</s>ME 44-1987 V. IDENTIFICATION RECORD AND DESCRIPTION 90 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and suspected involvement in Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, as well as broader civil rights conspiracy inquiries. It outlines Ray’s criminal history from 1945 to 1968, including arrests for burglary, robbery, and vagrancy across multiple states. Ray resided in Canada under aliases (Paul Edward Bridgman, Raymond George Sneyd) from April 8 to May 6, 1968, using a Canadian passport under the name Sneyd. The FBI instructed U.S. border authorities to monitor his movements and issued alerts for him under the alias Raymond George Sneyd, noting he was believed to be wearing glasses and armed. A lab report compared photographs of Ray with images of “Ramon George Sneyd” (QC366), concluding they likely depicted the same individual despite lacking definitive identifying marks. Latent fingerprints and palm prints on documents (Qc364–Qc367) were linked to his handwriting but did not match Ray’s known prints. Ray was apprehended in London, England, on June 8, 1968, leading to the discontinuation of search efforts. The document also references Taylor Caldwell’s claims about an encounter with a young Black man near her Buffalo home, who allegedly discussed plans involving a prominent Negro woman and referenced broader assassination plots tied to civil rights figures and JFK investigations. The FBI deemed Caldwell’s information unreliable due to prior fabrications.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK Jr., resided in Canada under aliases (Paul Edward Bridgman, Raymond George Sneyd).  
- **Ramon George Sneyd**: Alias used by Ray for passport and travel documents.  
- **Taylor Caldwell** (also referred to as Janet Reback): Reported witnessing an alleged assassination plot involving a young Black man near her Buffalo home.  
- **Donald Jackson**: Mentioned by Caldwell as someone she knew, possibly linked to the plot.  
- **William Moss Kunstler**: Linked to assassination plots in referenced investigations.  

Key Locations  
- **Toronto, Canada**: Ray’s residence under aliases; RCMP involvement in tracking him.  
- **London, England**: Ray’s departure point and site of his apprehension on June 8, 1968.  
- **Buffalo, New York**: Caldwell’s residence and location of the alleged encounter with the young Black man.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968.  

Key Events  
- **April–May 1968**: Ray resided in Canada under false identities (Paul Edward Bridgman, Raymond George Sneyd).  
- **June 6, 1968**: Caldwell reported encountering a young Black man on a motorcycle near her Buffalo home, who allegedly discussed plans involving a prominent Negro woman.  
- **June 7–8, 1968**: FBI issued border alerts for Ray under the alias Raymond George Sneyd; lab analysis compared his photographs with documents linked to Sneyd.  
- **June 8, 1968**: Ray apprehended in London, ending active search efforts.  
- **Investigation into broader plots**: References to alleged assassination schemes targeting civil rights figures and JFK, with Caldwell’s claims deemed unreliable by the FBI.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray’s movements, managed case files, and evaluated Caldwell’s claims.  
- **Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)**: Involved in tracking Ray’s activities in Canada.  
- **Toronto Police Department**: Mentioned as an entity with the name Sneyd.  
- **Buffalo Field Office (FBI)**: Handled local operations and border monitoring.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bf-374_sec_004_ser_290-336-part_3_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search