</s>OFFICIAL FORM NO. 18 BEN PREMIERE (CPM) (CMO) 91418 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum Memorandum TO SAC (157-10673) DATE: 4/17/68 : : ASAC SYLVESTER FROM : SUBJECT: MURKIN C. L. McGOWAN of the Bureau was telephonically advised we would not interview ORLENA MILLER as MILLER was a very close friend of Jim GARRISON, UACB. McGOWAN agreed. JTS:sam (2) 151-1063-2597 SEARCHED: SEARCHEO: SEARCHD: DEDXED. SERIALIZED: FILLO. TILLO, SPP: NEW ORLEANS Big U.S. Savings Bonds Regulary on the Payroll Savings Plan S0O-100-C 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations in April 1968 related to potential suspects connected to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Key elements include inquiries into Eric Starvo Galt, a suspect linked to civil rights activities and the Continental Dance Studio in New Orleans, as well as his alleged ties to a safety deposit box in Birmingham, Alabama, surrendered on December 13, 1967. A letter from "Eric S. Galt" referenced relocation to Louisiana and items left in the box. Investigations also involved Donald D. Tanner, an enlisted U.S. Marine with New Orleans ties, Charles J. Stein, whose relatives reported his presence in New Orleans around Christmas 1967, and individuals associated with United Fruit Company maritime activities, including Malcolm A. Gault and Robert Gault. The FBI monitored armed suspects and sought information on potential threats.  

A press release dated April 17, 1968, details the FBI’s filing of federal conspiracy charges against Eric Starvo Galt (also known as Harvey Lowayer and John Willard) for conspiring to violate MLK’s civil rights during his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. The complaint alleges that Galt purchased a 30.06 rifle with a telescopic sight from a Birmingham, Alabama, dealer on March 30, 1968, and used it to shoot MLK. The weapon was found near a rooming house in Memphis overlooking the Lorraine Hotel, where MLK stayed. Galt is described as a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, and a nervous habit of pulling his earlobe. His travel history includes trips to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Birmingham, Mexico, and Atlanta, where he was linked to an abandoned 1966 white Mustang in Georgia. The FBI also released photographs and composite descriptions of Galt for public identification.  

Administrative records include "Indices Search Slip" forms listing names with birth dates, addresses, and references to criminal or subversive case files, possibly related to tracking individuals connected to MLK’s assassination or other activities. Additional entries from FBI Form FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) document physical descriptions of individuals, including a white male described as approximately 50 years old, 5'9" tall, 150 lbs, with brown hair and gray eyes, who allegedly questioned Adolf I. Botnick, director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), during a speech at St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans in 1965. Other records reference investigations involving Jim Garrison, the District Attorney of New Orleans, who sought Bob Guzman, a former private investigator for Guy Bannister, described as a white male approximately 5'8" tall, 150 lbs, with gray hair.  

Key People  
- Eric Starvo Galt (also known as Harvey Lowayer, John Willard)  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK)  
- Donald D. Tanner (enlisted U.S. Marine, New Orleans resident)  
- Charles J. Stein (individual reported in New Orleans around Christmas 1967)  
- Malcolm A. Gault (United Fruit Company employee, maritime background)  
- Robert Gault (United Fruit Company employee, maritime background)  
- Adolf I. Botnick (director of the Anti-Defamation League [ADL])  
- Jim Garrison (District Attorney of New Orleans)  
- Bob Guzman (former private investigator for Guy Bannister)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Lorraine Hotel, rooming house where weapon was found)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (Continental Dance Studio, Myers Costume Shop, Whitney Bank, St. Mary's Dominican College)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (safety deposit box referenced, FBI office)  
- Los Angeles, California (ties to Charles J. Stein and United Fruit Company records)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (abandoned Mustang found)  
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Louisiana Drivers License Division)  

Key Events  
- Investigation into Eric Starvo Galt’s potential involvement in civil rights activities and connections to the Continental Dance Studio  
- Examination of a safety deposit box in Birmingham with a letter from "Eric S. Galt" referencing relocation to Louisiana  
- FBI filing of federal conspiracy charges against Eric Starvo Galt for involvement in MLK’s assassination (April 17, 1968)  
- Search for individuals associated with dance instructors in New Orleans and other locations  
- Release of photographs and composite descriptions of Galt for public identification  
- Administrative searches for fingerprints, handwriting specimens, and driver’s license records of listed individuals  
- Questioning of Adolf I. Botnick by an unidentified individual during a 1965 speech at St. Mary's Dominican College  
- Investigation by Jim Garrison’s office into Bob Guzman, linked to Guy Bannister and law enforcement in Louisiana  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United Fruit Company (mentioned in records related to Malcolm A. Gault and Robert Gault)  
- Anti-Defamation League (ADL)  
- Louisiana Drivers License Division (used for data collection in fingerprint and identity checks)  
- District Attorney’s Office, New Orleans (conducted investigations related to Guzman and Bannister)

MLK Declassified Files

157-no-10673_hs1-852666771_122-03-part_3_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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