</s>WASH DC 6:30PM PM URGENT 4-9-68 BJP TO ALL CONTINENTAL OFFICES FROM DIRECTOR 44-38381 2P MURKIN AMONG ARTICLES RECOVERED AT SCENE OF SHOOTING. APPARENLY ARANDONED BY UNSUB. WERE A PAIR OF BROWNISH CECKERED PRINT UNDERSHORTS AND WHITE JOCKEY TEE SHIRT BEARING CLOTH LAUNDRY TAGS. THESE TAGS WERE MADE BY A THERMO SEAL MARKING MACHINE MANUFACTURED BY THE TEXTILE MARKING MACKINE COMPANY, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK. THESE TAGS ARE ONE QUARTER INCH WIDE AND ONE AND ONE SIXTEETH INCH LONG. RED INCH AND BEAR MARKING WHICH APPEARS 10 BE "O" TO TWO B DASH SIX" OH "D" TO DASH Six" ONLYA PORTION OF THE FIRST CHARACTER IS PRESENT ON EACH TAG. AND THIS CHARACIER IS CUT ON A SLIGHT BIAS. NO. OTHER VISIBLE LAUNDY MARKETS WEB FOUND ON EITHER GARMENT. IMMEDIATE CHECKS OF LOGICAL LAUNDIRES SUGGESTED BY TEXTILE MARKING COMPANY HAVE TO DATE BEEN UNPRODUCTIVE. END PAGE ONE 44-3714-15 SEARCHED BY SERIALIZED INDIER APR 9 1988 FBI-BUFFALO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between suspicious items found at the scene of an assassination (implied to be Martin Luther King Jr.) and individuals under surveillance. Items recovered included brownish checkered undershorts and a white jockey tee shirt with thermo-sealed laundry tags manufactured by the Textile Marking Machine Company in Syracuse, New York. These tags bore partial markings, including a red "O" and "D" sequence, but were incomplete. The FBI requested immediate checks of laundries using these tags, though initial efforts yielded no results.  

A suspect named Dr. Alvin Eugene French was identified as a potential individual of interest. Diagnosed with dementia praecox (paranoid type) by doctors at Gowanda State Hospital in New York, he was described as dangerous and armed. His father, Rev. Clarence F. Frenci, provided a photograph of French, who was noted to have acne scars, receding hairline, brown eyes, and a weight of 170 lbs. The FBI sought to locate French, with contacts in Birmingham, Memphis, and Buffalo.  

Another suspect, Eric Starvo Galt, was described as a white male born on July 20, 1931, weighing 175 lbs, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a height of 5'11". The FBI requested checks of driver’s license records in Alabama and other states, noting his possible association with a 1966 Mustang (VIN 6T07190647) registered to an individual using the name Harvey Lowey or Lower/der.  

The investigation was conducted under the code name "Murkin" and emphasized strict confidentiality, with instructions that no one should be informed of its connection to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The FBI coordinated efforts across multiple offices, including Buffalo, Birmingham, Memphis, and New York, focusing on criminal informants, laundries, and vehicle records.  

The documents also reference administrative directives to discontinue using the caption "Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr." in communications due to administrative complications, instead requiring specific captions for incidents. A separate section details Robert James Shadoff, alias Gary Eric Galt, a Canadian citizen with a criminal record including theft convictions and immigration violations. His FBI file number is noted as 913474G, and he was arrested near Buffalo, New York, in August 1968. The FBI described him as armed and dangerous, with physical traits matching Galt’s description.  

Fragmented records from April 1968 focus on Eric Starvo Galt, a suspect described as an introverted individual with specific physical traits (e.g., five feet eleven inches tall, one hundred seventy-five pounds, blue eyes, brown hair). Galt’s background includes attendance at dance schools in Birmingham, New Orleans, and California, with conflicting accounts of his dancing ability. His possible aliases include Harvey Lowyer or John Willard. The documents note his nervous habits, speech patterns (Southern accent), clothing style, and financial transactions involving cash payments for lessons. FBI field offices across the U.S. are referenced, indicating a broad investigation scope. A separate lab report examines handwriting comparisons related to a bank document and a purported signature of Dr. Alvin Eugene French, though no conclusive link is established. The text also includes administrative notes about document serialization, retention, and restricted dissemination protocols under Executive Order 14176 (2025 release).  

Key People  
- **Dr. Alvin Eugene French**: Suspect diagnosed with paranoid dementia; father is Rev. Clarence F. Frenci.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Suspect linked to MLK assassination investigation; reported in Memphis on April 4, 1968.  
- **Robert James Shadoff** (alias Gary Eric Galt): Canadian citizen with criminal history, arrested near Buffalo in August 1968.  
- **Rev. Clarence F. Frenci**: Father of Dr. French; provided photograph of suspect.  

Key Locations  
- **Syracuse, New York**: Manufacturer of laundry tags found at the scene.  
- **Gowanda State Hospital, New York**: Institution where Dr. French was diagnosed.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination; Galt reported there on April 4, 1968.  
- **Buffalo, New York**: FBI office coordinating laundry and suspect checks; Shadoff arrested near this location.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Location of Eric Starvo Galt’s alleged residence and a key investigation site.  

Key Events  
- Recovery of laundry tags from the assassination scene; analysis of their markings.  
- Diagnosis of Dr. French as paranoid schizophrenic and designation as a dangerous individual.  
- Search for Eric Starvo Galt via driver’s license records and vehicle VIN tracking.  
- Coordination of FBI efforts across multiple regional offices to investigate potential suspects.  
- Emphasis on confidentiality in the investigation, with strict instructions against public disclosure of its connection to MLK’s assassination.  
- April 4, 1968: MLK assassination; Galt reported in Memphis driving a 1966 Mustang.  
- August 1968: Shadoff arrested near Buffalo after entering the U.S. from Canada.  
- FBI issued all-points bulletins for Galt and coordinated with law enforcement to locate him.  
- Handwriting analysis of a bank document and purported signature of Dr. French.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations, issued bulletins, managed administrative directives, and utilized forensic and informant networks.  
- **Textile Marking Machine Company**: Manufacturer of laundry tags found at the scene.  
- **Gowanda State Hospital**: Medical facility where Dr. French’s psychiatric diagnosis was recorded.  
- **U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)**: Provided records on Shadoff’s entry into the U.S.  
- **Laboratory Division of FBI**: Conducted handwriting analysis related to a bank document.  
- **U.S. Field Offices** (Albany, Buffalo, Memphis, etc.): Coordinated investigation efforts across regions.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bf-374_sec_001_ser_1-49-part_2_of_8.pdf

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