</s>FI TEN ORLS : FDI K'OXVILLE 24APM URCENT 4/5/62 DCK TO DIRECTOR, MEMPHIS, DALLAS AND NEW ORLEANS FROM KNOXVILLE (P) 157-1298 ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 00 MEMPHIs. 13 NEW ORLANS TELETYPE TO SUREAU TODAY. JAMES JOHNSON HALL, BORN BROOKHAVEN, MISS, ARRESTED WITH DANIEL EARL KELLUM APRIL TWO, MISTECEN SIXTYEIGHT BY BUREAU AGENTS KINCSPORT, TENN ., AND CHARGED "ITH SANK ROBBERY 3TH STILL IN CUSTODY SUBJECTS WERE IN CUSTODY "IME' KING ASSASSINATED. END DLP FI EN OFLS 15/1/1923 SEARCHED LINDEXED SERIALIZED. FIELD APR-5 1968 FRI NEW ORLES 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on suspects, forensic evidence, witness accounts, and inter-agency coordination. Key elements include latent fingerprint comparisons involving Ronald Bardin Simpson, a man arrested in Louisiana with ties to Memphis, and his potential connection to a rifle linked to the crime. The FBI sought to identify individuals like Mark LNU (possibly a suspect) and Nancy Sulliner of Texas, who reported seeing a man matching a suspect’s description at a motel. Investigations tracked movements of suspects, including a white delivery truck with out-of-state licenses, and examined financial records, such as Diners Club accounts, to link individuals to the case. The documents reference dates around March 28–30, 1968, and April 4, 1968, aligning with the timeline of King’s assassination.  

The FBI also investigated a rifle found at the scene, purchased by an individual using the name Harvey Lower/Loewyer (variations noted). Descriptions of the suspect include white male, late 30s, 5'8" tall, 150-160 pounds, with dark brown hair. The FBI instructed offices to check phone directories, driver’s license records, and credit files for individuals with these names. References to other cases, such as a bank robbery conspiracy involving Michael Freeman and Walter Patrick Peyson, are included but not directly tied to the MLK investigation. Coordination between FBI field offices in New Orleans, Memphis, Salt Lake City, and others emphasized prioritizing the case over other matters.  

Key People:  
- Ronald Bardin Simpson (arrested in Louisiana on vagrancy charges, linked to Memphis via latent fingerprints)  
- Mark LNU (suspect described as white, tall, with a Southern accent; connected to Top Value Stamps, Inc.)  
- Nancy Sulliner (Texas woman who reported seeing a suspect at a motel)  
- Walter Patrick Peyson (linked to Salt Lake City and UTAH investigations, associated with a delivery truck)  
- John F. Willard (Diners Club account holder under investigation for potential ties to the case)  
- Harvey Lower/Loewyer (suspected rifle purchaser; surname variations noted)  
- Sidney Savey (individual who reported seeing someone resembling the assassin’s profile)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (center of the assassination investigation and crime scene)  
- Louisiana (arrests, motel registrations, suspect movements, and travel itineraries)  
- Texas (Nancy Sulliner’s location and connections)  
- Salt Lake City, Utah (suspect activity linked to delivery truck and printing equipment)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (gun purchase and latent fingerprint evidence)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (FBI office involved in coordination and memorial services)  

Key Events:  
- FBI efforts to compare latent fingerprints from the rifle to suspects like Simpson and Mark LNU  
- Investigation into Nancy Sulliner’s sighting of a suspect matching physical descriptions  
- Tracking of a white delivery truck with out-of-state licenses linked to Peyson and others  
- Examination of Diners Club accounts to identify potential suspects or financial ties  
- Coordination between FBI offices in New Orleans, Memphis, Salt Lake City, and others for case updates  
- Recovery of a rifle and clothing from the crime scene, including laundry tags linked to a Syracuse, New York manufacturer  
- Reporting by Sidney Savey about an individual resembling the assassin’s profile  
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – central to fingerprint analysis, suspect tracking, and inter-office communication  
- Civil Rights Division (involved in case handling and coordination)  
- Commercial National Bank (Shreveport, LA; referenced in financial records)  
- Diners Club (mentioned in financial context)  
- U.S. Department of Justice (via Executive Order 14176, which authorized declassification)

MLK Declassified Files

157-no-10673_hs1-852666771_122-01-part_2_of_6.pdf

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