</s>OFFICIAL FORM NO. 19 MAY THE ELECTION: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO SAC (44-715) (P) DATE: 4/30/68 FROM : SA FRANK W. HAINES SUBJECT: MURKIN Re Albany airtel to Bureau dated 4/10/68. Memo of ASAC FORREST - PUTNAM dated 4 /18/68, On 4/9/68 , the following City Portales and Clovis, New Mexico, directories were checked for HARVEY LOWYMER and LOWYMER with negative results. On 4 /9/66 , the Following Telephone Directories were checked with negative result: LOWEYER and HARVEYE LOWERYER: Clovis. New Mexico Farwell, Texas Cormona Lane Texico Portales Arch New Mexico Causes Dora New Mexico - Grady, New Mexico Floyd Melrose Meadow Floyd Weber City Vaugurn Vaugum Weber Santa Rosa, Mountainer Mountainer Estancia It is noted that there was no City Directory in Ft. Summer, New Mexico. FTH/mwn (2) 44-175-117 SEARCHED. SEARCHING. FILLED. APR: 3 1968 Fbi-ABUQUERQUE Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan 2016-108 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements during December 1967, focusing on telephone calls made from pay stations in Texas and New Mexico. Ray traveled by automobile from Los Angeles via Interstate 10 through El Paso and San Antonio to Houston. The FBI requested telephone companies to review call records from specific locations (Van Horn, Sierra Blanca, Valentine, etc.) between December 12–17, 1967, to trace potential connections to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Telephone numbers linked to Ray’s travel route were cross-referenced with billing records and local directories. The FBI also tracked calls made by Ray from pay phones in Alpine, Texas, and El Paso, Texas, during late December 1967, noting specific times and numbers. Investigations included interviews with individuals in New Mexico (e.g., Mrs. Helen O’Neills, Rev. E.V. Combs) and checks of voter registrations and credit records to verify identities. The documents emphasize Ray’s status as an "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" individual due to his alleged involvement in the assassination.  

The document also references FBI inquiries into travel and financial transactions associated with Carl Ray or James Earl Ray, including credit card information (number 31088 issued April 1968 to "Carl Ray" of Pecos, Texas) and airline ticket purchases for flights between Los Angeles, Hawaii, Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Pan American Airlines and United Airlines records indicate no matches for Ray or aliases like James Earl Rray. Rental car agencies (Hertz, Avis, National) and hotels in Los Angeles, El Paso, and Denver show no records of Ray or associated travel. The FBI investigated potential connections to a man resembling Ray, including a report from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where a male with light brown hair and southern accent was seen purchasing snacks. Additional inquiries involved phone calls made from various locations (e.g., Houston, Atlanta) and checks on passport applications for individuals like Joe Bailey Muscowed, who had travel plans to Nigeria. The documents also reference a German doctor, Klaus Sterk, who may have encountered an individual at the Bristol Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, identified as Jor Mersan, possibly linked to Wilder 911 Company.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., tracked via telephone calls and travel routes.  
- **Mrs. Helen O’Neills**: Service representative at Texas Telephone Company, provided billing records for pay stations.  
- **Rev. E.V. Combs**: Pastor in Las Cruces, New Mexico, reported receiving a call from Ray’s associate on December 16, 1967.  
- **David Padilla**: Belen, New Mexico, described an individual resembling the assassin of Dr. King, noted for his physical description (5'11", dark hair, etc.).  
- **Mrs. Donovan Woodside**: Reported seeing an individual on American Airlines Flight 338, later identified as Ray.  
- **Carl Ray**: Subject of investigation; potential alias for James Earl Ray.  
- **Joe Bailey Muscowed**: Passport applicant with travel plans to Nigeria.  
- **Klaus Sterk**: German doctor, reported sighting at Bristol Hotel, Lagos.  
- **Jor Mersan**: Employee of Wilder 911 Company, possibly linked to Ray.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Departure point for Ray’s travel route; Los Angeles International Airport.  
- **El Paso, Texas**: Key stop along Ray’s journey; telephone records reviewed.  
- **Van Horn, Sierra Blanca, Valentine, Texas**: Pay stations where calls were made during Ray’s trip.  
- **Alpine, Texas**: Location of additional pay phones used by Ray.  
- **New Mexico (e.g., Las Cruces, Alamogordo)**: Sites of telephone investigations and interviews.  
- **Pecos, Texas**: Credit card information linked to Carl Ray.  
- **Santa Fe, New Mexico**: Report of a man resembling Ray purchasing snacks.  
- **Lagos, Nigeria (Bristol Hotel)**: Location of Klaus Sterk’s sighting.  

Key Events  
- **December 12–17, 1967**: FBI requested review of telephone calls made from specific Texas locations to trace Ray’s movements.  
- **December 16, 1967**: Rev. E.V. Combs in Las Cruces received a call from J.A. Cecil, who mentioned being snowed in Van Horn, Texas.  
- **May 1–5, 1968**: FBI memos document ongoing investigations into Ray’s whereabouts, including interviews with individuals in New Mexico and checks of voter records.  
- **April–May 1968**: Telephone call records from Alpine, Texas, were analyzed to identify potential connections to the assassination.  
- **Credit card transactions and airline ticket purchases for Carl Ray/James Earl Ray** (April 1968).  
- **FBI inquiries into travel records, rental cars, and hotel stays** (December 1967–May 1968).  
- **Report of a man resembling Ray in Santa Fe, New Mexico** (date unspecified).  
- **Passport application review for Joe Bailey Muscowed** (date unspecified).  
- **Investigation into Klaus Sterk’s sighting at the Bristol Hotel, Nigeria** (date unspecified).  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Albuquerque, El Paso, Dallas divisions)**: Conducted telephone investigations, tracked Ray’s movements, and issued alerts labeling him "ARMED AND DANGEROUS."  
- **Texas Telephone Company**: Provided billing records for pay stations used by Ray.  
- **Church of the Nazarene (Las Cruces, New Mexico)**: Rev. E.V. Combs reported receiving calls linked to Ray’s associates.  
- **Pan American Airlines**: No matches found for Ray or aliases in flight records.  
- **United Airlines**: No matches found for Ray or aliases in flight records.  
- **Hertz, Avis, National Rent-A-Car agencies**: No records of Ray or associated travel.  
- **U.S. Passport Office**: Reviewed applications for individuals like Joe Bailey Muscowed.  
- **Department of State (Nigerian Desk)**: Involved in inquiries related to Klaus Sterk’s sighting in Nigeria.  
- **U.S. Department of Commerce (International Commerce Bureau)**: Possibly involved in travel-related investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-aq-715_v2-part_3_of_5.pdf

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