</s>- - PAGE TWO - MR. GEDORGE ROBERTS, OPERATOR ROBERT'S FUNERAL HOME. TWO FOUR ZERO ZERO MAIN ST ., ADVISED HE. TOOK THE BODY TO ERIE COUNTY MORGUE ON MAY TWO, NINETEN FIFTYNNE, AND HIS COPY OF THE DEATH CERTIFI- CATE DISCLOSED LAST PLACE OF RESIDENCE FOR RAY WAS WESTERN ROAD. AL- BANY NY, PLACE of BIRTH QUINCY, ILL ., DATE OF BIRDTH MAY FOUR NIN- ETEEN FOUR, AGE AT TIME OF DEATH FIFTHY YEARS. ELEVEN MONTHS. TWENTY EIGHT DAYS, OCCUPATION STEWARD, PRESENT EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYED, MARI TAL STATUS DIVORCED, FATHER JAMES RAY, AND MOTHER LILLIAM MAT- THEWS. THE PHYSICIAN SIGNING DEATH CENTIFICATE DR. ROCCO DE DOMIN- IGLS. - - MR. ROBERYS STATED BODY SHIPPED TO THE DUKES BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME. EIGHT TWO THREE BROADWAY, QUINNY, IILL ., ON MAY FOURS. NINTEEN FIFTYNINE THIS SHIPMENT BEING ORDERED BY MRS. FRANK FULLER, QUINCYN, ILL .- BODY INTERRED MAY FOUND FINEFINNE GREEN MOUNTAIN CE- METERY, QUINGY, ILINOIS. A CHECK AT THE BUFFALO GENERAL HOSPITAL, RECORDS BEING CHECKED BY PERSONNEL DIRECTOR MR. TOM MICHEL, DI SLOSED NO RECORD OF RAY EVER BEING EMPLOVED BUFFALD GENERAL HOSPITAL. MISS ELEN JONES, PERSONNEL OFFICE, BUFFFALO STATE HOSPITAL, FOREST AVE ., BUFFLO, AD- VISED THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF RRAY EVER BEING EMPOLED THERE. AD- DRESS OF FOUR SEVEN SIX FRANKLIN NONEXI STENT, AS ROOMING HOUSE THIS END PAGE TWO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains fragmented FBI records from the 1960s-1970s, primarily focused on investigations into Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Key elements include references to James Earl Ray as the convicted assassin, racial tensions in cities like Rochester and Buffalo, forensic clues such as a textile marking machine (R35554), and coded phrases like "2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176." The text also includes speculative links between Ray and other individuals or businesses (e.g., Frank’s Laundry, D’Arcy Cleaners) and mentions of potential conspirators, though these connections lack clear evidence. Additionally, it references FBI efforts to track suspects, analyze witness accounts, and investigate car thefts tied to the case. The documents highlight challenges in confirming Ray's guilt and suggest possible misattributions or errors in the original records.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted of assassinating MLK Jr. in 1968; central figure in the investigation.  
- **E. Raymond Curtis**: Possibly conflated with Ray in some documents, though no direct evidence links them.  
- **Frank’s Laundry, D’Arcy Cleaners, Bellevedere Shirt Laundry**: Businesses potentially linked to Ray or other suspects, though connections are speculative.  
- **Grace Parlo**: Office staff member of Dr. John H. Burke Jr., who provided medical records for John Joseph Vella (see below).  
- **Dr. John H. Burke Jr.**: Physician in Elmira, NY, treating John Joseph Vella for a deformity of the right index finger.  

Key Locations  
- **Elmira, NY**: Home address of John Joseph Vella (361 W. Gray St.) and location of Dr. John H. Burke Jr.’s office (507 West Water St.).  
- **Akron, NY**: Residing location of George C. Gould and John Joseph Vella.  
- **Rochester, New York**: Mentioned in reports about racial tensions and potential violence in the 1960s-1970s.  

Key Events  
- **January 25, 1968**: Frederick and Mannix reviewed a photograph of John Joseph Vella, confirming his identification as a suspect.  
- **March 27, 1968**: Vella and others arrived in Elmira by bus shortly before a baby’s birth.  
- **Medical records review**: Grace Parlo confirmed Vella’s treatment for a deformity of the right index finger.  
- **FBI investigations**: Efforts to track suspects, analyze witness accounts, and investigate car thefts linked to the case.  

Key Organizations  
- **New York City Police Department (NYPD)**: Involved in the investigation, with George C. Gould associated with its Division.  
- **Dr. John H. Burke Jr.’s office**: Provided medical records for John Joseph Vella.  
- **FBI**: Conducted internal memos, investigative reports, and communications on the MLK assassination case.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bf-374_sec_002_ser_50-149-part_5_of_6.pdf

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