</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 MAY ARE FREE FROM $1.14/16 MAY HAVE THE BEST OF $1,14/18 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum A A Memorandum DATE: 5/7/16: TO : : SA, SAC, SAN JUAN (157-61) (P) : SA JOE C. SPARKS FROM : SURJECT: MURKIN CR MURKIIN Re memo of SA JAMES R. MANTIN, 4/17/63, and Albany airtel, 4 /2/68, The following investigation was conducted by SA JOB C. SPRARKS, 5/1/68 ,, in the Virgin Islands. The following investigator was conducted and WILFRED VOGEL, Manager, La Crock Laundry and SA JOR C. SARKS. 5/2/66, in The Virgin Islands! Cleansers, Frederick, St. Croix, advised that he uses Thermo-Seal, Fredricklisted, St Croix. advised that the use of and neither-Saul on dry cleaning and commercial laundry received. Red, blue, yellow, green, tan, and brown tapes are used to red, blue. Yellow, green. and brown tape are used for the system. It is such that the first, first, and second laundry tapes are received. group indicates the number of articles to be laundered in the particular order. Would example, in an 8 item in the particular order. The third entry is a letter from Atoe e the first digits would be 12. The first digits could be 12." The third entity is a Letter from in the designated the particular week of the month. The week. The fifth and sixth numbers are the customer numbers that Identify the individual who brought the order for laundry. Identify and identify the individual are brought in order for the week. tape machine and advised that in no instance do they ever use a zero to begin the code group. The order for Seal use a zero to begin and begin the order group. He advised that his but as soon as it was repaired he would run off the table samples of zero to tape and make them available to the interviewing agent. Jan Juan 150-6-1/11/11 Cocab SCANILLED JUAR

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements, financial activities, and potential connections to unsolved crimes between 1967 and 1968. Key efforts included tracking Ray’s alleged presence in Spokane, Washington; Juneau, Alaska; and the Virgin Islands, with focus on his ties to Bess Ray, a woman whose husband was incarcerated for armed robbery. The FBI coordinated with local law enforcement, consulted U.S. Census Bureau records, and examined laundry code systems used by businesses in the Virgin Islands to verify identities. Investigations also explored Ray’s alleged links to bank robberies and coded telegrams, while tracking suspects resembling him in Puerto Rico, including Roger Soderholm, whose travel records and physical description matched Ray. Witness accounts, airline manifests, and newspaper references were analyzed to corroborate sightings of individuals matching Ray’s profile. Discrepancies between witness descriptions and photographs persisted, with some identifying the suspect as James Earl Ray while others remained uncertain.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., tracked for financial transactions, movements, and alleged ties to unsolved crimes.  
- **Bess Ray**: Allegedly married to a man incarcerated for armed robbery; her husband’s identity and address were not disclosed.  
- **Edward Wenclaw**: Provided information about Ray’s relationships in Spokane and Juneau; linked to Bess Ray’s records.  
- **Roger Soderholm**: Suspect with travel ties to Pan Am and Delta Airlines, described as resembling Ray.  
- **Donald Churchill**: Linked to a 1960s murder case and a hotel stay in St. Croix (April 1968), leaving belongings including a New York Times article.  
- **Victor Villman**: Guest at Ellington’s Guest House in Cruz Bay, St. John, VI, described as matching Ray’s physical traits.  
- **Mrs. Emillie R. Snider**: Reported sighting of an individual resembling Ray in Curacao on April 25, 1968.  

Key Locations  
- **Spokane, Washington**: Alleged residence or dating location for Ray and Bess Ray.  
- **Juneau, Alaska**: Recent residence of Bess Ray.  
- **St. Croix, Puerto Rico**: Hotel stay by Donald Churchill; investigation into suspect matching Ray’s description.  
- **San Juan, Puerto Rico**: FBI coordination hub; Back Street Magazine Store involved in witness interviews.  
- **Cruz Bay, St. John, VI**: Ellington’s Guest House where Victor Villman stayed (April 23–25, 1968).  
- **Curacao**: Location of Mrs. Snider’s sighting of a man resembling Ray.  
- **St. Thomas, Virgin Islands**: Sites of laundry code system investigations and Lindbergh Bay Beach surveillance.  

Key Events  
- **April–May 1967–1968**: FBI efforts to trace Ray’s financial activities, movements, and connections to unsolved crimes via local police databases, Census Bureau records, and coded telegrams.  
- **April 1968**: Investigation into Donald Churchill’s hotel stay in St. Croix, including a marked New York Times article and Pan American Airways resume.  
- **May 13, 1968**: FBI directive to display Ray’s photograph to witnesses in unsolved crimes and request police assistance in identification.  
- **April–May 1968**: Surveillance of individuals resembling Ray in Puerto Rico, including sightings at San Juan International Airport, Lindbergh Bay Beach, and Ellington’s Guest House.  
- **April 23–25, 1968**: Investigation into Victor Villman’s stay at Ellington’s Guest House and his physical traits matching Ray’s photographs.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Conducted primary investigations, coordinated with local law enforcement, and used coded telegrams for tracking suspects.  
- **U.S. Census Bureau**: Consulted for records of deceased individuals linked to Ray.  
- **Local Police Departments** (e.g., St. John, St. Thomas): Assisted in verifying records of deceased persons and identifying suspects.  
- **Pan Am and Delta Airlines**: Provided travel records and witness accounts related to Roger Soderholm and other suspects.  
- **Internal Revenue Service (IRS)**: Referenced tax returns indicating James Earl Ray, Jr., was stationed at a naval base in Florida.  
- **Antilles Air Beat**: Reviewed airline manifests for suspect identification.

MLK Declassified Files

157-sj-61_hs1-69642311_06-01-part_5_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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