</s>4/26/68 PLAIN TELETYPE URGENT TO: DIRECTOR (44-44-8861) AND TIME: 11:45 CHICAGO (44-(44-1144), MEMPHIS (44-'1987), MIAMI, AND SAN FRANCISCO FROM: PITTSBURGH (44'-5878) MURKIN, 00: MEMPHIIS RE CHICAGo TEL BUREAU, FOUR TWENTYFIVE LAST. RE THREATS TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FOR INFO MIAMI, HARRY P. STEWERT, US. SECRET SERVICE REPORTED HIS NEPHEW, STEWART LINDH, TWO TWO ZERO SIX, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF ,, CLAIMED AND HE AND TWO OTHERS THROUGH NEWSPAPER AD OBTAINED RIDE WITH STOUT. AT KANSAS CITY, MO ., STOUT DISPAPERAD WITH THEIR EFFECTS. BEFORE STOUT DISAPPEARED, HE TOLD THEM WE WAS GOING TO SHOOT KING. ON FOUR TENTYSIX INSTANT, RAYMOND ZACKOVICH, SECRET SERVICE AGENT, PITTSBURG, ADVISED HARRYP. P. SEWART, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT. RETIRED ONE YEAR AGO. STEVART, NOW RESIDING AT ROUTE ONE, BOX THREE EIGHT EIGHT, SEBASTIAN, FLA. 1 - ATLANTA (AM) 44-2386-1401 WLC/emq SEARCHED INDERED (2) SERIALIZED FILTER APR 2:1969 FBI-ATLANTA 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail FBI and Secret Service investigations into threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and inquiries into individuals linked to his assassination. On April 26, 1968, Stewart Lindh, a relative of retired Secret Service agent Harry P. Stewart, claimed with two others they planned to shoot MLK during a newspaper-advertised trip to Kansas City. Raymond Zackovich, a Secret Service agent, informed Stewart about the threat. The FBI-Atlanta released information under Executive Order 14176, including inmate records from Pontiac Prison (Illinois) for former inmates like Lee Miller, Edward Rivera, Gus Marazin, Charles Reed, Fred M. Petrackis, Kenneth D. Fosdyck, and Dwight Rome, whose addresses were sought to identify James Earl Ray (Eric Ray). The documents also reference a missing person case involving John E. Willard, an insurance agent who owed money to his employer and was last known in Chicago. Investigations into Ray’s movements included interviews at the Holiday Inn Motel in Chattanooga (Tennessee), where no one recognized him. A separate inquiry involved Shelby Jean Baldridge and her husband Elbert Baldridge, connected to Ray through their family; the FBI sought to locate Baldridge in Saltville, Virginia. In New Orleans, telephone records linked to Ray and Charles Stein were examined, including calls from Rita Stein (Rita Rosas) and her mother Clovina Olonzo, with details about phone numbers and interactions with Los Angeles authorities. Carmen Rubio, widow of Rita Stein’s father, reported that Charles Stein had taken her grandchildren in 1967 and sought assistance from LA police.  

Sgt. Baldridge reported his wife, Shelby Lean, missing since April 1, 1968, last seen in Clarksville, Virginia. She is described as a white female, 5'4", 124-130 lbs, with black hair and a scar on her left wrist. Baldridge suspected she may have been involved with Ray based on her alleged contact with an individual named Eric Ray during a 1957 trip to Florida. The documents include details about her vehicle (a 1966 Ford with Virginia license plates) and her family members, including her parents, Billy and Mrs. Faucett, in Clarksville, Virginia. Other sections focus on John D. Hagan, interviewed by the FBI in 1965 regarding alleged Klan ties and potential involvement in plots to assassinate MLK. Hagan is described as a "loner" with no known connection to conspiracy. The documents also reference threats against MLK, including claims that Hagan may have obtained information from Lawrence D. Harrell, an elderly former Klansman. A separate investigation details Billy Joe Faulkner, a white male arrested in 1967 for attempted murder and later charged with drug-related offenses. His family members, including his sister Doris Serber and wife Sue Kelly, are mentioned, along with his employment history and alleged mental health issues. The FBI sought to locate Faulkner, who was reportedly incarcerated in Dallas County Jail at the time.  

