</s>H. S. Department of Justice FEDERAL BUREAU COUNTRATION NO. of INVESTIGATION Bureau File Number 44-3816/ Volume Number: Secrets See also Nos. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on forensic analysis, suspect tracking, and potential threats. A letter addressed to Rev. Hal Lloyd in Pennsylvania, dated April 17, 1968, with a return address in North Korea and postmark from Mansfield, Ohio, was analyzed for handwriting and latent fingerprints compared to James Earl Ray’s known samples. The FBI requested comparisons of the signature and fingerprints on the letter to Ray’s records. Investigations also included reviewing driver’s license applications for males aged 30–55 in April-May 1968, contacting local agencies for information on Ray’s activities, and requesting state-level checks for unidentified deceased individuals from April-May 1968 as Ray might have died before or after the assassination. A letter sent by Charles Mann Witzler to Memphis authorities was identified as non-threatening, with Witzler denying any connection to MLK. Forensic analysis of a letter and envelope addressed to Rev. Hal Lloyd included fingerprint comparisons to Ray’s known prints. The FBI publicized a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer of MLK without attributing it to the Bureau. Investigations also involved tracking suspects such as Dale Whitman, who left South Florida for Ohio, and reviewing credit card usage linked to U.S. Rubber.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK; his handwriting and fingerprints were compared to those on a letter addressed to Rev. Hal Lloyd.  
- **Charles Mann Witzler**: Sent an anonymous letter to Memphis authorities denying any connection to MLK.  
- **Frank Brickley** and **Robert Brickley**: Ex-convicts potentially linked to providing information to the *Los Angeles Times*.  
- **William Pierce**: Wealthy individual in Belle Glade, Florida, connected to a private plane and possible ties to Cuba.  
- **Eddie Wilburn**: Alleged driver who transported Ray to Kansas City prior to the assassination.  
- **Dale Whitman**: Individual associated with a Sunoco service station in Boca Raton, Florida; his mother reported he left South Florida for Ohio.  
- **George Charles Gray**: Identified as the writer of a letter predicting MLK’s death by April 4, 1968.  
- **Roland**: White male in his 40s with ties to extremist groups, including the KKK, and expressed violent intentions toward civil rights leaders such as Adam Clayton Powell, Stokely Carmichael, Rap Brown, and Bobby Kennedy.  
- **Roland Chesley Talbott Jr.**: Identified as a former KKK member in Fort Lauderdale and Richmond making threats against civil rights figures; employed at Chrysler-Plymouth Inc. in Miami.  
- **BENDER**: Individual who described a suspect resembling James Earl Ray at Saxons’ Sandwich Shop on Lorain Road.  

Key Locations  
- **Mansfield, Ohio**: Postmark location for the letter addressed to Rev. Hal Lloyd.  
- **Belle Glade, Florida**: Linked to William Pierce and alleged flight routes for Ray.  
- **Cleveland, Ohio**: FBI office involved in fingerprint analysis and suspect tracking.  
- **Boca Raton, Florida**: Sunoco service station where H.V. Brinker interacted with an individual described as resembling Ray.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central to the investigation of Ray’s movements and credit card usage; location of the Diamond Inn where Roland was observed.  
- **Sandusky, Ohio**: Postmaster Arthur LARINER’s residence linked to Witzler’s correspondence.  
- **Peele Island, Ontario, Canada**: Location of Witzler’s correspondence.  
- **Miami, Florida**: Roland’s wife works at a restaurant near the Diamond Inn; Chrysler-Plymouth Inc. employment records for Talbott.  
- **Fort Lauderdale, Florida**: Talbott’s residence.  
- **Richmond, Virginia**: Talbott’s residence.  
- **North Miami**: Roland’s workplace at a Chrysler-Plymouth garage.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: MLK’s assassination; FBI investigated potential connections to telephonic calls from Memphis to Belle Glade, Florida, using a U.S. Rubber credit card.  
- **Fingerprint Analysis**: Latent fingerprints on the letter and envelope were compared to Ray’s known prints.  
- **Credit Card Investigation**: Robert Brinkley’s name was linked to U.S. Rubber, with discrepancies in credit card usage and catering company ties.  
- **Reward Offers**: The FBI publicized a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer of MLK, without attributing it to the Bureau.  
- **Suspect Tracking**: Efforts to locate Dale Whitman’s uncles in Ohio and verify connections to Ray or other suspects.  
- **Roland’s Statements**: Roland expressed violent intentions toward civil rights leaders at the Diamond Inn in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **FBI Interview with Roland’s Wife**: Confirmed details about his activities and KKK ties.  
- **BENDER’s Sighting**: A suspect resembling James Earl Ray was observed at Saxons’ Sandwich Shop on Lorain Road.  
- **Talbott’s Threats**: Talbott expressed threats against Bobby Kennedy and others during an FBI interview in Miami; FBI warned relevant agencies of potential threats from Talbott and Roland.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Conducted fingerprint analysis, suspect tracking, reward publicity, and disseminated information on threats.  
- **Local Police Departments**: Involved in verifying suspect identities and locations, such as in Cleveland, Memphis, and Cincinnati.  
- **Sunoco Service Stations**: Used as locations for interactions between suspects and informants.  
- **KKK (Ku Klux Klan)**: Roland’s wife is noted as an active member; Talbott was a former member.  
- **Chrysler-Plymouth Inc.**: Employed Roland Chesley Talbott Jr. in Miami.  
- **Civil Rights Organizations**: Implied through references to targeted figures like Powell, Carmichael, Brown, and King.

MLK Declassified Files

44-cv-565_738446_03-04-part_1_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search