</s>AT 44-2386 CHARLES COUEY WALT INGRAM Salemens Bonnie Davis Chevrolet Company Bonnie, Georgia Bonnie Davidson Chevrolet Company JAMES ROBINSON JAMES ROSSINS C & M M Motor Company Rome, Georgia GORDON LEE GORDOM LEE Kerce Car Company Rome. Georgia DOUG PADGETT Paggett's Used Cars ROME, Georgia J. B. LUMPKINN Salesman Holbrook Buck-Pontiac Rome_Georgia JOHN D. BARNETT Superintendent of Detectives Rome Police Department Rome Georgia On 1/25/68: JOSEPH HAROLD JOHNSON Johnson's Used Car Shannon's Used Garage Rome , Georgia COLEMAN SPEARS Salesman Shorter Avenue Motors Rome; Georgia 3 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The text contains a mix of declassified government records and unrelated material. It includes investigative notes from the FBI and local police departments regarding James Earl Ray, including a wanted poster displayed in Rome, Georgia, and inquiries into Raymond Frederick Worrell’s driver’s license and residency claims. A memorandum dated May 9, 1968, concludes that Worrell is not connected to Ray. FBI case files under serial numbers 44-2386, 44-38861, etc., are referenced in administrative memos. Later sections include unrelated content such as character lists from Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and other literary references, which appear disconnected from the main investigation.  

The text also details FBI investigative reports on James Earl Ray’s movements, purchases, and interactions with individuals like Lewie Raymond Dowda, an inmate who described Ray’s alleged racist views and expressed a desire to kill Martin Luther King Jr., though no direct evidence of a murder contract was confirmed. Logistical details about Ray’s travel, residences, and associations in 1967–1968 are included. Additional records reference Ray’s time at Missouri State Prison, including his 1966 escape attempt (during which he broke his arm), financial struggles due to drug use, interactions with prison staff and inmates such as Harold Schaffer and Neil Abby, and alleged connections to Donald Dean Rigger. Notes on Ray’s potential escape plans, reliance on external income sources, and the involvement of civilian kitchen supervisor Benjamin O. Goodin in hiding Ray during an earlier attempt are also present.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation)  
- Raymond Frederick Worrell (driver’s license inquiry)  
- Lewie Raymond Dowda (inmate who provided information on Ray)  
- Harold Schaffer (guard at Missouri State Prison)  
- Neil Abby (chief cook at Missouri State Prison)  
- Donald Dean Rigger (Ray’s associate; wife worked at Napa State Hospital)  
- Benjamin O. Goodin (civilian kitchen supervisor at Missouri State Prison)  
- Harry L. Lee (FBI special agent)  
- Angelo M. Robbe (Georgia Motor Vehicles Bureau)  
- Thelma Turner (Motor Vehicles Bureau employee)  
- Ben Bell (Peachtree Motel manager)  
- Eric Stravo Galt (name linked to Ray via speculative connections to fictional characters)  
- Frank Fullington (individual mentioned as a car seller)  
- Dennis Clayton (Naval Air Station Hospital patient with potential ties to Ray)  

Key Locations  
- Rome, Georgia  
- Atlanta, Georgia  
- Smyrna, Georgia  
- Tallahassee, Florida  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Jackson, Mississippi  
- Missouri State Prison  
- Lake of the Ozarks  
- Napa State Hospital  
- Naval Air Station Hospital, Millington, Tennessee  

Key Events  
- Display of James Earl Ray’s wanted poster in Floyd County Police Department and Rome, Georgia  
- Investigation into Raymond Frederick Worrell’s driver’s license and residency claims  
- FBI inquiries into vehicle registrations and license plate information  
- James Earl Ray’s movements and residences in 1967–1968  
- Ray’s purchase of a car and weapons  
- Lewie Raymond Dowda’s testimony about Ray’s racist views and alleged intent to kill MLK Jr.  
- FBI tracking of Ray’s activities via teletypes and interviews  
- James Earl Ray’s 1966 escape attempt from Missouri State Prison, during which he broke his arm  
- Ray’s alleged drug use (amphetamines) and financial struggles while incarcerated  
- Interactions between Ray, prison staff, and inmates, including Schaffer and Abby  
- Ray’s reported interest in Western music and plans to visit the Lake of the Ozarks post-release  
- Goodin’s role in hiding Ray during an earlier escape attempt  

Key Organizations  
- Floyd County Police Department  
- Rome Police Department  
- Georgia Bureau of Motor Vehicles  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Atlanta Police Department  
- Memphis Office (FBI)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- Naval Air Station Hospital, Millington, Tennessee  
- Napa State Hospital

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_160-04-part_2_of_3.pdf

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