</s>FBI BIRMGHAM FBI KAN CITY 2-53 PM URGENT 5-16-68 MRH TO DIRECTOR 44-38861 MEMPHIS ST. LOUIS BIRMINGHAM FROM KANSAS CITY 44-760 2P MURKIN. RE ST. Louis TELETYPE MAY FOURTEEN LAST AND BIRIMINGHAM TELETYPE MAY NINELAST. MAJ. POIRY, SECURITY OFFICER. MO. STATE PENITENTIARY (MSP), ADVISED HE KNEW BOTH JOHN VELANI AND SUBJECT. HE KNOWS OF NO ASSOCIATION WITH EACH OTHER AND KNOWS of NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO IN MSP. INNATE MSP, ERNEST BAGBY, NM, ONE OF THE OLDER INMATES AT THE PENITIENTIARY, ADVISED THAT HE KEW JOHN VEANTI AT THE PRISON BUT DID NOT KNOW SUBJECT AND KNOWS OF NO RELATIONALSHIP BETWEN THE TWO INDIVIDUALS. MARIAN JANSEN, FORMER INMATE, MSP , RELEASED FER NINETEN LAST REPORTEDLY RESIDING NINE THREE ZERO FIVE STATE, KANSASCITY. KANSAS, WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY THE KANSASS CITY CITY OFFICE. SEARCHED INDEXED END PAGE ONE SERIALIZED FILED MAY 1 6 1968 FBI-BIRMINGHAM 1753 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

The document contains fragmented FBI records from May 1968 detailing investigations into potential connections between inmates at Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) and individuals linked to Martin Luther King Jr.'s (MLK) assassination. It references John Velani, Ernest Bagby, Marian Jansen, Tom Britton, Carl Mills, James D. Wallace, Jimmie Owens, the Menard brothers, Leroy McManaman, Donald James Nissen, and Sybil Eure. No direct associations with MLK are confirmed, though McManaman is implicated in an alleged $100,000 Ku Klux Klan (KKK) offer for MLK’s murder, relayed through Nissen to Eure, who denied involvement. The Cooly gang is noted as a non-existent prison group. A separate memo discusses Donald W. Ramsey, a parolee linked to the assassination and alleged KKK ties. Wallace observed Owens and an unidentified individual at a St. Louis bank but later denied further interaction. The FBI also reviewed prison records for potential connections between suspects like James Earl Ray (likely MC MANANAN) and others such as Samuel Lewis, Eddie Wilburn, William Pierce, and Frank Brickley, noting travel patterns, weapons procurement, and financial transactions. Third-hand accounts mention a family connection in Hackelburg, Alabama, and Ray’s movements post-assassination via Memphis, Kansas City, and Belle Glade, Florida. The FBI coordinated with local offices, media contacts (e.g., Los Angeles Times), and pursued leads on accomplices and financial activities.  

Key People  
- **John Velani**: Inmate at MSP; no direct link to MLK.  
- **Ernest Bagby**: Former inmate at MSP; no association with subject.  
- **Marian Jansen**: Former inmate at MSP, last reported in Kansas City.  
- **Tom Britton**: Individual whose phone call to Carl Mills is noted.  
- **Carl Mills**: Manager of Renz Farm (prison farm), interviewed about inmate contacts.  
- **James D. Wallace**: Inmate at MSP; observed Jimmie Owens and subject at a bank.  
- **Jimmie Owens**: Mentioned as an individual seen with the subject.  
- **Menard Brothers** (Raymond O., Richard, Louis Gene): Former inmates at MSP; potential informants.  
- **Leroy McManaman**: Inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary; linked to alleged $100,000 Klan offer for MLK’s murder.  
- **Donald James Nissen**: FBI informant who relayed McManaman’s claims about the Klan offer.  
- **Sybil Eure**: Interviewed regarding McManaman and the alleged Klan plot; denied involvement.  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspected assassin of MLK): Central figure in investigations, with movements tracked post-assassination.  
- **Samuel Lewis**: Alleged accomplice to Ray; roommate in Memphis.  
- **Eddie Wilburn**: Owner of blue Buick used to transport Ray from Memphis to Kansas City.  
- **William Pierce**: Owner of private plane and motel in Belle Glade, Florida, linked to Ray’s escape route.  
- **Frank Brickley**: Allegedly received weapons purchased by Lamont White; previously incarcerated with Ray.  
- **Lamont White**: Western Union employee in Los Angeles who sent money for weapon purchases.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Site of inmate interactions and investigations.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Bank where Wallace observed Owens and subject.  
- **Jackson, Mississippi**: Home of Sybil Eure; location of Leavenworth Penitentiary.  
- **Leavenworth Penitentiary**: Where Leroy McManaman was incarcerated.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Temporary residence for Ray after leaving Memphis.  
- **Belle Glade, Florida**: Final destination for Ray via private plane owned by William Pierce.  
- **Piedmont, Alabama**: Site of time card records for Edward Hill; location of Jeanette Stith’s home.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Rooming house where a rifle was allegedly left; key location for Ray’s initial activities.  
- **Huntsville, Alabama**: Home of Eddie Wilburn, who drove the blue Buick used in the escape.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Involvement of Lamont White and connections to Frank Brickley; Clark Hotel mentioned as a possible stay location.  
- **Tuskegee, Alabama**: Location of the Tuskegee Tribune subscribers listed by Almena Lomax.  

Key Events  
- **Telephone call from Tom Britton to Carl Mills** (Jefferson City, MO): Discussed inmate contacts at Renz Farm.  
- **Observation by James D. Wallace**: Noted Jimmie Owens and subject at St. Louis bank.  
- **Investigation into the Menard brothers**: Attempted to locate them for information on the subject’s whereabouts.  
- **Cooly gang inquiry**: Determined no such group existed in MSP.  
- **Alleged $100,000 Klan offer**: Relayed through Leroy McManaman and Donald James Nissen to Sybil Eure; Eure denied involvement.  
- **Donald W. Ramsey’s parole status**: Discussed as a potential link to MLK’s assassination and alleged KKK involvement.  
- **Ray’s travel itinerary post-assassination**: Memphis → Kansas City → Belle Glade, Florida.  
- **Greyhound bus ticket from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Los Angeles** obtained by "Bob" (possibly Samuel Lewis).  
- **FBI coordination with local offices, media contacts**, and ongoing investigations into financial transactions and potential accomplices like Samuel Lewis.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducting investigations into MLK’s assassination, reviewing prison records, and coordinating with local offices.  
- **White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (WKKKOM)**: Alleged group offering $100,000 for MLK’s murder.  
- **United States Marshals Service**: Mentioned in context of Sybil Eure’s brother and associates.  
- **Southern Conference Educational Fund**: Listed as a subscriber to the Tuskegee Tribune.  
- **White Citizens Councils**: Mentioned in context of racial tensions and potential involvement.  
- **Western Union**: Linked to Lamont White, who facilitated weapon purchases in Louisiana.  
- **U.S. Postal Service**: Mentioned in context of money orders used for payments to a locksmithing institute.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bh-1740_729219_07-02-part_6_of_9.pdf

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