</s>BH 44-1740 Travelodge Motel, 831 South 20th Street, Birmingham, Alabama Mr. HAROLD WALKER, Assistant Manager, Assistant Manager. Inn, 951 South 18th Street; Birmingham. Alabama Mr. JOE MICHELLI, Assistant Manager Assistant Manager; Sheraton Motor Inn, Sheraton Motel Inn, Birmingham Alabama MARK WALKer, Desk Clerk, Plantation Motor Lodge, MOTOR LODGE, 1573 Bessenger Highway, Birmingham Alabama CATHERINE PEOPLES, Desk Clerk, Ace Motel. Bessenger Super Highway, Bessermer, Alabama -2- APR1 7 1968 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations in Birmingham, Alabama, conducted between April 5–17, 1968, as part of broader inquiries into potential threats related to Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). These efforts focused on reviewing hotel and motel registration records, utility accounts, insurance policies, and bus station observations to identify individuals linked to suspects such as Eric Starvo Galt, Jay Williams Vernon, Jerome Wallace Vernon, Albert Leonard Finch, Charles Holley, Robert Galt, Harvey Loweyer, John Willard, and others. Agents checked establishments including the Roebuck Motel, Pick-Bankhead Hotel, Molton Hotel, Redmont Hotel, Holiday Inn West, Travelodge Motel, Sheraton Motor Inn, Plantation Motor Lodge, Ace Motel, Long's Rooming House, Maddox Rooming House, and others in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. A report from Tuscaloosa noted an individual resembling a suspect near a Greyhound Bus Station locker but no conclusive identification was made. The FBI also reviewed military personnel records, insurance company files, and utility data, though no matches were found for names like Galt, Lehmeier, or Willard. References to "UNSB" (likely a code name) and "MURKIN CR" suggest ongoing investigations into unspecified criminal matters or threats.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Suspect investigated for potential ties to MLK-related activities; his name was checked against hotel records and alleged shipwork experience.  
- **Jay Williams Vernon** / **Jerome Wallace Vernon**: Names searched in motel registration records.  
- **Albert Leonard Finch**: Investigated for movements and employment in April 1968.  
- **Charles Holley**: Inquired about interactions with Robert Galt, including furniture purchases.  
- **Robert Galt**: Name checked against hotel records and insurance policies.  
- **Harvey Loweyer** / **Harvey Lombery**: Names searched in motel registration records.  
- **John Willard**: Name associated with investigations into possible suspects.  
- **William Russell**: Circulation manager at the *National Observer*; his subscription review was checked for ties to Eric Stavo Galt.  
- **Mrs. JOHN H. BRUCHER** (Roebuck Motel): Hotel manager whose records were reviewed.  
- **W. M. Wilson** (Phoenix of Hartford Insurance Claims Manager)  
- **Sgt. Major Wattie St. John** / **Sgt. Estelle C. Lambert**: Military personnel whose records were examined.  

Key Locations  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Central location for investigations; included motels (Roebuck, Pick-Bankhead, Molton, Redmont, Holiday Inn West), hotels, restaurants (Social Grill, Rhea's Restaurant, Rebel Restaurant), utility companies (Water Works Board, Alabama Power Company), insurance firms (State Farm Insurance, Alabama Farm Bureau Insurance), and rooming houses (Long's, Maddox, Chestnut, Reed's, Jack's, Hick's, Starry Rooing, Johnson, Moore's, Leatherwood's, Collier's, Groom's, Sheppard's).  
- **Tuscaloosa, Alabama**: Greyhound Bus Station (21st Street, North) where an individual resembling a suspect was reported near a locker.  
- **Montgomery, Alabama**: Mentioned in a teletype regarding a possible subscription reference to Eric Stavo Galt.  

Key Events  
- FBI agents conducted hotel and motel checks in Birmingham from April 5–17, 1968, reviewing registration records for names linked to suspects.  
- Artist conceptions of individuals were displayed to hotel staff to identify potential matches, but no confirmed connections were found.  
- A teletype from April 17, 1968, noted that no baking schools in Birmingham or Kansas City were directly tied to Eric Stavo Galt, though he claimed shipboard cook experience.  
- Utility companies (Water Works Board, Alabama Power) and insurance firms (State Farm, Alabama Farm Bureau) were queried for account holders matching suspect names but could not confirm due to record-keeping limitations.  
- Military personnel records, including Sgt. John R. Bowman, were reviewed as part of broader investigations.  
- Coordination between FBI divisions in Birmingham, Memphis, and Atlanta occurred on investigative leads related to the "MURKIN CR" case.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations through SAC offices in Birmingham (44-1740), Memphis, and Atlanta; agents Roland O. Staahr, Clarence E. Wright, and others were involved.  
- **Birmingham Police Department** / **Jefferson County Sheriff's Office**: Checked for ties to suspects or criminal activities.  
- **Alabama Power Company** / **Water Works Board**: Reviewed utility account records.  
- **State Farm Insurance Company** / **Alabama Farm Bureau Insurance Company**: Examined insurance policies for policyholders named Galt, Lehmeier, or Willard.  
- **Phoenix of Hartford Insurance Company**: Involved in claims management related to Eric Stavo Galt's subscription inquiry.  
- **Abernathy Furniture Company**: Mentioned in investigations into Charles Holley's interactions with Robert Galt.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bh-1740_729219_05-01-part_5_of_9.pdf

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