and children.  
- Lonnie Phil Smith – Patient at Biloxi VA Hospital, previously hospitalized in Birmingham, Alabama.  

Key Locations  
- Tupelo, Mississippi (Credit Bureau, Day Brite Lighting)  
- Pontotoc County, Mississippi (Circuit Court records)  
- Jackson, Mississippi (Hodges Engineering Company, Briarwood Texaco Station)  
- Biloxi VA Hospital (Biloxi, Mississippi)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (VA Hospital, Economy Boarding House)  

Key Events  
- John H. Willard's 1958 arson conviction and probation termination by May 1961.  
- David Marlon Brewer's transfer of a license plate to his Mustang without notification.  
- Oscar Word's departure for Nevada with his wife and children, expected return to Mississippi.  
- Lonnie Phil Smith's hospitalization at Biloxi VA Hospital since March 15, 1968, and prior stay in Birmingham, Alabama.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Tupelo Credit Bureau  
- Pontotoc County Circuit Court  
- Hodges Engineering Company  
- Briarwood Texaco Station  
- Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals (Biloxi, Birmingham)

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427e-03-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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