The document contains fragmented records from multiple FBI investigations spanning 1967-1968, including inquiries into stolen vehicles in Georgia, Delta Airlines Flight 725 (April 1968), and connections to individuals linked to Ray. It references ledger entries related to William G. Faulkner, Robert Michael Kane, and Jimmie Delton Garner, detailing rental payments, tenant disputes, and descriptions of individuals such as "Harper" and "Galt." A review of stolen car records in Texas and Georgia notes no matches for vehicles reported missing from the state of Georgia. An investigation into Delta Airlines Flight 725 includes a report of a rifle box labeled "Mauser" found on board, with first officer Max K. Jones stating it was standard to secure weapons in the pilot's cabin. A confidential source at Heritz Rent-A-Car confirms no rental records for a phone number associated with Ray’s alleged travel in December 1967. Anthony Charles Decarvelho, a friend of Charles Stein, describes Stein’s interactions with "Galt" in New Orleans, including a map to escape the city and observations of a surveyor's transit in a car trunk. Stein is described as a believer in "cosmic philosophy," and his movements are traced to Los Angeles.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray** (Eric Ray): Suspected assassin of MLK Jr., linked to prison records, insurance agent John E. Willard, and connections to Shelby Jean Baldridge.  
- **Harry P. Stewart**: Retired Secret Service agent who received information about threats against MLK from his nephew Stewart Lindh.  
- **Raymond Zackovich**: Secret Service agent who informed Stewart about the threat.  
- **Shelby Jean Baldridge** and **Elbert Baldridge**: Married couple connected to Ray; their separation and family ties were investigated.  
- **Rita Stein** (Rita Rosas): Daughter of Charles Stein, involved in telephone records and interactions with Los Angeles authorities.  
- **Clovina Olonzo**: Mother of Rita Stein, provided details about phone numbers and calls related to Ray.  
- **Carmen Rubio**: Widow of Rita Stein’s father, reported that Charles Stein had taken her grandchildren in 1967.  
- **John D. Hagan**: Interviewed by FBI for potential ties to Klan and MLK threats.  
- **Billy Joe Faulkner**: Arrested for attempted murder and drug offenses; family members include Sue Kelly and Doris Serber.  
- **William G. Faulkner**, **Robert Michael Kane**, **Jimmie Delton Garner**, **Harper**, **Galt**, **Anthony Charles Decarvelho**, **Max K. Jones**, **Rita Rehkoff**  

Key Locations:  
- **Pontiac Prison** (Illinois): Former inmates’ records reviewed to identify Ray.  
- **Chicago, Illinois**: Last known residence of John E. Willard; also linked to the Chicago Credit Bureau.  
- **Chattanooga, Tennessee**: Holiday Inn Motel where no one recognized Ray.  
- **Saltville, Virginia**: Location sought for Shelby Jean Baldridge.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Telephone records and interviews involving Rita Stein, Clovina Olonzo, and Carmen Rubio.  
- **Clarksville, Virginia**: Last known residence of Shelby Lean (Sgt. Baldridge’s wife).  
- **Dallas County Jail, Texas**: Incarceration location for Billy Joe Faulkner.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**, **Atlanta, Georgia**, **Savannah, Georgia**, **San Antonio, Texas**, **10th Street, NE** (rental property)  

Key Events:  
- Investigation into threats against MLK, including claims by Stewart Lindh and others to shoot him.  
- Review of prison inmate records from Pontiac Prison to identify Ray.  
- Tracking of John E. Willard, an insurance agent who owed money and was last seen in Chicago.  
- Interviews at the Holiday Inn Motel in Chattanooga, where no one recognized Ray.  
- FBI efforts to locate Shelby Jean Baldridge in Saltville, Virginia.  
- Examination of telephone records linking James Earl Ray, Charles Stein, Rita Stein, and Los Angeles authorities.  
- Reports from Carmen Rubio about Charles Stein taking her grandchildren in 1967 and seeking police assistance.  
- FBI inquiries into potential threats against MLK, including interviews with John D. Hagan and efforts to identify Ray.  
- Sgt. Baldridge’s investigation into his wife’s disappearance and possible connection to Ray.  
- Arrests and charges related to Billy Joe Faulkner, including attempted murder in 1967 and drug offenses in 1968.  
- FBI searches for storage garages and unauthorized parking lots in Atlanta to locate vehicles linked to Ray.  
- Investigation into stolen vehicles in Georgia and Texas (April 1968).  
- Review of Delta Airlines Flight 725 (April 1968) for weapons and passenger identification.  
- Rental records check at Heritz Rent-A-Car for December 1967 travel.  
- Decarvelho’s account of Charles Stein’s interactions with "Galt" in New Orleans, including a map to escape the city and observations of a surveyor's transit in a car trunk.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **Secret Service**  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**  
- **National Auto Theft Bureau (NATED)**  
- **Delta Airlines**  
- **Heritz Rent-A-Car**  
- **State Police of Georgia and Texas**  
- **Motor Vehicle Division (MVD)**

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_159-05-part_1_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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