</s>PAGE TWO FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 19, 1968 ATTORNEY GENERAL RAMSEY CLARK ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE FSI HAS IDENTIFIED JAMES EARL RAY, AN ESCAPEE FROM THE MISSOURI STATE PENTENTIARY, AS ERIC STARVO GALT, AGAINST WHOM A FEDERAL COMPLAINT WAS FILED LAST WEDNESDAY IN CONNECTION WITH THE FATAL SHOOTING OF THE REVERED DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DIRECTOR J. EDGAR HOOVER SAID THAT A SYSTEMATIC AND EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH OF LATENT FINGERPRINTS UNCOVERED IN THE DR. KING CASE AGAINST THE FINGERSPRINITS OF THE OVER 53,000 PERSONS FROM WHOM "WANTED NOTICES" HAVE BEEN POSTED IN TRE FILES OF THE FSI'S IDENT- IFICATION DIVISION LED TO THE DETERMINATION THAT GALT AND RAY ARE IDENTICAL. MR. HOOver SAID THAT RAY. WHO IS 40 YEARS OF AGE, WAS REPORTED MISSING FROM THE MISSOURI STATE PENTIENTIARY AT JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURSI, SINCE APRIL 23, 1967. HE HAD BEEN RECEIVED AT THAT INSTITUTION ON MARCH 17, 1960, TO SERVE A 20-YEAR SENTENCE FOLLOWING CONVICTION IN ST. LOUIS FOR ARMED ROBBERY AND FOR OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE OWNER. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail an FBI investigation into Eric Starvo Galt, a suspect linked to threats against Martin Luther King Jr., with fingerprint evidence connecting him to the assassination scene. The inquiry spans multiple jurisdictions, including Mobile, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Chicago, Illinois. Key actions include surveillance at Pak-a-Sak Store #8 in Mobile from January 16–18, 1968, where Lt. Col. John Naughton reported observing someone resembling Galt. The investigation also involves verifying license plate information (ALABAMA LICENSE FOUR TWO - SEVEN EIGHT SIX SIX) and tracking Billy Faulkner, a former roomer in Atlanta, Georgia, potentially connected to Galt. Additional efforts include checks with the Alabama Department of Public Safety and Motor Vehicle Bureau. Mentions of Tom Glanmore, a mentally ill individual with violent tendencies, and James Earl Ray, who was accused but never formally charged, are included. The documents reference fragmented records, unclear terms like "Z Numbers" and "Seaman’s Papers," and coded communications, complicating full interpretation.  

Key People:  
- Eric Starvo Galt (suspect under investigation)  
- Lt. Col. John Naughton (FBI agent involved in Mobile surveillance)  
- Marvin Mallister (former Pak-a-Sak Store employee)  
- Billy Faulkner (individual connected to Atlanta rooming house)  
- Tom Glanmore (mentally ill suspect with violent history)  
- James Earl Ray (accused but never formally charged)  
- Sol Levin (reporter of sighting in Chicago)  

Key Locations:  
- Pak-a-Sak Store #8, Mobile, Alabama  
- 107 14th Street, Atlanta, Georgia  
- Halsted and Thirty-first Streets, Chicago, Illinois  
- Montgomery, Alabama (Motor Vehicle Bureau)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (FBI office)  

Key Events:  
- Surveillance of Pak-a-Sak Store #8 in Mobile on January 16–18, 1968  
- Investigation into license plate ALABAMA LICENSE FOUR TWO - SEVEN EIGHT SIX SIX  
- Efforts to locate Billy Faulkner and verify his connections to Galt  
- Coordination between FBI offices in Memphis, Mobile, and Chicago  
- Examination of maritime records and Seaman’s Papers for Eric Starvo Galt  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Alabama Department of Public Safety  
- Motor Vehicle Bureau (Montgomery, Alabama)  
- Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)

MLK Declassified Files

157-mo-2627_625067_26-01-part_2_of_2.pdf

Document Summary

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