</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION . In Reply, Please Refer to Tampa, Florida File No. June 11, 1968 PERNELL EZZELL Manager, Perdue Radio, Television and Appliances, Incorporated, 2425 Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida, furnished the following information, PENNELL EEZZEIL is a former employee was has been missing about three weeks on this last occasion. He has previously left this job on past occasions and has been taken back. He called WETZEL on the morning of June 6, 1968 Denver, Colorado. Mr. WETZELL said EZZEL! seemed as though he were nervous, crazy or drunk. EZZEILL alleged to WETZZEL that he had a pile of $20.00 bills which he had obtained as a result of his part in the assassination of a result in his mind. Senator ROBERT KING EDDED, ZZZZZZZZ-ZZZ-ZZZZ-Z-KENNEDY we had proof he was in Orlando, when KING was shot and he was as Las Vegas when KENNED was shot on the payroll of "CAA" and "OSI" his remarked he had a "38" in a "37" of his car. He said he was using a "U-571" his car in Las Vegas he had the previous day with the of his son. He had the deputy released when his car was in the same position as a deputy. He Said he was released when he he produced gun Associated Detective Agency card anchors gun permit which he read the number from as being 928. 11 - Buream 1 - Las Vegas 1 - 11th MI, Orlando 1 - Birmingham 1 - Los Angeles 2 - New York, New York 1 - N-551, ABB, CA- 1 - Denver 3 - Tampa 1 - New Orleans 1 - 2 - Los Jacksonville GWT: sas 62-NEW" - N.W.A.B. (29) 105-3231/503 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into Pernell Ezzell, a Florida resident with a history of alcoholism, legal troubles, and alleged ties to racial unrest. Ezzell claimed he was in Orlando, Florida, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, when Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot on June 5, 1968. He referenced possessing a firearm, a gun permit (number 928), and interactions with law enforcement, including a deputy’s release after showing the permit. The FBI assessed Ezzell as "armed and dangerous" due to his firearm possession and instability from intoxication. A CIA check found no evidence linking him to agency operations. Ezzell denied direct involvement in MLK’s assassination but admitted to heavy drinking, financial struggles, and a history of arrests for driving under influence and auto theft. The FBI compiled information on individuals allegedly connected to racial agitators, including Walter "Buster" Cooper, Charles Releford, Robert Small, Lewis Walls, and Frank Wetzel (Ezzell’s former employer at Perdue Radio). Financial records from the Tampa FBI office document operational costs for August and September 1968.  

Key People  
- **Pernell Ezzell**: Subject of investigation; denied involvement in MLK’s assassination but admitted to alcoholism, financial issues, and legal history (DUI arrests, auto theft).  
- **Frank Wetzel**: Identified as Ezzell’s former employer at Perdue Radio and Television Company; mentioned in context of marital disputes.  
- **Walter "Buster" Cooper**, **Charles Releford**, **Robert Small**, **Lewis Walls**: Alleged racial agitators linked to incidents in Florida, including the Orange Liquors case and potential ties to Moses Davis.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Fragmentarily referenced as connected to MLK’s assassination; mentioned alongside Ezzell in FBI records.  
- **Violet Allred**: A woman Ezzell claimed was a girlfriend and nurse, associated with his activities in Orlando.  

Key Locations  
- **Orlando, Florida**: Central location for Ezzell’s residence, treatment at Florida Sanitarium Hospital, and investigations into racial unrest.  
- **Las Vegas, Nevada**: Mentioned as the location where Ezzell claimed to have been present during RFK’s assassination.  
- **Denver, Colorado**: Site of Ezzell’s June 6, 1968, phone call to WETZEL.  
- **Tampa, Florida**: FBI office involved in tracking Ezzell and documenting operational costs.  

Key Events  
- **Ezzell’s June 6, 1968, phone call**: Claimed possession of $20 bills from an assassination, referenced RFK and JFK, and mentioned interactions with law enforcement.  
- **FBI assessment of Ezzell as "armed and dangerous"**: Based on firearm possession and history of intoxication-induced instability.  
- **Investigation into racial agitators**: Focused on individuals linked to Orange Liquors in Orlando, potential Molotov cocktail production, and ties to the NAACP.  
- **FBI cost records**: Documented Tampa office expenditures for August and September 1968, including man-hours and mileage.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ezzell, racial agitators, and operational costs; shared information with CIA and other agencies.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Checked for evidence linking Ezzell to agency operations but found none.  
- **Orlando Police Department**: Recorded Ezzell’s 1961 DUI and auto theft arrests.  
- **National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)**: Mentioned as a potential financial source for racial agitators.

MLK Declassified Files

157-tp-3231_629182_176-01-part_6_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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