</s>SI 44-561 IV. ASSOCIATES OF JAMES EARL RAY - 88 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details FBI investigations into Walter Terry Rife, an associate of James Earl Ray, focusing on his activities, incarceration history, and potential connections to criminal behavior. Rife was incarcerated at Menard Prison in Peoria, Illinois, from 1959 to 1964, with a prior sentence at Joliet Prison. He operated the Virginia Hotel restaurant in Quincy, Illinois, from 1967, where he had business contacts including Samuel Edward Harper and Art Connors. FBI interviews in April 1968 with Rife and his wife Mary Jan Rife confirmed no contact with James Earl Ray since 1957. The document notes Melba Marie Ryan, Ray’s sister, who was institutionalized and deemed mentally unstable, and her alleged knowledge of Ray’s connection to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination prior to her interview. Rife claimed Ray engaged in burglary and postal money order thefts but provided no evidence of his whereabouts post-1968. The FBI sought information on Ray’s potential return to Quincy or contact with Virginia Hotel associates, including Ryan.  

Key People  
- Walter Terry Rife (associate of James Earl Ray)  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation; alleged assassin of MLK)  
- Mary Jan Rife (Walter’s wife, interviewed by FBI)  
- Melba Marie Ryan (Ray’s sister, institutionalized mental patient)  
- Samuel Edward Harper (desk clerk at Virginia Hotel)  
- Art Connors (owner of Virginia Hotel)  
- Sergeant Arthur A. Connors Jr. (son of Art Connors)  

Key Locations  
- Menard Prison, Illinois (Rife’s incarceration)  
- Peoria, Illinois (Rife’s correspondence and family ties)  
- Quincy, Illinois (Rife’s residence and operation of Virginia Hotel)  
- Virginia Hotel, 534 North Second Street, Quincy, Illinois  
- Joliet Prison, Illinois (Rife’s 1959 incarceration)  

Key Events  
- Rife’s correspondence with family members and business contacts in Peoria and Quincy (1964–1968)  
- FBI interviews with Walter Terry Rife (April 1968) and Mary Jan Rife (April 1968) regarding James Earl Ray’s activities  
- Investigation into Melba Marie Ryan’s knowledge of Ray’s connection to MLK’s assassination  
- Rife’s claims about Ray’s criminal history, including burglary and postal money order thefts  
- FBI inquiries into potential return of Ray to Quincy or contact with Virginia Hotel associates  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Local police departments in Quincy, Illinois  
- Institutions housing Melba Marie Ryan

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_162-01-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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