</s>PAGE FOUR AT 44-2386 THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING CONDUCTED WITH TOP PRIORITY ATTENTION. END. VLB FBI LOS ANG. SVV FBI WASH HEP FBI BIRMINGHAM TSJ FBI MEMPHIS 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The FBI conducted an investigation into Eric Starvo Galt’s movements and activities in late 1968, focusing on potential connections to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On April 12, 1968, the Memphis field office requested Atlanta-based agents to review Dr. King’s itinerary from March 20 to his death on April 4, 1968. The investigation examined individuals who purchased a rifle in Birmingham on March 30 and binoculars in Memphis on April 4, as well as photos of Jerome Wallis Vernon, Harvey Lowey, John Willard, and others. A composite description of an unknown suspect (UNSUB) was provided: white male, 26–40 years old, 5'8" to 5'11", 150–185 pounds, dark brown hair, blue/green eyes, medium build. The FBI coordinated with local agencies to check hotel registries, witness statements, and car records, including a Mustang with Alabama plates linked to Galt. Investigations also tracked flight reservations, rental cars, and surveillance of locations near King’s residences and public meeting places in Memphis. Financial transactions, mail orders, airline tickets, and witness interviews were analyzed to verify Galt’s identity and activities. A composite sketch of Galt was created through photographic comparisons and witness descriptions. No direct link between Galt and the assassination was established in these records.  

Key People  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.** (assassination victim)  
- **Eric Starvo Galt** (suspect linked to car with Alabama plates)  
- **Jerome Wallis Vernon** (individual under investigation)  
- **Harvey Lowey** (individual under investigation)  
- **John Willard** (individual under investigation)  
- **Kenneth R. Heineman** (FBI agent involved in transit system checks)  
- **Frank V. Hitt** (SAC, Atlanta; coordinated investigative efforts)  
- **Angelo M. Robbe** (SAC, Atlanta; oversaw case management)  
- **Jay Vernon** (laundry owner in Los Angeles)  
- **H.H. Fletcher** (hotel guest at Briarcliff Hotel, Memphis)  
- **Sarah E. Collins** (identified as a companion to Fletcher)  
- **Ginger Nance** (ex-wife of Galt, later arrested for deceptive practices)  
- **Anita Katzwinkel** (individual associated with Galt’s movements)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (primary focus of investigation; locations near King’s residences and meeting places)  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** (where rifle was purchased on March 30, 1968)  
- **Atlanta, Georgia** (FBI headquarters for case coordination)  
- **Los Angeles, California** (car service records checked)  
- **Memorial Drive and Connally** (locations where car sightings were reported)  
- **Greensboro, North Carolina** (address linked to Fletcher’s residence)  
- **St. Francis Hotel, Hollywood Boulevard, Laundromat** (Los Angeles locations associated with Galt)  
- **Briarcliff Hotel** (Memphis hotel where H.H. Fletcher stayed)  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis.  
- **April 5, 1968**: A Mustang with Alabama plates was abandoned near Memphis.  
- **April 12, 1968**: FBI requested information on King’s itinerary and suspect tracking.  
- Tracking Galt’s hotel stays, forwarding addresses, and financial transactions through postal records.  
- Investigation into Galt’s purchase of camera equipment from a Chicago-based company.  
- Review of airline tickets and reservations to determine Galt’s travel patterns.  
- Verification of financial transactions, including checks and cash payments linked to Galt.  
- Identification of a composite sketch of Galt through witness descriptions and photographic comparisons.  
- Coordination with local agencies to check hotel registries, witness statements, and car records.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** (led investigation; offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Memphis, Birmingham)  
- **Southern California Gas Company** (linked to Galt’s mail orders)  
- **U.S. Postal Service** (tracking forwarding addresses and mail records)  
- **Locksmith Ledger** (source of a marked book sent to Galt)  
- **Atlanta Transit System** (provided bus schedule information)  
- **Delta Airlines** (checked flight records for suspects)  
- **Local law enforcement agencies** (Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta; provided witness statements and car details)

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_156-04-part_4_of_4.pdf

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