</s>NO 157-10673 T/D/kmt 1223 Napoleon Avenue Mrs. A. B. GRIFFIN 1301 Napoleon Avenue and 2508 Napoleoon Avenue 1401 Napoleon Aveue ALFED BAINNES, JR. Colonial Court Apartments 1467 Napoleom Avenue Bella Villa Apartments 1567 Napoleon Avenue 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between James Earl Ray and individuals linked to criminal activity in Louisiana around 1967–1968. A report from April 1968 notes Ray’s alleged friend "COIN," described as a fence with ties to stolen property, possibly connected to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. FBI efforts to identify COIN through New Orleans police detectives, inmates, and airline personnel yielded no confirmation. Delta Airlines Flight 725 (April 1, 1968) is noted for carrying a rifle box labeled "Mauser" stored in the cockpit by a stewardess. Subsequent reviews of Delta Flight 106 (April 5–6, 1968) and telephone logs from Lake Charles, Louisiana, related to a December 17, 1967, call found no direct links to Ray or COIN. Additional investigations in late 1967 focused on phone calls traced to Louisiana bars, including the Curtis Park Bar in Bossier City and Wanda’s Seven Seas Restaurant in New Orleans, with interviews of staff failing to confirm Ray’s presence. A claim by Robert Strader about a 1967 assassination plot was refuted by Raymond Starne, who denied knowledge of such plans. An FBI directive dated May 22, 1968, instructed SACs to search for "Ray," considering identity fraud and checking drivers’ license applications for males aged 30–55 in April-May 1968.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (alleged assassin of MLK)  
- Dan Cohen (suspected fence with ties to criminal activity)  
- John Meredith (New Orleans police detective)  
- Jack Lazacze (inmate with burglary convictions)  
- Thelma Russell (bartender at Curtis Park Bar, Bossier City)  
- Hanno Ullrich (owner of Curtis Park Bar)  
- R.L. Hammett (residents of Greenwood, Louisiana)  
- Ed Hunnsucker (truck driver from Texas)  
- Raymond Starne (denied knowledge of 1967 assassination plot)  
- Robert Strader (allegedly claimed knowledge of 1967 plot; described as mentally unstable)  

Key Locations  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (investigations into COIN and Ray’s connections; Wanda’s Seven Seas Restaurant)  
- Bossier City, Louisiana (Curtis Park Bar linked to December 15, 1967, phone call)  
- Lake Charles, Louisiana (telephone log review)  
- Greenwood, Louisiana (home of R.L. Hammett)  
- Alpine, Texas (origin of a call to Greenwood, Louisiana on December 16, 1967)  
- Delta Airlines flight routes (Flights 725 and 106)  

Key Events  
- Investigation into James Earl Ray’s alleged friend "COIN" in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1968  
- Review of Delta Airlines Flight 725 for a rifle box labeled "Mauser" stored in the cockpit  
- Examination of Delta Airlines Flight 106 crew and passenger records  
- Telephone log review at Hertz Rent-A-Car in Lake Charles, Louisiana  
- December 15–16, 1967, phone calls traced to Curtis Park Bar (Bossier City) and Greenwood, Louisiana  
- FBI directive dated May 22, 1968, instructing SACs to search for "Ray" and check drivers’ license applications for identity fraud  
- Claim by Robert Strader about a 1967 assassination plot refuted by Raymond Starne  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- New Orleans Police Department  
- Delta Airlines  
- Hertz Rent-A-Car  
- Salvation Army (mentioned in context of identification orders)  
- Charitable missions (referenced in identification order instructions)

MLK Declassified Files

44-bh-1740_729219_08-01-part_3_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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