</s>FD-78 (Rev. 5-22-64) F.B.I. Date: 4/12/68 PLAIN Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) TELETYPE URGENT (Priority) Via TELETYPE TO WFO 44-703 MOBILE 157-2627 FROM MURKIN, CR. 00 ME. RE WFO TEL APR. ELEVEN INSTANT, CONCERNING JOSEPH M. PRITCHETT, MONTGOMERY, ALA. MO FILES REVEAL INTERVIEW AUG. TWENTY-EIGHT, SIXTY-FOUR WITH JOSPH MALLOY PRITCHETCH, PATROLMAN, MONTOMERRY, ALAA. PD ON ALLEGED CR VIOLATION, PRITCHETH, W/M, BORN MONTGOMERT, FIVE FOOT NINE, ONE SIXTH-FIVE, HAZEL EYES, BLOND HAIR, MARITAL STATUS SINGLE, SERVED IN USN NOV. SIXTEEN, FIFTY-NINE TO AUG, TWENTYN-SEVEN, SIZTY-THREE, HONORABLE DISCHARGE AT KEY WEST, FLA, PARENTS JOSÉPH ALLEN AND MARTHA PRITCHECT, TWO SIX ONE SOUTH BLVD. MONTGOMEY, AND MARTHE PRITCHERT, TWO SILX ON SIX OCT. Sixty-THRE. IT APPEARS LIKELY THIS INDIVIDUAL IS THE PRITCHETS REFERRED TO IN RE TEL AND HIS NAVY RECORD SHOULD BE REVIEWED END PAGE ONE JTB-1pW Selected JTb.1pw 2-24/4 Serialized Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent M Pondogel Filed 157-2697-97 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The text comprises internal FBI communications from April 1968, focusing on an investigation into Eric Starvo Galt, a suspect potentially linked to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) in 1968. The documents reference coded entries, surveillance activities, and administrative protocols used by the FBI during this period. Key elements include tracking Galt’s movements via car registrations, license plates, and travel records; interviews with individuals connected to Birmingham, Alabama; and internal FBI communication systems such as teletype messages and code terms like "PLAINFECT" and "MURKIN." The text also notes efforts to avoid direct references to MLK’s assassination in reports due to administrative sensitivities. While James Earl Ray was the official convicted killer, the documents suggest broader investigative interest in potential conspiracies or accomplices, including names like Eugene Austin Stoudemire. Some sections contain garbled or encrypted text, possibly redacted or ciphered, complicating interpretation.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Suspect under investigation; described as a white male with specific physical traits and linked to car thefts and travel records.  
- **Eugene Austin Stoudemire**: Mentioned in connection to Birmingham and possibly involved in the investigation.  
- **Mrs. James E. Weldon** and **Mrs. Ovis Lee Black**: Individuals interviewed, connected to a Birmingham rooming house.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Officially convicted killer of MLK, though not directly referenced in the text.  

Key Locations  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Central to the investigation, with ties to Stoudemire and a rooming house.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Mentioned as part of FBI jurisdictional coordination.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Site of airport surveillance efforts for Galt’s travel.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana** and **California**: Locations where Galt attended dance schools.  

Key Events  
- **Surveillance of Eric Starvo Galt**: Tracking via car registrations (e.g., 1966 Ford Mustang with VINs), license plates, and flight records (e.g., Eastern Airlines Flight 664).  
- **Witness Interviews**: Conducted with individuals in Birmingham and other locations to corroborate accounts.  
- **FBI Communication Protocols**: Use of teletype messages, code terms ("MURKIN" for FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover), and internal systems like NCIC (National Crime Information Center).  
- **Administrative Sensitivities**: Instructions to avoid direct references to MLK’s assassination in reports, using alternative captions such as "Racial Disturbances Following Assassination..."  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Central agency conducting the investigation, utilizing surveillance, witness interviews, and interagency coordination.  
- **NCIC (National Crime Information Center)**: Mentioned as part of FBI investigative procedures for crime data tracking.  
- **Eastern Airlines**: Involved in monitoring Galt’s travel movements.

MLK Declassified Files

157-mo-2627_625067_25-02-part_1_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search