</s>Volume Number 240-336 LEHYPE / USES ANTIONS . FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER BF - BUFFALO BF-0044-001615-BF Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # 044 374 4 250 336 6/10/0531024 RRP0028YFW COMMITT: 0F ASS. COUNTIONS. DO NOT BISTROY-DO NOT PONSELEGT Shee heck Shelton 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and activities following his escape from Missouri State Penitentiary on July 23, 1967. Ray was tracked as residing in Canada under aliases (Paul Bridgman, Ramon George Sneyd) until May 1968, with suspected use of a Canadian passport. The FBI linked him to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, using a Remington Model 460 rifle purchased in Birmingham, Alabama. Ray’s movements included stops in Montreal, Los Angeles, and Birmingham, with financial transactions (Canadian money orders) and enrollment in correspondence courses noted. A grand jury indictment for first-degree murder was secretly returned on May 7, 1968. The FBI also investigated Eric S. Galt, linking him to Ray via handwriting and fingerprint analysis. Galt’s activities between August 1967 and February 1968 included purchases of firearms, money orders, and interactions with mail forwarding services. A Mustang abandoned near the assassination site contained evidence (rifle, binoculars, bedspread) with latent fingerprints matching Ray’s (FBI #405 942 G). Fibers from the Mustang were matched to laundry items linked to Galt.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (subject of investigation; suspected assassin; FBI #405 942 G)  
- **Eric S. Galt** (linked to Ray via handwriting/fingerprint analysis; purchased firearms, money orders)  
- **Jimmy Delton Garner** (operator of a rooming house in Atlanta where Galt resided)  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.** (assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Hotel)  
- **W.C. Shelley** (U.S. Commissioner involved in Ray’s unlawful flight charges)  
- **R. Macey Taylor** (Assistant U.S. Attorney filing complaints against Galt)  
- **SAC Joseph H. Gamble** (FBI agent handling warrants and arrests)  
- **Dr. Mark O. Freeman** (psychologist who treated James Earl Ray, noting his shyness and introversion)  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** (Jefferson City, MO) – Ray’s escape location  
- **Montreal, Canada** – Ray’s residence under alias Ramon George Sneyd  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** – Lorraine Hotel (assassination site); laundromat with thermo seal codes linked to the crime  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** – Ray’s residence and rifle purchase; Galt’s primary address  
- **Los Angeles, California** – Futura Books, Inc. (receiver of money orders); Galt’s apartment rentals  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana** – Galt’s stay at Provincial Motel  
- **Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico** – Galt’s hotel registrations  
- **Atlanta, Georgia** – Rooming house operated by Jimmy Delton Garner  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968** – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel; Remington rifle linked to the crime  
- **July 23, 1967** – James Earl Ray escapes Missouri State Penitentiary  
- **May 7, 1968** – Shelby County Grand Jury returns secret indictment for first-degree murder  
- **August–February 1967** – Eric S. Galt’s movements and financial transactions tracked; FBI links him to Ray via handwriting/fingerprint analysis  
- **March–April 1968** – FBI tracks Galt’s purchases of firearms, money orders, and items linked to the crime scene  
- **April 5, 1968** – Abandoned Mustang containing evidence (rifle, binoculars, bedspread) found near the assassination site  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** – conducted surveillance, tracking Ray and Galt; coordinated border stops and forensic analysis  
- **U.S. Department of Justice** – involved in legal proceedings against Ray and associates  
- **Locksmithing Institute** (Little Falls, NJ) – correspondence school linked to Eric Galt’s enrollment records  
- **Futura Books, Inc.** – recipient of money orders tied to Ray’s financial activities  
- **Superior Bulk Film Company** – provided cameras and film orders linked to Galt; FBI noted matching handwriting to Ray  
- **Home Service Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company** (Los Angeles) – identified laundry marks connected to the assassination  
- **National Dance Studio** (Long Beach, California) – Galt enrolled in dance classes with records showing payments and lesson dates  
- **Bank of America** – issued money orders linked to Galt and Ray  
- **Tennessee Police Department** – involved in the investigation of Dr. King’s assassination

MLK Declassified Files

44-bf-374_sec_004_ser_290-336-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search