</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) FBI Date: 4/12/68 Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) TELETYPE UPGRNT DEFEFERRED Via (Priority) TO: DIRECTOR AND SACS, DETROIT (44-989) and MEMPHIS (44-'1987) FROM: SAC, DALLAS (44'-2649) (P) MURKIN, OO-MEMPHIS, RE DETROITS TELETYPE TO BUREAU, DALAS AND MEMPHS, SIX FIFTY P.M ., APRIL ELEVEN, LAST. JIM MORRIS, DELTA AIRLINES, DILLAS LOVE FIELD, ADVISED ANN BATEMAN, STEWARDESS, TO BE INTERVIEWED RE INFORMATION IN RETEL, LEFT DALLAIS THIS A.M. BATEMAN WILL BE SHERATON-CADILLAC HOTEL, DÉROIT, NIGHT OF APRIL THIRTEEN, LAST, DETROTON HANDLE, - -. JULIE CRENSHAW, STEVARDESS), DALLAs, INTERVIEWERED THIS DATE AND COULD FURNISH NO INFORMATION REGARDING UNKNOWN MILITARY PERSONNEL AND COMPOSITE DESCRIPTION OF UNKNOWN SUBJECT. - P- Dallas Scrizzles WILD-INC Indes File Approved: W4-1222 DE 1230 Special Agent in Charge Sent. m 1230 P.M Pow U-2649-103 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on suspect profiles, witness accounts, and forensic analysis. Key elements include witness reports of a hitchhiker in Memphis potentially linked to the assassination, descriptions of suspects such as Robert Duke (also referred to as Bob Glen Duke), and internal FBI communications about potential aliases and laundry tag analysis. Photographs of suspects based on witness descriptions from Memphis and Birmingham were circulated for investigative use. The Bureau also tracked textile marking machines in California to analyze laundry tags connected to the case.  

Key People:  
- **Barney Smith**: Reported encountering a hitchhiker in Hot Springs, Arkansas, potentially linked to King’s assassination.  
- **Robert Duke** (also referred to as Bob Glen Duke): Suspected assassin described by Mrs. Juanita Buchanan; details include physical description, employment with Braniff Airlines, and alleged ties to Memphis.  
- **Sammy Luths Edney**: Witnessed a man matching the suspect’s description in Dallas, noting his appearance and vehicle.  
- **Mrs. Buchanan (Juanita Buchanan)**: Provided detailed physical description of Duke and claimed he had prior knowledge of assassination plans.  
- **John V. Almon**: FBI agent involved in suspect profiling and coordinating investigations.  

Key Locations:  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central to the investigation; witness accounts and suspect descriptions originate here.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Key location for witness interviews and FBI office operations.  
- **Hot Springs, Arkansas**: Where Barney Smith encountered the hitchhiker.  
- **California**: Multiple textile marking machine locations listed for forensic analysis of laundry tags.  

Key Events:  
- **April 6, 1968**: Witness accounts of a hitchhiker in Memphis and Dallas linked to King’s assassination.  
- **April 11–13, 1968**: FBI memos detailing suspect profiles, alias speculation (e.g., "Eric Starvo Gali"), and forensic analysis of laundry marks.  
- **Textile Marking Machine Investigation**: Bureau efforts to trace machines in California that could produce specific laundry tags found at the scene.  

Key Organizations:  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Central agency conducting the investigation, coordinating with SAC offices in Dallas, Memphis, and other locations.  
- **Braniff International Airlines**: Mentioned as a potential employer of suspect Robert Duke.  
- **Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc.**: Company providing expertise on forensic laundry tags used in the investigation.  

Additional Document Context:  
- A list of laundry businesses across multiple states (California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York) is included. Entries include business names, addresses, serial numbers (SN), and references to equipment models like "Thermo-Seal" and "Poly-Mark." These records appear to be administrative or operational logs for machinery tracking and do not relate to the MLK assassination investigation.  
- Another list of laundry and dry cleaning businesses in Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York includes serial numbers, model identifiers, and shipment dates for equipment. This data appears to be administrative records related to machinery or equipment tracking for laundries, with entries spanning 1959–1968. No content directly references MLK, the assassination, investigations, or related individuals/events.

MLK Declassified Files

44-dl-2649_sec_001_ser_1-200-part_5_of_9.pdf

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