</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 19 GAY IN THE LOCATION: GAY 1/1/18/1914 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO : SAC (44-1365) DATE: 4/18-68 FROM : SA LINARD D. BOGATY SURJECT: MURKIN The following financial institutions were contacted with regards to accounts in the name of HARVEY LOWMEYER & all variations of the last name & the name ERIC STARVO GALT with negative results: Nat'l Bank of Almanac Burlington, NC. Mrs. RITA JONES Nat'L Bank of Albany Graham, NC Mrs. BETTY COUVINGTON NCNB Burlington NC Mrs. VICKIE CAROL North State Bank Burlington Nc Mrs. SYLVIA FOSTER Northwestbank Bank Graham NC Mrs. IDA LOU BEAKER Wachovia B&TC Burlington NG On 4/10/68, Mrs. LINDA CASPARIAN, Credit Bu ., Burlington. N.C ., which covers all of Alameda Co ., N. C ., advised she had no listings for HARVEy LOWMEYEYER & all variations of last name or ERIC STARVO GALT. 4/1365-379 SEARCHED INDEXED LDB:mFD SEARCHIZED 2. SERIKITIZED 099 FOR: H.HARLOTTE SCH-18-1414 Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, by a bullet fired from a rooming house bathroom located at 421 South Main Street. The rifle used was a 30-06 model 760, later linked to James Earl Ray. Investigations revealed that Ray had rented Room 6-8 at the same location on April 4, 1968, and purchased binoculars in Memphis. A brown and green beehive was also recovered. The white Mustang associated with Ray was found in Atlanta on April 11, 1968, and linked to a Florida license plate (prefix 1-1-Charlotte). FBI records indicated Eric Stavo Galt, using the alias Harvey Lowey, had purchased a rifle from Aeromarine Supply Co. in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 30, 1968. A driver’s license for Galt listed his height as 5'11", weight 170 lbs., and blue eyes. The FBI issued warrants for Ray’s arrest on April 17, 1968, with a $50,000 bond. Law enforcement in North Carolina identified Galt as the driver of a heavily loaded car with a Florida license plate on April 9, 1968.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray**: Identified as the suspect through fingerprints and linked to the rifle and Mustang.  
- **Eric Stavo Galt** (alias Harvey Lowey): Purchased a rifle in Birmingham; associated with a Florida license plate.  
- **Peter S. Gilchrist**: Reported seeing Ray on an Atlanta-to-Houston flight (Flight 133) on April 12, 1968, though the individual was described as having blond hair, differing from Ray’s dark hair.  

Key Locations:  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the assassination and rooming house where the rifle was found.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Location of Aeromarine Supply Co., where Galt purchased a rifle.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Where the white Mustang associated with Ray was discovered.  
- **North Carolina**: Law enforcement interactions involving Galt’s Florida license plate.  

Key Events:  
- FBI directives to cover all leads within 24 hours and distribute wanted flyers.  
- Identification of Ray through fingerprint records and flight passenger data.  
- Recovery of the rifle, binoculars, and beehive from the rooming house.  
- Investigation into Galt’s Florida license plate and car activity in North Carolina.  

Organizations:  
- **FBI**: Conducted investigations, issued warrants, and coordinated with border patrol.  
- **Local law enforcement**: Involvement in identifying suspects and verifying license plates.  

Redacted/Note: Some numbers (e.g., 42-28296) may represent SSNs or identifiers; these are redacted per guidelines.

MLK Declassified Files

44-ce-1365_738554_04-02-part_8_of_8.pdf

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