</s>2. SL 44-775 Date Amount of Deposit April 9, 1968 April 12, 1968 $314.83 311.23 There were no withdrawals noted in this account in the period from August 30, 1967, through January 16, 1968. hower, from January 17, 1968, through january 16, 1988 with- drawals, checks or other charges disclosed by the account; these widdrawals. checks or charges ranged between $2.00 and $325.00. These items of $100.00 or more were as follows: Date Amount of Check or Withdrawal December 29, 1967 $320.00 January 3, 1968 $325.0 April 5, 1968 100.0 April 11, 1968 $325,00 April 11. 1968 300.00 Examination of paid checks drawn on this account still on hand at Jefferson - Gravois Bank disclosed the following inform- nation concerning these check items: 168 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s escape from Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) in 1968 and his potential connection to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Financial records from Jefferson-Gravois Bank, St. Louis, Missouri, link Ray to account SL 44-775, which includes deposits and withdrawals between August 1967 and May 1968. Transactions involve checks payable to Peter Hauptmann, Carol Pepper, and Miller & Scheer Real Estate Company, with a $80 check dated May 3, 1968, tied to John Ray. FBI inquiries examine John Ray’s ties to the Grape Vine Tavern in St. Louis, his brother Jerry Ray (who moved between St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee), and other associates like Clarence Haynes and Naomi Regazzi, a former tavern employee. Financial records also reference handwritten notations on checks, including "1982 Arsenal" and "Randazzo 166," though their relevance to the assassination remains unclear. A 1968 Dodge Dart linked to stolen credit cards was recovered in St. Louis Airport in 1988 with no fingerprint match to Ray. Witness accounts from Holiday Inn North describe a man resembling Ray staying in Room 213, including interactions involving room service and a Lincoln Continental car. FBI reports note Ray’s flight to avoid confinement and alleged associations with inmates but do not directly link him to MLK’s assassination.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Identified as the assassin of MLK; referenced in connection to John Ray and his escape from MSP.  
- **John Ray**: Linked to financial records (SL 44-775), Grape Vine Tavern, and FBI investigations; brother of Jerry Ray.  
- **Jerry Ray**: John Ray’s brother; moved between St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee; claimed no knowledge of his brother’s alleged involvement in MLK’s assassination.  
- **Naomi Regazzi**: Former employee of the Grape Vine Tavern; provided information about John Ray’s family ties and activities.  
- **Clarence Haynes**: Business associate or relative connected to John Ray and the Grape Vine Tavern.  
- **Carol Pepper**: Sister of John Ray; referenced in financial transactions and employment details.  
- **MILFORD JAMES ROHRS**: Sullivan, Missouri police officer and KKK member; claimed MLK’s killer may be in Argentina but provided no evidence.  
- **SA William Methington**: Chicago private investigator who reported Rohrs’ statements to Lieutenant Earl Henderson.  
- **Lieutenant Earl Henderson**: Chicago police official who considered Rohrs a potential Klan informant.  
- **Janet Williams, Jack Sedivy, Robert Lee Hull**: Holiday Inn North staff witnesses who described a man resembling Ray staying in Room 213.  

Key Locations  
- **Jefferson-Gravois Bank, St. Louis, Missouri**: Central to financial records (SL 44-775) and bank-related investigations.  
- **Grape Vine Tavern, St. Louis, Missouri**: Associated with John Ray’s activities and Naomi Regazzi’s employment.  
- **1982 Arsenal, St. Louis, Missouri**: Referenced in handwritten notations on checks linked to financial records.  
- **St. Louis Airport**: Site of recovered 1968 Dodge Dart with no fingerprint match to James Earl Ray.  
- **Holiday Inn North, St. Louis County, Missouri**: Room 213 occupancy described by witnesses as resembling James Earl Ray.  
- **Sullivan, Missouri**: Rohrs’ residence and police department; location of KKK-related interviews.  
- **Quincy, Illinois**: Ray’s childhood residence; former home of Lafayette Dilt (bootlegger).  
- **LaGrange, Missouri**: Search for Lafayette Dilt conducted by FBI.  
- **Combustion Engineering Company, St. Louis, Missouri**: Employment verification site for James Earl Ray.  

Key Events  
- **Financial Transactions (August 1967–May 1968)**: Deposits and withdrawals from SL 44-775 account, including checks to Peter Hauptmann, Carol Pepper, and Miller & Scheer Real Estate Company.  
- **FBI Investigations**: Interviews with Naomi Regazzi, Jerry Ray, Clarence Haynes, and others to assess John Ray’s potential ties to MLK’s assassination.  
- **James Earl Ray’s Escape from MSP (1968)**: FBI reports note his flight to avoid confinement and alleged associations with inmates.  
- **Recovery of Stolen 1968 Dodge Dart**: Found in St. Louis Airport in 1988; no fingerprint match to Ray.  
- **Witness Accounts at Holiday Inn North (May 12–13, 1968)**: Descriptions of a man resembling Ray staying in Room 213, including interactions with room service and a Lincoln Continental car.  
- **Rohrs’ Claims About MLK’s Killer**: Rohrs alleged the killer might be in Argentina but provided no direct evidence; denied knowledge of MLK’s murder or Ray’s escape.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into James Earl Ray, John Ray, and related individuals.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Site of Ray’s escape in 1968; prison records reviewed for inmate connections.  
- **National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (NKKK), including St. Louis Klavern #14**: Mentioned in Rohrs’ KKK affiliation and potential informant status.  
- **Combustion Engineering Company**: Employment verification site for Ray’s background checks.  
- **Local Banks and Credit Bureaus**: Used to trace property ownership, financial records, and credit references.  
- **Law Enforcement Agencies**: Including FBI, sheriff’s offices, county clerks, and Chicago police (Lieutenant Earl Henderson).

MLK Declassified Files

44-at-2386_hs1-852715321_163-03-part_3_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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