</s>Complaint Form FD1 (Rev. 10-26-65) NOTE: Hand print names legibly; handwriting satisfactory for remainder. Indices: Negative See below Subject: name and aliases. Address of subject Character of case JAMES FAUL RAY Complaintain's address and Complaintant Compliant received John C Gunn Rtepholipolyt Adamsville, Ala. Personal X Telephone 67K-73K4 Date: 7/23/68 Time 10:30 am Race Sex: Height Hair Build Birth date and Birthplace Age Male Weight Eyes Complexion Scars, marks or other data Subjects Female Subjects Facts of complaint Gunn identified himself as a Clerk, Main Office, US Post Office, Birmingham, working in the Incoming Division, 4:30 pm to 1:00 am. Gunn said that during this shift, on 7/22/68, there was considerable interest among his coworkers regarding a letter. The letter was addressed to the Toronto Police Department, Toronto, Canada. It came through the APO in New York. It had a return address: If it was James Earl Ray, this street address not exactly address: Jim Barnes, this letter, when held up to a light apparently enclosed some British pounds and a note. Gunn also said his coworkers advised that the street address, while non-existent in Birmingham, Alabama, would be good for Birmingham, Michigan. 44-1710-2022 SEARCHED INEXEDED S.H.I.P.E ., F.A.N. JUL 2: 1968 FB1-2: BIKINGHIGHAM. Action Recommended Check on above through Mr Egerton, Asst PM, Bham. RS Mugavin (ARFIELD) 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray’s alleged involvement and related individuals. Willie James McGuire claimed he witnessed the shooting from the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, describing King’s arrival in a black Cadillac, interactions with him, and shots fired from near the Goodyear Tire Company. McGuire also mentioned his travel between Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis via a tractor-trailer with James Thompson. The FBI investigated discrepancies in his timeline and statements. Additional records include administrative files on FBI operations, cost data for the investigation, references to Ray’s alleged correspondence with the Toronto Police Department, and interviews with Raymond Curtis, who claimed collaboration with Ray in planning King’s assassination. Curtis denied fabricating details about maps of speech locations and a Mississippi accomplice, while FBI agents noted his refusal to sign rights forms during interrogations. The documents also reference a 38-caliber revolver (serial number 715) linked to Ray through Robert Tatum and Walter B. Brain, as well as Dr. King’s travel itinerary from April 1967 to January 1968.  

Key People  
- **Willie James McGuire**: Claimed to have been at the Lorraine Motel during King’s assassination; described interactions with King and witnessed the shooting.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of Dr. King, referenced in FBI investigations, correspondence with Toronto Police Department, and alleged rifle transactions.  
- **Raymond Curtis**: Incarcerated individual who claimed collaboration with Ray in planning King’s assassination, denied fabricating details about maps and accomplices.  
- **Robert Tatum**: Purchased a 38-caliber revolver (serial number 715) linked to Ray.  
- **Walter B. Brain**: Received the revolver from Robert Tatum.  
- **John C. Gunn**: Provided information about a letter addressed to Toronto Police Department, noted its possible origin from Birmingham or Michigan.  
- **Ernest Poole**: Identified as a funeral home operator in Birmingham who facilitated McGuire’s contact with FBI agents.  
- **Homer E. Parker**: FBI Special Agent involved in inquiries about individuals suspected of being James Earl Ray.  

Key Locations  
- **Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of King’s assassination; McGuire claimed to have been on the second-floor balcony.  
- **Goodyear Tire Company**: Described as a location near the building from which shots were fired.  
- **Goldstein Clothing Store**: Building referenced as the vantage point for the shooting.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Location of John C. Gunn’s workplace and Walter B. Brain’s residence; key stop on Dr. King’s travel itinerary.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Sites of interviews with Billy Mac Wisdom and the Catacombs coffee house.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Provincetown Motel where Ray was allegedly present in December 1967.  
- **San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee**: Major cities visited by Dr. King between April 1967 and January 1968.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel; McGuire claimed to have witnessed the event.  
- **July 22–28, 1968**: FBI investigations into McGuire’s account, including verification of his movements and statements.  
- **Rifle Transactions**: Ray allegedly purchased a 38-caliber revolver in London, sold to Robert Tatum in Georgia, then transferred to Walter B. Brain in Alabama.  
- **Planning of Assassination**: Raymond Curtis claimed collaboration with Ray in 1954, including mapping locations for King’s speeches and discussing potential targets.  
- **Dr. King’s Travel Itinerary**: Detailed records of his movements from April 1967 to January 1968, including stops in multiple U.S. cities.  
- **FBI Interviews**: Conducted with inmates like Billy Mac Wisdom and Raymond Curtis, noting Curtis’ refusal to sign rights forms and claims about financial motives for writing a story.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray’s activities, King’s assassination, and related individuals; tracked revolver ownership and administrative costs.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**: Provided travel records for Dr. King via a memorandum to the FBI.  
- **Black Panther Party**: Mentioned in threats against witnesses during investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-bh-1740_729219_09-04-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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