</s>STATE OF MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES GEORGE M.CAMP Jefferson City DEPUTY DIRECTOR February 27, 1976 MEMORANDUM TO: JAMES EARL RAY FILE George M. Camp FROM: Investigation of the James Earl Ray escape RE: and financing of his activities As well as reviewing James Earl RAY's file and the files of several other inmates and employees, which are listed below. I talked with former Warden Harold R. Wilson and former Senior Correctional Officer Bernard Poiry regard- ing any knowledge they might have of the activities of James Earl Ray. On February 26, Mr. Swenson informed that he that his involved in any extensive illegal activities within the prison and in fact was a "merchant" and that he was not prison in fact as a "loner" he noted that the only significant point to James Earl Rays' record his sev- on that same day, February 26. I had an extensive discus- stolen evidence, to escape Earl Ray's record. Major Bernard Poiry. In the subsequent the conclusions made to me by Warden Swanson and in his opinion, James Earl Roy court himself after his escape. He was the loner who attempted to escape with several occasions. Major Poiry felt that little expert with other inmates. Major Poliry felt at James and not due to any dealings between Ray and employees of the institution. The report written at the time of Ray's escape substantiates this conclusion. Major POiry stated 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail communications between the Missouri Department of Social Services (via George M. Camp) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), focusing on James Earl Ray’s activities during his incarceration at the Missouri State Penitentiary in the early to mid-1960s, including his 1967 escape. The FBI was requested to investigate Ray’s potential involvement in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968. Camp’s review of prison records and interviews with staff concluded that Ray’s escape did not involve complex prison operations, and he was not a “merchant” (a term possibly referring to organized crime ties). The FBI reviewed materials provided by Camp in April–May 1976 but found no new information or contradictions to Camp’s findings.  

The documents also reference a legal case involving James Earl Ray and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Cincinnati, Ohio. On February 3, 1976, an entry was recorded on Docket Number 75-1795, indicating that the case was argued by James Hiram Lesar for the appellant and William J. Haynes, Jr., for the appellee, with the case submitted to the court. The text includes a release notice under Executive Order 14176 and references an FBI file number (Cincinnati, Ohio File No.) and a Legal History Memorandum (LEM) dated February 4, 1976.  

Key People:  
- **George M. Camp**: Deputy Director of Missouri’s Department of Social Services, initiated the review of Ray’s records.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted of killing MLK Jr., incarcerated in Missouri before his 1967 escape.  
- **Clarence M. Kelley**: FBI Director, received requests to investigate Ray’s activities.  
- **Reverend Emanuel Cleaver**: Missouri official who corresponded with Camp about Ray.  
- **Lou Miller**: Former Missouri State Penitentiary inmate who claimed knowledge of Ray’s activities.  
- **James Hiram Lesar**: Appellant’s counsel in the legal case involving Ray.  
- **William J. Haynes, Jr.**: Appellee’s counsel in the legal case involving Ray.  
- **Betty Tibbles**: Deputy Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals.  

Key Locations:  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, MO)**: Where Ray was incarcerated.  
- **FBI Kansas City Field Office**: Involved in reviewing materials and conducting interviews.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice.  
- **Cincinnati, Ohio**: Location of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Referenced in context of MLK’s assassination and related events.  

Key Events:  
1. **April 13, 1976**: Camp requested the FBI investigate Ray’s activities during his incarceration, including his 1967 escape.  
2. **April–May 1976**: FBI reviewed materials from Camp’s investigation but found no new evidence or discrepancies.  
3. **March 5, 1976**: The FBI received a request to review records related to Ray’s case from the U.S. Court of Appeals (Sixth Circuit).  
4. **February–April 1976**: Communications between Camp and the FBI included discussions about potential informants (e.g., Mrs. Gladys Minnitt) and the status of Ray’s prosecution in Tennessee.  
5. **February 3, 1976**: Legal case involving James Earl Ray was argued on Docket Number 75-1795 before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.  
6. **February 4, 1976**: A Legal History Memorandum (LEM) was prepared and distributed to the FBI and Memphis.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Civil Rights Division (CRD)**: Monitored the case for potential federal action.  
- **U.S. Court of Appeals (Sixth Circuit)**: Provided records related to Ray’s legal proceedings.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews and reviewed materials; involved in both prison investigations and legal case reviews.  
- **Missouri Department of Social Services**: Initiated review of Ray’s incarceration records via George M. Camp.  

Note: The document contains fragmented text with unclear references to individuals, dates, and events. Some entries include typographical errors or incomplete information (e.g., inconsistent dates, ambiguous names). No social security numbers are present in the summary.

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_001_ser_231_only-part_05_of_12.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search