</s>NE 44-1987 TON:t.jm 1 JOSEPH ADAMS currently incarcerated at the Illinois State Penitentiary was acquired with JAMES EARL RAY at the Missouri State Penitentiary. ADAMS left the penitentiary in October, 1967. RAY brought food to the hospital where ADAMS was working and he assumed Ray worked in the prison kitchen. He described him as a quiet individual, but he never talked directly to him nor did he ever observe him with any other lamates. LEO BARNETT currently incarcerated AT the Florida State Prison, Raiford, Florida, knew JAMES EARL RAY in the Missouri state Prison from about 1962 until August 1, 1966. He met his father through BILLY MILES, recently at the New Orleans cemetery. RAY never said much, did not bother anybody, was a loser and never said he did not do nothing and a definite mental problem. He was taking powdered amphetamine while in prison and would suffer weight losses and gains of 10 to 15 pounds over short periods of time. BARNETT stated that aphetamine taken in quantities would produce a substantial rapid weight loss. The amphetamine supply, prior to 1964, was $5 a shot or less and after 1964, although the supply was limited, it still sold for the same price. 46 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains inmate statements, prison records, and arrest histories detailing James Earl Ray’s incarceration at Missouri State Penitentiary (1962–1965) and Leavenworth Penitentiary, his alleged drug dealing activities, escape planning, and interactions with other inmates. Inmates described Ray as a loner, racist, and drug user who consumed amphetamines and engaged in smuggling operations. Some noted his interest in escaping prison, including tunneling plans, and references to travel to Mexico (e.g., Campeche Bay, Torreco) and New Orleans. Ray allegedly discussed a $100,000 bounty on Martin Luther King Jr.’s head but did not explicitly state intent to kill him. Inmates also mentioned his physical traits, such as pulling at his left ear, and connections with smuggling networks. Separate records include FBI numbers (e.g., 504973, 1271571), arrest histories for burglary, robbery, forgery, and vagrancy between 1946 and 1960, and administrative notes about document indexing. No conclusive evidence or statements directly linking Ray to MLK’s assassination are provided in the summaries.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Central figure; incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary (1962–1965) and Leavenworth Penitentiary; described as a loner, racist, drug user, and escape planner.  
- **Joseph Adams**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; Ray brought him food and was observed in the prison kitchen.  
- **Leo Barnett**: Inmate at Florida State Prison; noted Ray’s amphetamine use and mental instability.  
- **Carl Drake**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; described Ray’s escape attempts.  
- **Billy Miles**: Inmate who claimed Ray had no close friends.  
- **Walter B. Nolan**: Inmate who noted Ray’s distrust of other prisoners and frequent escape planning.  
- **Robert Powell**: Inmate who knew Ray slightly; stated he was a loner with no close associates.  
- **Donald Johnson**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; denied knowledge of escape assistance or MLK connections.  
- **Neal ABBY**: Former prison cook who described Ray as an amphetamine user.  
- **James Ritzler**: Inmate who met Ray in 1955; noted his erratic behavior.  
- **Milton Zavalcofski**: Inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary who knew Ray and noted his escape.  
- **Charles Calvin Bookman**: Served time with Ray at Leavenworth; claimed to have interacted with him in Los Angeles in 1967.  
- **Walter Terry Rife**: Inmate at Leavenworth who denied association with Ray.  
- **Rita Stein, Marie Martin, GINGER NANCE**: Provided accounts of interactions with ERIC S. GALT (possibly an alias for Ray).  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Primary location for Ray’s incarceration (1962–1965); described as a hub for drug trafficking and escape planning.  
- **Leavenworth Penitentiary (Kansas)**: Site of Ray’s incarceration; mentioned in inmate accounts of his escape.  
- **Campeche Bay, Mexico**: Referenced as a potential hiding place for Ray.  
- **Torreco, Mexico**: Mentioned in smuggling and red-light district contexts.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Noted by some witnesses as a city Ray appeared interested in.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Linked to Ray’s alleged associations and travel; site of the St. Francis Hotel (mentioned in interactions with GALT).  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Mentioned in relation to Ray’s alleged associations and travel.  

Key Events  
- **Ray’s drug use**: Amphetamine consumption leading to weight fluctuations and erratic behavior.  
- **Escape planning**: Multiple attempts to tunnel out of prison; failed tunnel job noted by inmates.  
- **Discussion of MLK assassination**: Ray allegedly mentioned a $100,000 bounty on King’s head but did not explicitly state intent to kill him. Some inmates claimed he never discussed such a bounty.  
- **Smuggling activities**: Involvement in smuggling goods via Mexico, including drugs and contraband; connections with prison gangs and inmates like Jimmy Carpenter.  
- **Ray’s escape from Missouri State Penitentiary (1967)**: Described by multiple inmates with no consensus on method or accomplices.  
- **Arrests and legal records**: Multiple arrests for burglary, robbery, forgery, and vagrancy between 1946 and 1960; release under Executive Order 14176.  

Key Organizations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Central to Ray’s incarceration and prison activities.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Involved in investigations of Ray’s movements and associations (e.g., FBI numbers 504973, 1271571).  
- **Prison gangs/smuggling networks**: Implied through descriptions of Ray’s smuggling operations and connections with inmates.  
- **Local police departments**: Mentioned in arrest records for burglary, robbery, and forgery (e.g., Los Angeles PD, Chicago PD).  
- **U.S. Postal Service**: Referenced in forgery cases tied to Ray’s criminal history.

MLK Declassified Files

44-al-493-493a_729423_02-03-part_2_of_4.pdf

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