</s>WANTED Yallton, D.L.2. DB-Fieh ZAR: Aly 29.57 CHANGE Robbey Arred 459-2589 CNCLLID. 19.0. B.A.N.E. BY massamandllen Jefferson lty. mo. JUN 25 1967 GIRL Carpet Courtet WARRANT TRIGGER ROY. J0.67 WANTEED BY F8.1 PERE FIRST BUILT NOV. 67 UNIT DATE 12 blue 67 CHARLIE WARRANT RECISTER NO. 1. Cott J0-64 - - - 94 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The declassified FBI documents from 1968 detail an investigation into James Earl Ray’s movements, military service, and potential criminal associations during the early to mid-20th century. Key findings include Ray’s U.S. Army service (February 1942–December 1948), VA payments in Chicago (1949–1952) at addresses such as 61 Cedar Street and 2025 North Sedgwick Street, and his later employment with Johnson Motors and Johns-Manville Corporation. The FBI explored Ray’s alleged connections to a 1955 burglary of the U.S. Post Office in Kellerville, Illinois, where he was implicated alongside Riff. Records show stolen funds were cashed in multiple states, but the case was closed due to lack of resolution. Investigations also tracked Ray’s aliases, license plates, and interactions with individuals like Vernon W. Bride, Walter T. Berry, and Ralph Davis. The documents highlight efforts to verify his presence in Chicago neighborhoods (e.g., 459 St. James Place) and monitor his activities through property records and witness accounts. No direct link to Martin Luther King Jr. or the 1968 assassination is present in these files.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray** (subject of investigation; born in Zion, Illinois; military service, aliases, employment history).  
- **Vernon W. Bride** (linked to 1955 postal thefts via a stolen Lincoln sedan).  
- **Walter T. Berry** (alias used during 1955 crimes; traded for the Lincoln sedan).  
- **Ralph Davis** (criminal associate in Quincy, Illinois).  
- **Ronald Schilling and Mary Schilling** (residents of South Elgin, Illinois; confirmed Ray’s residence at 615 North Water Street).  
- **Mrs. Alice Meyer and Linda Bergin** (landlords/neighbors with details on Ray’s presence).  
- **Louis Lomax** (individual with FBI file number 289 480 A; incarcerated at Joliet State Penitentiary).  
- **Kelly Williams** (alleged chauffeur for Martin Luther King Jr.).  

Key Locations:  
- **Chicago, Illinois** (Ray’s residences in South Elgin and neighborhoods like St. James Place; FBI surveillance efforts).  
- **Kellerville, Illinois** (site of 1955 Post Office burglary investigation).  
- **Springfield, Illinois** (license records for Ray’s driver’s license).  
- **Joliet, Illinois** (Louis Lomax’s incarceration at Joliet State Penitentiary).  
- **Winthrop Harbor, Illinois** (Ray’s address linked to his Illinois driver’s license).  

Key Events:  
- **1942–1948**: Ray’s U.S. Army service and VA payments in Chicago.  
- **March 7, 1955**: Burglary of the U.S. Post Office in Kellerville, Illinois; stolen funds cashed across multiple states.  
- **May 1, 1967–May 25, 1967**: Ray’s residence at 613 North Water Street in South Elgin, Illinois (confirmed by rent receipts).  
- **Investigation into aliases and license plates**: Traced Ray’s movements via vehicles like a 1967 Ramblers 4-door and 1958 Pontiac.  
- **FBI coordination with Chicago Police Department**: Alerts for unidentified bodies matching Ray’s fingerprints; monitoring hippie communities in Hyde Park and Rogers Park.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray’s background, aliases, and criminal associations.  
- **Chicago Police Department**: Provided alerts for Ray’s identification and coordination on surveillance efforts.  
- **Illinois Secretary of State**: Maintained license records linked to Ray’s driver’s license (R300-44-526064).  
- **Amalgamated Bank**: Involved in inquiries related to William Ferber/Williams Farbers, with a man resembling Eric Galt presenting a driver’s license.

MLK Declassified Files

157-mo-2627_625067_27-02-part_3_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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