</s>FD-302 (Rev. 1:45:60) DERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATI Date: May 21, 1968 1. JAMES LOAMA OWENS, RFD 3, Sunrise Lake, De Soto, Missouri (Jefferson County), telephone Justice 6-2044, was contacted by telephone, and he advised as follows: The name of "BLACKIE" DE CORB (phonetic) which was mentioned on OWENS' IN interview on May 16, 1967, was the name was OWENS in his interview on his first day of his life. 1967, is the name Was actually spelled DE CORE but is not certain in that respect. He feels definite in his recollection that that respect was actually spelled De CORB but is NOT certain in DE CORB was certainly not as big as six feet one inch, and 240 pounds, but was approximately five feet fine inches, and 180 pounds. From the core were extremely had a criminal record and 180 pounds, Dr. CORB fell immediately had a preliminary record and Illinois, at the time OWENS knew him in 1959. Illinois at the TIME OWENS know him in 1958. 30 On 5/17/68 of Jefferson County, Missouri File # St. 44-775 by SA ALBERT J. RUSHING:bam Date dictated 5/20/68 5/20-68 The document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loomed to your agency; It end and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations in St. Louis, Missouri, focusing on financial records, interviews, and potential connections to James Earl Ray, a suspect linked to the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Key figures include James Loama Owens, who was interviewed in 1967 about an individual referred to as "Blackie" De Corb (possibly Andrew Wilson De Core), and James D. Wallace, whose incarcerated husband reported a sighting of a white male at the Jefferson-Gravois Bank in late July 1967. FBI agents reviewed bank records for accounts under Owens’ name or aliases, finding no matches, and examined photographs of suspects without identification. Records from the Jefferson-Gravois Bank and Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company show account details for Owens and his wife, Ida B. Owens, including a joint checking account opened in August 1967. Other records include FBI interviews with individuals like James Carl O'Connor (bank account holder), Vincent P. Webbe, Andrew Wilson De Core, John Paul Velanti (inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary), and Anthony Grochski, discussing employment histories, parole status, and alleged criminal associations. The documents also reference a bank robbery in Alton, Illinois, on July 13, 1967, and interactions with law enforcement regarding potential connections to illicit activities. James H. Carpenter, released from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967, reported meeting Ray in St. Louis during May 1967, describing him as a "loner" involved in petty crimes but skeptical of his involvement in the MLK assassination. Joseph H. McCormick, a probationer with a theft conviction and mental health issues, was investigated for potential ties to Ray, though no direct evidence was found. Informants like Jack Gawron claimed Ray was "out of the continental United States" or in Algiers, while neighborhood investigations in St. Louis sought sightings of Ray.  

Key People  
- **James Loama Owens**: Missouri resident with a criminal history; interviewed in 1967 about "Blackie" De Corb (possibly Andrew Wilson De Core).  
- **Andrew Wilson De Core** (also known as Blackie Decore): Described by Owens; potential connection to the assassination investigation.  
- **James D. Wallace**: Incarcerated husband of Mrs. J. Jones Wallace, who reported a sighting at Jefferson-Gravois Bank in late July 1967.  
- **Mrs. J. Jones Wallace**: Reported seeing a white male at Jefferson-Gravois Bank in 1967.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect linked to the MLK assassination; investigated for potential connections to Owens, Wallace, and others.  
- **James Carl O'Connor**: Bank account holder with records from Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company (St. Louis).  
- **Vincent P. Webbe** (deceased): Brother-in-law of Anthony Grochski; mentioned in interviews.  
- **John Paul Velanti**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary, parolee; alleged connections to Ray (unconfirmed).  
- **Anthony Grochski**: Relative of Vincent P. Webbe; interviewed about criminal associations.  
- **Mary Louise Sawer**: Spouse of Andrew Wilson De Core; mentioned in bank records and interviews.  
- **Joseph H. McCormick**: Probationer with theft convictions, mental health issues, and syphilis-related brain damage; investigated for ties to Ray.  
- **Jack Gawron** (J. GAWRON): Informant linked to Ray and other criminals; claimed knowledge of Ray’s whereabouts.  
- **RanseY**: Associated with Gawron in criminal activities, including a 1967 burglary at Art’s Tavern.  
- **Jimmy (JIMMY)**: Suspect mentioned as an associate of Gawron, later arrested for theft.  

Key Locations  
- **Jefferson County, Missouri**: Owens’ residence and interviews; Jefferson-Gravois Bank location.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Central to all investigations; locations include South 11th Street, 1805 South Lith Street, Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company, and Peanut’s Bar (1601 Park).  
- **Jefferson-Gravois Bank, St. Louis, Missouri**: Account records and sighting of a white male in late July 1967.  
- **Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company, St. Louis, Missouri**: Travelers’ checks and account inquiries for Owens and his wife.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP), Jefferson City, Missouri**: Wallace’s incarceration; Ray’s prior incarceration.  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Site of a bank robbery on July 13, 1967; referenced in FBI investigations.  
- **Salt Lake City** and **Shreveport, Louisiana**: Mentioned in employment references (Monte Young Carnival) and Alcoholics Anonymous clubs.  

Key Events  
- **May 1968**: FBI investigation into Owens’ potential ties to "Blackie" De Corb; review of bank records for accounts under Ray or Owens’ names.  
- **Late July 1967**: Mrs. Wallace reported a white male at Jefferson-Gravois Bank, investigated as possible connection to Ray.  
- **May–June 1968**: FBI interviews with informants like Jack Gawron and Joseph H. McCormick detailed Ray’s alleged movements, including claims of being in Algiers or out of the U.S.  
- **April 1968**: FBI released a wanted flyer for James Earl Ray, prompting informants to provide details on his whereabouts.  
- **May 15–28, 1968**: Neighborhood investigation in the 1800 block of South 11th Street sought sightings of Ray and his associations with Jack.  
- **June 1967**: Jimmy (JIMMY) arrested for burglary near 1805 South Lith Street.  
- **Bank robbery investigation** in Alton, Illinois, on July 13, 1967; referenced as potential link to illicit activities.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews and investigations into Ray’s activities, financial records, and associations.  
- **Manufacturers Bank & Trust Company** (St. Louis): Held bank account records for Owens and others; mentioned in travelers’ checks.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Site of Wallace’s incarceration and Ray’s prior imprisonment.  
- **Monte Young Carnival**: Employment reference for individuals like Mary Louise Sawer.  
- **Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) clubs** in Shreveport, Louisiana: Mentioned in context of social associations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-cg-1114_738662_06-04-part_1_of_5.pdf

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