</s>PD 157-183 ME 44-1987 REVIEW OF UNIDENTIFIED LATENT FINGERPRINT FILES Arrangements were made with the appropriate Offices of all law enforcement agencies in the State of Oregon, which maintain unintended latent fingerprint files to which maintain undentified latent fingerprints received since April 23, 1968 to date against the fingerprints of James EARL RAY as they appear on 10 #182. No identifications were effected. The only agencies in this State of Oregon which maintain unidentified latent fingerprint files and the agencies contacted as above are. Portland, Oregon Police Department; Oregon; Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Portland, Oregon; Oregon State Bureau of Identification, Salem, Klamath Falls, Oregon State Police Department. -35- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail investigative activities by Oregon law enforcement and federal agencies in 1968 related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Key efforts included fingerprint checks of James Earl Ray against latent prints, reviews of Oregon vital statistics for males born on July 20, 1931, and inquiries into suspects such as Eric Starvo Galt, Harvey Lowyer, and others. Law enforcement contacted Oregon media to disseminate suspect photographs, including Ray, and investigated financial institutions, motor vehicle records, and dancing schools for connections to suspects. The FBI conducted nationwide license plate checks for individuals matching Ray’s age bracket and reviewed unsolved bank robbery cases linked to him. Investigations also examined Thermo Seal Marking Tape usage tied to a 1966 white Mustang. A Plymouth Fury III associated with William A. Marshall was recovered in California, and an APB cancellation note referenced a vehicle involved in the case. Administrative tasks included distributing wanted flyers for Ray through charitable organizations like the Salvation Army.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- Eric Starvo Galt (alleged alias of Ray)  
- Harvey Lowyer (investigated as a suspect)  
- Ronald E. Sherk (special agent involved in investigations)  
- Vern F. Davis, Elvin L. Barton, and others (law enforcement personnel)  
- Lond Rigs Parman (registered owner of a Ford Ranchero in Oregon)  
- William A. Marshall (linked to a Plymouth Fury III)  
- Carl Richard Bynum, Kenneth Bernard Covert, Albert Henry Desmet, John Gene Hamilton, Thomas NC Cutchon ROCHE, Hendrik Slickers Henriks, Henry Edwin Kin dell, Ralph Thomas Kolsber, James Gordon Thompson, David Earl EKSTRON, Patrick William Lotus, Carl Ernest Hanacek, William Edward Dorman, James Dross Hatton, Francis George Morgan, Ivan Delebert Steiner, Virgil Peter Vegla, Claude Dean Speaker, Eugene Earl Van Kirk, Raymond C. Blevin’s, George Henry King, James Earl Pruitt, Kenneth Gordon Bradley, Emrond Leroy Kouhter, Lero y Nordhagen, Thomas S. Fuller, Kenneth Richard Grotjoin, Sr., Wally Birch Harmon, Glenn Adelhert Haynes, John Veran Irish, Earl Lee Long, Joseph Harold Mitcham, Warren Parker Harfield, Anton Schlossser, Donald Jack Gale, Fred John Coombs, Hummy Edwin Kindall, James Gordon Thompson, Ralph Thomas Kloser, John Rose Rose, Jack Quints Craig, Harold John Byrne, Samuel Walter Kiker, Etzell Robert Brown, Carl Samuel Johnson, Wilson Stidham Taylor, Harold Raymond Hoffmann, Fred Alan Longner, Ivan Lewis Boe, Jerrolid Lawrence Ford, James Neal Winnett, Michael Ray Maynes, Alan Henry Nick, Richard Leo Olson, Joseph Bruce Collins, James Mike McCoy, Clifford Duane Carter, SA Brack Lester Wyse, Donald Eugene Wedel, Walter Charles Jamps a, Doyle Byno THERBERT, Clinton Arthur Lukins, SA Frank Davis, Charles Lee Thomas, J. D. Cotton, Blain Thoms Chamberlin, James Tillman Knight, SA Vern F. Davis, David Elroy Pattison, James Ray Adams, Stanley Eugene Ford, Robb Earl Jones, James Robert Norton, Leonard Sigerfed Nelson, Fred Abney Benenham, Timoffy Toran, Anton Edwin Smutty, Charles William Kobren, Trofim Marshuey, Edward John Hanson, Emil Harold Schipporit, SA Dugan David Warren Chesmore, Herbert Albert Kundert, Francis Henry Dreher, Kenneth Ray Miller, Horace Lynn Stens, Lawrence Henrt y Rescke, Samuel Richard Taylor  

Key Locations  
- Portland, Oregon (central focus for license checks and suspect listings)  
- Salem, Oregon  
- Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office  
- Oregon State Bureau of Identification  
- Hotel Rio Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  
- Umatilla Ordnance Depot, Oregon  
- Covina, California (location of recovered Plymouth Fury III)  
- Independence, Lincoln City, Monmouth, Toledo, Valestez, Baker, John Day, Ontario, Woodburn, Woodbury, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Clackamas  

Key Events  
- Fingerprint checks of James Earl Ray against latent prints (April 1968)  
- Review of Oregon vital statistics for males born July 20, 1931 (April 15, 1968)  
- Media outreach to disseminate suspect photographs (April 1968)  
- Investigation into Thermo Seal Marking Tapes linked to a white Mustang (April 1968)  
- Review of unsolved bank robbery cases involving Ray (April 24, 1968)  
- Recovery of Plymouth Fury III in California and cancellation of an APB (April 1968)  
- Nationwide license check for individuals matching Ray’s age bracket (April–May 1968)  
- Distribution of wanted flyers for James Earl Ray via charitable organizations (May 1968)  

Key Organizations  
- Oregon State Bureau of Vital Statistics  
- Oregon Motor Vehicle Division  
- Portland Police Department  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Office  
- Salvation Army (used for flyer distribution)  
- Financial institutions in Oregon  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Federal criminal investigator (John Durling Bagby)  
- U.S. Coast Guard  
- IBM customer engineer (Michael Edward Gott)  
- Northwest Bell

MLK Declassified Files

157-pd-380_628415_06-01-part_3_of_7.pdf

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