</s>PAGE TWO AT 44-2386 THIS MAN KEPT RAY IN SPENDING MONEY WHILE RAYIN IN ILLINOIS. PRISON AND WOULD HARBOR RAY. RAY HAD ANOTHER CLOSE FRIEND (NAME UNRECALLED) OF ITALIAN DESCENT, APPARENTLY, APPRENTLY "A BIG MAN" IN SYNDICATE. THIS ITALIAN HAD APPARENTSLY OPERATED WITH RAY RAY in PAST AND ENGAGED WITH RAY I IN HANDLING STOLEN POST OFFICE MONEY ORDERS AND TRAVELERS CHECKS. AFTER SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS AS CELL, MATES, JACKSON COUNTY JALL, RAY SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS ON POST OFFICES, BURGLARY CHARGES, TRANSFERRED TO LEAVENWORTH, FEDERAL PENTENTIARY. TWO WEEKS LATER, CURTIS RECEIVED SIXTEEN YEARS SENTENCE FOR BANK ROBBERY AND SENT TO LEAVENNORTH, WHILE CONFINED LEAVENNORTH DURING THIS PERIOD, RRAY SPOKE OF NO GIRL FRIEND AND CORRESPONDED WITH NONE. RRAY MENTIONED HE "OPERATED" FREQUENTLY OUT OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS, WHICH MEANT "ENGAGED IN BURGLARLY AND PAYROLL JOBS ... WHILE AND RAY WERE INCARCERATED, THEY ENGAGERED IN CROOKED POKER JOBS ... WHILIE AND TOOK FELLOW PRISONERS FOR MONEY. RAY GOOD POKEN PLAYER AND EXCELLENT CARD HANDLER. RAV MENTIONED UNDER WORLD AND HOODLUM CONNECTIONS (NAMES UNREALLED IN CHICAGO, DETROIT, TAMPA, AND TIJUANA, MEXICO AREAS ... SERVING SEVEN TO EIGHT MONTHs WITH RAY AT LEAVENEORTH, CURTUS TRANSPERRED U.S. PENTIENTIAL, AND IN JUNE, SIXTYTWO, ATLANTA, GA. CURTS SERVED U. S.PENTIENTARY, ATLANTIA, AND IND IN JUNG, SixtyTWO ,, SENT BACK MISSOURI STATE PENTIENTIAR, JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOUIRI, TO SERVE END PAGE TWO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail the FBI’s investigation into James Earl Ray’s movements following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Key activities include tracking Ray through transportation records, witness statements, and vehicle checks. Agents investigated flight manifests, hotel stays, and car rentals to trace his whereabouts post-assassination. A pilot from Eastern Airlines Flight 106 (April 5, 1968) was interviewed but did not recall Ray on the flight. Witness Jackie Knox reported seeing an individual resembling Ray near a railroad depot in Marietta, Georgia, on April 21, 1968, prompting FBI verification efforts. Car recovery records and name/address checks were pursued, though no definitive matches emerged. Coordination between FBI offices in Atlanta, Memphis, New York, and other locations was emphasized to locate Ray, who was treated as “armed and dangerous.” The investigation remained inconclusive, with unresolved leads and ongoing efforts to gather more information on his movements.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central suspect in MLK’s assassination; investigated for movements post-April 4, 1968.  
- **Jackie Knox**: Witness who reported seeing an individual resembling Ray near Marietta Railroad Depot on April 21, 1968.  
- **Harold Flechter**: Tenant identified as a possible match for a composite sketch of Ray but ruled out after further investigation.  
- FBI agents across multiple offices (Atlanta, Memphis, New York, etc.) involved in tracking Ray and coordinating efforts.  

Key Locations  
- **Marietta, Georgia**: Site of the railroad depot where Jackie Knox reported seeing an individual resembling Ray.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Primary location for initial investigation and flight records checks.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Location of MLK’s assassination.  
- **New York**: Destination of Eastern Airlines Flight 106 (April 5, 1968).  

Key Events  
- **Post-assassination tracking**: FBI efforts to locate Ray through transportation logs, witness statements, and vehicle checks after April 4, 1968.  
- **Witness interviews**: Pilot from Eastern Airlines Flight 106 interviewed regarding Ray’s possible presence on the flight.  
- **Hotel room checks**: Investigation of a roominghouse near Marietta Railroad Depot to identify potential matches for Ray’s description.  
- **Car recovery efforts**: Requests for information on stolen vehicles in Georgia (post-January 4, 1968) and post-April 4, 1966, linked to Ray’s movements.  
- **Name/address verification**: Checks of voting registers, telephone directories, and tenant records to identify potential matches for Ray.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI**: Led the investigation into Ray’s movements, coordinating across multiple offices and utilizing transportation, financial, and witness data.  
- **Eastern Airlines**: Involved in flight record checks for April 5, 1968.  
- **Transportation companies**: Provided records on car rentals, flights, and vehicle recoveries.  
- **Credit bureaus and postal services**: Used to verify names, addresses, and financial transactions linked to Ray.

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_158-04-part_4_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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