</s>KC 44-760 PAGE TWO PAUL BRIDGMAN MAY BE IDENTICAL TO FORMER FELLOW INMATE OF SUB- JECT RAY. PAUL OSBORGEMAN, AKA PAUL JAMES BRIDGEMAN, MSP NO. ONE ZERO ONE THREE FOUR. BORN WINCHESTER. IND. ... WHO WAS RECEIVED AT MSP FROM JACKSON COUNTY, KANSAS CITY, MO ., AND ... APR. TWENTYTHREE, SIXTYFIVE, AND WAS DISCHARGED JAN. SIXTEEN, Sixty- EIGHT, AND WAS NOT ON PAROLLE. BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED TO PRISON LIMITED SECURITY SECTION AT MOBERLY. MO . ., ON MARCH SEVEN, SXTYSIX, BRIDGEMANN WORKED IN THE MSP KITCHEN AND COULD HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH SUBJECT RAY ., BRIDGESMAN'S FRIEND OR POSSIBLE GUARDIAN WAS SHOWN IN PRISON RECORDS AS WAYNE ROTHBERGIX FORMERLY KANSANS CITY, MOO ., MO .. AND IN SIXTYSEVEN RESIDING AT EIGHTYSIX ZERO THREE BEURGEARD ST ., DALLAS, TEXAS, WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED BY ROCO AUTO SUPPLY COMPANY. WARDEN. AT MSP DETERMINED THAT ROTHBERG WAS SMUGGLING MONEY TO BRIDEGEMAN AND SUSPECTS THAT BOTH ARE HOMOSEXUALS. BRIDGETMAN. BRIGGEMANS. BRIDSEMAN IN FIFTYSIX INTERVIEW CONFESSED IN SIGNED STATEMENT TO ITSW VIOLATION USA, KANAS CITY. MO .., DECLINED PROSECUTION IN FAVOR OF STATE PROSECUTION. IN FIFTYSIX BRIDGENMAN IDENTIFIED PARENTS AS JAMES M. AND IRENE BRIDGERMAN, ONE ZERO ONE EAST WALNUT, BLOOMINGTON, ILL. END PAGE TWO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s associations and activities linked to the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on his prison records, rental agreements, and interactions with alleged associates. Paul Bridgeman, a former inmate of Ray, is noted for shared incarceration in Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri, with connections to Wayne Rothberg, who resided in Dallas, Texas, and was suspected of smuggling money to Bridgeman. Bridgeman was arrested in 1968 in Kansas City for disturbing the peace but released on bond.  

Ray’s prison records include interactions with Raymond Curtis, who described Ray as a criminal associate involved in burglary, stolen postal money orders, and payroll jobs. Curtis alleged Ray had a close friend in New Orleans (name unknown) and a connection to a "bounty" on King’s head, which Ray allegedly intended to collect if he escaped. Curtis also mentioned Ray’s alleged ties to a U.S.-based syndicate operating in Chicago, Detroit, Tampa, and Tijuana, Mexico.  

FBI records reference Avis Rent-a-Car contracts linked to Ray’s movements, including rental agreements from Gulfport, Mississippi (March 1967), under investigation for potential ties to his criminal activities. FBI interviews with individuals like Jimmy Garner and James F. Ray, who resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee, were conducted to verify Ray’s whereabouts.  

A separate set of documents includes fragmented FBI interview records from April 30, 1968, involving Jimmie Delton Garner, an Atlanta resident who reported interactions with an individual referred to as "GALT" or "GAINT." Garner described the subject staying at rooming houses in Atlanta and allegedly renting a car. Later, Garner encountered an unknown man at a Post Office questioning him about being seen with someone in a white Mustang, possibly linked to "GALT." The text also includes unrelated FBI communications about car rentals (1968 Dodge Dart, VIN LH1H8D83532249), investigations into suspicious activities in Los Angeles and St. Louis, and references to James Earl Ray as a suspect.  

Additional records reference fragmented FBI inquiries into financial transactions, correspondence clubs, and suspected criminal activity, including TCR-1 forms used to track large cash withdrawals ($10,000+). These were reviewed by the Los Angeles FBI division to identify potential suspects linked to James Earl Ray. The documents also mention administrative entries related to case files, personnel assignments, and investigative actions across multiple cities, including Philadelphia, Trenton, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure; incarcerated multiple times, associated with Curtis and Bridgeman, suspected of involvement in King’s assassination.  
- **Paul Bridgeman (AKA Paul James Bridgeman)**: Former inmate of Ray; linked to Rothberg, arrested in 1968 for disturbing the peace.  
- **Raymond Curtis**: Inmate who provided details about Ray’s criminal associates and alleged plans related to King.  
- **Wayne Rothberg**: Suspected smuggler with possible homosexual relationship with Bridgeman.  
- **Jimmie Delton Garner**: Atlanta resident interviewed by FBI regarding "GALT"/"GAINT."  
- **Henry Baldivin**: Georgia hitchhiker pickup; possibly linked to a wanted individual.  
- **Jerry Mosley**: Suspected individual in Alabama/Birmingham, considered armed and dangerous.  
- **Schneiderman**: Individual with car rental and motel records (SSN REDACTED).  
- **James F. Ray**: Resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee; interviewed by FBI regarding James Earl Ray.  

Key Locations  
- **Mississippi State Penitentiary**: Site of Ray’s incarceration during the 1960s.  
- **Jackson County Jail, Kansas City, Missouri**: Location of Ray’s incarceration with Curtis.  
- **Gulfport, Mississippi**: Avis Rent-a-Car records linked to Ray’s alleged movements.  
- **Chattanooga, Tennessee**: Address associated with James F. Ray.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Rooming houses and Post Office where Garner interacted with "GALT"/"GAINT."  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Car rental records (1968 Dodge Dart) and correspondence club investigations.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Mentioned in FBI communications about suspicious activities.  
- **Philadelphia, Trenton, San Francisco, and other cities**: Locations of administrative FBI case files and personnel assignments.  

Key Events  
- **April 1967**: Avis Rent-a-Car contracts executed in Gulfport, Mississippi, tied to Ray’s alleged movements.  
- **1968 Arrests**: Bridgeman arrested in Kansas City for disturbing the peace; later released on bond.  
- **FBI Interviews**: Conducted with Jimmy Garner and James F. Ray to verify Ray’s identity and activities.  
- **Curtis’ Statements**: Provided details about Ray’s criminal network, alleged "bounty" on King, and potential involvement in the assassination.  
- **April 30, 1968**: FBI interview with Garner regarding interactions with "GALT"/"GAINT."  
- **TCR-1 Form Reviews**: Used by Los Angeles FBI to track financial transactions linked to suspects like James Earl Ray.  
- **Investigations into Correspondence Clubs**: Targeted obscene pen-pal clubs in cities like Atlanta, Miami, and New York.  
- **Administrative Case File Management**: Includes records under Executive Order 14176, with actions like "SEARCHED," "INDEXED," and "FIELD."  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray’s associations, rental records, prison interactions, and financial transactions.  
- **Avis Rent-a-Car**: Linked to Ray’s alleged movements via rental agreements.  
- **National Car Rentals**: Mentioned in Schneiderman’s car rental records.  
- **U.S. Postal Inspection Service**: Involved in investigations of correspondence clubs and obscene pen-pal activities.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Referenced in Raymond Andrew Young’s identification of Lester Eward Packett.

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_162-05-part_2_of_3.pdf

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