</s>S1 44-561 telephone and he did not want to furnish his present address to anyone. She stated for this reason she would not give the FBI the address of her father. life from the advised that she has received letters in her life from her brother JOHN RAY and JOHN RYAN or also from JERRY RAY, her brother John RAY or JOHN RRYAN or both also from of the name RAY that they were when the family moved to Pwwing, Missouri, to Quincy, Illinois, as the mother changed the name from RAY to RAY in the early 1960s. They were going to St. Bonafonte to RYAM School in Quilchon, as they were going too thought that RAY sounded more catholic than MAY! She advised that her father once had a brother named EARL RAY; however, he is presently decoded. MELBA RAY: however, that he was the following list of her brothers and sisters; Brother JAMES EARL RAY: Brother JOHN RAY. JOHN RY. aka. Brother JOHN RAY. JACK RAY Brother JERMY RAY JESSICA RAY Sister SISTER CAROL PEPPER. SUSAN RAY SISTER Whereabouts unknown Brother Whereabouts Unknown FRANKLIN MELBA rYAN advised that he also had a brothe named MELDA RAYA advised that She also had the brother named around 1963. DELANOR RAY who had drowned in the Mississippi River around 1963, she stated also an older sister had died in a fire in Evving, and disappeared before the birth of MELLA RAY! She stated that when she knew her brother James EARL. RAY around 1959 he had that when the knew her brothers went back to Germany imasnach as he he liked Germany when he was right to back there in the Army. She also was under the belief that JAMES EARL RYAY had had a girlfriend in Germany however, however, she had no know that he had a girl in Germany; however she had to his discharge from the service. She thought in Germany since. discharged sometime during the 1940s. -44- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s family connections and activities following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Records include interviews with Ruby Carpenter, a neighbor of Ray’s former wife, who stated no contact with Ray since 1958 and noted his residences in St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Louis, Mississippi, during the late 1950s–early 1960s. Carpenter also mentioned Ray’s father, Earl Everett Ray, with a criminal record involving assaults and acid-throwing incidents in Quincy, Illinois, from 1925 to 1955. Surveillance conducted by the FBI between May 1–10, 1968, found no visitors at Carpenter’s residence in Quincy, Illinois. Additional records include an interview with Mrs. Frank Fuller (Mabel Ray), Ray’s aunt, who confirmed Ray had no contact with family since 1955 and stated he served in the U.S. Army in Germany post-World War II. The FBI reviewed criminal histories of Ray’s relatives, including Earl Everett Ray’s arrests for assault and battery. Separate records from the FBI and Quincy Police Department also document surveillance on MELBA MARIE RYAN at the Virginia Hotel in Quincy, Illinois, and her familial ties to JAMES EARL RAY, FRANKLIN RYAN, JOHN LARRY RAY, and others. These investigations explored potential links between Ray’s family members and criminal activities, including adoption records for a boy named Carmelite Charley and incarceration details for Walter Terry Rife, though no direct connection to the MLK assassination is explicitly stated in these records.  

Key People  
- **MELBA MARIE RYAN**: Sister of JAMES EARL RAY; resided at the Virginia Hotel in Quincy, Illinois; provided information about her brothers and family history.  
- **JAMES EARL RAY**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; resided in Missouri/Mississippi during late 1950s–early 1960s; family ties to Earl Everett Ray and Jerry Ray.  
- **FRANKLIN RYAN**: Brother of MELBA MARIE RYAN; reportedly drowned in the Mississippi River around 1963.  
- **JOHN LARRY RAY (also known as Jack Ray, Jack Rayns)**: Brother of JAMES EARL RAY; had a closed Selective Service case and was incarcerated at Bernard State Penitentiary.  
- **RUBY CARPENTER**: Neighbors and former associate of James Earl Ray; stated no contact with Ray since 1958.  
- **EARL EVERETT RAY** (father of JAMES EARL RAY): Criminal record including assaults, acid-throwing, and incarceration in Illinois from 1925–1955.  
- **MABEL RAY** (Mrs. Frank Fuller): Aunt of James Earl Ray; provided details about Ray’s military service and family history.  
- **WALTER TERRY RIFE**: Subject of separate FBI investigations; incarcerated at Joliet Prison, Illinois, from April 16, 1959.  

Key Locations  
- **Quincy, Illinois**: Home to the Virginia Hotel where MELBA MARIE RYAN resided; site of FBI surveillance and police records.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** and **St. Louis, Mississippi**: Areas where James Earl Ray resided during the late 1950s–early 1960s.  
- **Ewing, Missouri**: Birthplace of several RAY family members; location of adoption records for Carmelite Charley.  
- **Bernard State Penitentiary, Illinois**: Site of John Larry Ray’s incarceration.  
- **Joliet Prison, Illinois**: Location of Walter Terry Rife’s incarceration from April 16, 1959.  

Key Events  
- FBI surveillance on MELBA MARIE RYAN and her interactions with the Virginia Hotel staff in Quincy, Illinois.  
- Review of Quincy Police Department arrest records for MELDA MARIE RYAN (possibly a variant of MELBA MARIE RYAN) involving alcohol-related offenses.  
- Investigation into adoption records for a boy named Carmelite Charley, adopted by R. H. F. in Edwardsville, Illinois.  
- Examination of JAMES EARL RAY’s alleged military service and family connections.  
- FBI interviews with Ruby Carpenter (May 3, 1968) and Mrs. Frank Fuller (Mabel Ray), detailing Ray’s residences and family history.  
- Surveillance conducted by the FBI between May 1–10, 1968, finding no visitors at Carpenter’s residence in Quincy, Illinois.  
- Review of criminal records for Earl Everett Ray, including assaults and incarceration.  
- Re-interview of Walter Terry Rife on April 20, 1968, at the Virginia Hotel in Peoria, Illinois, detailing his claims about associates and activities involving stolen items.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance, interviews, and reviewed records to locate JAMES EARL RAY and investigate family connections.  
- **Quincy Police Department**: Provided arrest records for MELDA MARIE RYAN and other individuals.  
- **Catholic Charity of Springfield, Illinois**: Involved in adoption records for Carmelite Charley.  
- **Illinois State Board of Probation and Parole**: Documented Earl Everett Ray’s parole history and aliases.  
- **U.S. Military Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas**: Reference to Walter Terry Rife’s correspondence.  
- **Peoria County Bar Association** and **Saline County Sheriff's Office**: Mentioned in records related to Walter Terry Rife.

MLK Declassified Files

44-cg-1114_738662_06-02-part_2_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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