</s>44-26/49 2 CLASSIFICAT Volume Number SERIALS 201-325 DO NOT DESTROY FOIPA # 12.22.2449 1 ENTERFLE REVIEWS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <loc_545><loc_545><loc_544><loc_545>- - - - - - - - - - -<loc_545><loc_547><loc_545><loc_545><loc_556><loc_545><loc_556>-<loc_545><loc_561><loc_545><loc_545><loc_554><loc_545><loc_553>-<loc_545><loc_562><loc_545><loc_548><loc_556>-<loc_546><loc_545><loc_560>-<loc_545><loc_565><loc_545><loc_563><loc_552><loc_561><loc_552>-<loc_545><loc_566>- -<loc_546><loc_562>-<loc_545><loc_546><loc_546>- -<loc_545><loc_567><loc_545><loc_563>- - -<loc_546><loc_565>-<loc_546><loc_566><loc_563>-

Summary  
The documents detail FBI records concerning James Earl Ray’s criminal history, fugitive status, and alleged connections to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ray is described as a white male with physical traits including brown hair, blue eyes, a dimpled chin, a small forehead scar, and a 3-inch palm scar on his right hand. His criminal record includes multiple arrests for burglary, forgery, robbery, and interstate flight violations from 1963 to 1968. The FBI tracked Ray’s movements, including financial checks at Dallas-area banks and inquiries into aliases such as Eric Starvo Galt, James McBride, and W.C. Herron. A person named David Glavson is noted as potentially linked to Ray via family connections, though his military service and social security numbers (noted but redacted) remain unclear. The FBI sought assistance from local agencies and financial institutions to verify records, with no confirmed accounts found for Eric Starvo Galt. A flight sighting on April 6, 1968, described an individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt boarding a Dallas-to-Philadelphia flight, prompting FBI verification efforts. Warrants were issued in 1963, 1967, and 1968 for Ray’s arrest. Investigations into Charles Nelson Gibson (a Dallas resident with prior arrests) and Bryan Clark (suspected of car theft involving James Ray) concluded they were not matches for the primary suspect.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; listed as a fugitive with criminal history including burglary, forgery, robbery, and interstate flight violations. Aliases include Eric Starvo Galt, W.C. Herron, Harvey Lawyer, and James McBride.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Alias of Ray; described in flight sightings and FBI records.  
- **David Glavson**: Potentially linked to Ray via family connections; military service and social security numbers (noted but redacted) are unclear.  
- **Charles Nelson Gibson**: Dallas resident with drunk and disorderly arrests; ruled out as a match for James Earl Ray.  
- **Bryan Clark**: Suspected of car theft involving James Ray, though connection to the main investigation is unclear.  
- **Mrs. Donovan Woodside**: Reported sighting of an individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt on a flight.  

Key Locations  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Financial institutions, residences, and investigation sites; location of flight sightings and bank record checks.  
- **Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**: Flight destination for the individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Linked to MLK’s assassination; FBI SAC office location.  
- **Missouri**: Ray’s alleged escape from state prison in April 1967 (Jefferson City, St. Louis).  
- **Oklahoma City, Oklahoma**: Investigation into Bryan Clark’s case.  
- **Baltimore, Maryland**: Flight stopover mentioned in the context of the flight sighting.  

Key Events  
- **April 6, 1968**: Individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt boarded a flight from Dallas to Philadelphia; FBI sought verification with American Airlines.  
- **April 22, 1968**: FBI directive to locate James Earl Ray and verify his identity across jurisdictions.  
- **Warrants issued** (April 17, 1963; July 20, 1967; April 17, 1968) for interstate flight and robbery charges against James Earl Ray.  
- **Investigation into Charles Nelson Gibson** in Dallas concluded he was not the suspect.  
- **Car theft case** involving Bryan Clark and James Ray (unclear connection to main investigation).  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central to tracking suspects, issuing warrants, and coordinating with local law enforcement.  
- **Local police departments** (Dallas, Oklahoma City): Provided arrest records and witness accounts.  
- **American Airlines**: Involved in verifying the identity of an individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Via FBI records, referenced in tracking fugitives.

MLK Declassified Files

44-dl-2649_sec_002_ser_201-325-part_1_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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