</s>PAGE TWO SL 44-775 COLBURN, BUT HOME ADDRESS LISTED AS: ROUTE C, EVERGREEN, ALA ., WITH PARENTS LEON AND ALICE HARDEN. SOCIAL SECURITY NO. KNOWN TO J. C. JOHNSON, DELMA BOWERS, ROBERT KENDALL, WILEY SALTER AND MARRY COOK, ALL EVERGREENER, ALAA. LETTER FROM WIFE, VADA, APRIL TWO, SIXTYFIVE, ALLEGES MIS- REPRESENTATION IN APPLICATION FOR HARDSHIP DISCHARGE; HE INTENDED EMPLOYMENT BY BROWN AND ROOT CONST. CO ., HOUSTON; HE HAD. BEATEN HER: HAD THREATENED AND TO KILL HER IF SHE LEFT HIM; AND HAD PURCHASED RIFLE AND CARTRIDGES. FILE INDICATES SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY SUFFERED NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. POSSIBBILITY EXISTS SHE MAY BE ANONYMOUS CALLER THIS INSTANCE. HOUSTON AND MOBILE CONDUCT APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION TO LOCATE HARDENT AND DETERMINE IF HE MAY BE LOGICAL SUSPECT. DETAILED THREE ZERO TWO FOLLOWS. COPY BY MAIL L TO DALLAS. P. END JEB FBI MOBIILE TUP 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on individuals and events in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and other regions. Key figures include Eric Starvo Galt (Birmingham, AL), a suspect linked to the assassination of MLK; Floyd Agnew (Mississippi), who sold laundry equipment to Robert and Melvin Hood; Percy D. Strickland (Alabama), a Southern Bell employee with Navy service history; James Carl Pafford (Louisiana), who attended a Citizens Council meeting in Selma, AL; Gary C. Wester (Texas), manager of Goodyear Service Center; Richard Bristow (Florida); and Colburn (Evergreen, AL), whose wife alleged marital abuse and threats against her. The FBI examined financial records, employment histories, and potential connections to threats against King, including a 1965 call from Selma, Alabama, alleging a threat on King’s life. Investigations involved verifying thermosale machine inventory, checking labor unions for seafarers/dock workers, reviewing compensation records, and tracing suspects through interviews, phone records, and administrative data. The FBI coordinated with field offices in Mobile, Birmingham, Memphis, and other locations to track suspects like Galt, who was last seen in Memphis on April 4, 1968, driving a 1966 Mustang with Alabama license plate 1-389-NINETHREE.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Suspect described as a white male, five feet eleven inches tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes; last seen in Memphis on April 4, 1968, driving a 1966 Mustang with Alabama license plate 1-389-NINETHREE.  
- **Floyd Agnew**: Sold steam laundry business to Robert and Melvin Hood in Mississippi, including thermosale machines.  
- **Robert and Melvin Hood**: Purchased laundry equipment from Agnew; FBI investigated potential ties to threats against King.  
- **Percy D. Strickland**: Southern Bell employee with Navy service history; FBI checked his movements during relevant period.  
- **James Carl Pafford**: Attended Citizens Council meeting in Selma, AL, and allegedly made statements about King.  
- **Gary C. Wester**: Manager of Goodyear Service Center; notes Jimmy George Robinson’s employment history.  
- **Colburn**: Resided in Evergreen, AL; wife Vada alleged marital abuse and threats against her.  
- **Joseph M. Pritchett**: Alleged harasser of MLK; described as having a receding hairline, blue/green eyes, and anti-Black views.  
- **Wilbur N. Hester**: Witness in Memphis who stayed at the Rebel Motel on April 4, 1968, and allegedly knew of MLK’s assassination before checking out.  

Key Locations  
- **Evergreen, Alabama**: Colburn’s residence; linked to marital abuse allegations.  
- **Mississippi**: Sites of Agnew’s laundry business sale and Hood’s involvement.  
- **Selma, Alabama**: Location of 1965 call alleging threat against King; Pafford attended a Citizens Council meeting here.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Galt’s residence; FBI investigated his ties to seafarers/dock workers.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Galt’s reported location on April 4, 1968; Rebel Motel where Hester stayed.  
- **Mobile, Alabama**: Central hub for FBI investigations, including thermosale machine inventory checks and suspect tracking.  

Key Events  
- **1965 Call from Selma, AL**: Alleged threat against MLK; FBI traced potential suspects like Pafford.  
- **Thermosale Machine Inventory Checks**: FBI verified equipment ownership in laundries across Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.  
- **Labor Union Investigations**: Focus on seafarers, dock workers, and longshoremen to identify Galt’s possible employment history.  
- **Compensation Record Reviews**: FBI checked state compensation agencies for payments to Galt, linking funds to his activities in Birmingham.  
- **Interviews and Phone Records**: FBI interviewed witnesses, including Southern Bell employees and laundries, to cross-reference suspect movements.  
- **FBI All-Points Bulletin**: Issued to locate Galt and his car; noted details like four red plastic floor mats and a silver-painted muffler.  
- **Package Sent to Galt in Birmingham**: Returned unopened by postal authorities.  
- **Driver’s License Verification**: FBI checked Galt’s duplicate Alabama driver’s license obtained in March 1968.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Mobile, Birmingham, Memphis)**: Conducted investigations into threats against MLK, financial records, and suspect backgrounds.  
- **Southern Bell Telephone Company**: Employed Percy D. Strickland; FBI reviewed his employment history.  
- **Selective Service System**: Provided draft records for Percy D. Strickland.  
- **Textile Marking Machine Co. (Syracuse, NY)**: Linked to thermosale machine operations and code interpretation.  
- **State Compensation Agencies**: Checked for payments to Eric Starvo Galt, potentially tied to his financial activities.  
- **National Maritime Union, International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)**: Investigated for potential ties to Galt’s employment history.

MLK Declassified Files

157-mo-2627_625067_25-01-part_3_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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