</s>Ray is a 40-year-old white male, reportedly born in Illinois on March 10, 1928. He is approximately 5'10" inches tall, weighs from 163 to 174 pounds, has blue eyes and brown hair which he has worn cut short. He has a small scar on the center of his forehead and a scar on on the palm of his right hand. He has been described as having a straight, narrow nose and straight and even teeth and to have a nervous habit of occasionally tugging at an ear lobe. His left ear protudes noticeably. Acquaintances describe him as a "loner" and "drifter" whose language and diction reflect a "rural" quality and indicate he has had limited education. He is reportedly a fan of western and country music, drinks vodka and beer, dresses neatly and claims past employment as a merchant seaman and cook on Mississippi River vessels. He Is known to have worked as a baker, laboror and color matcher. He is known as an avid dancer who has taken dancing lessons. He also completed a course at a school of bartending in the Los Angeles area early in 1968. Ray should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Anyone with information concerning this fugitive is requested to immediately contact the nearest office of the FBI, the telephone number of which may be found on the first page of local telephone directories. - 3 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents consist of FBI teletypes from April 26, 1968, detailing an investigation into James Earl Ray’s movements following his escape from Missouri State Penitentiary in December 1967. The focus is on tracking Ray’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including coordination between FBI offices in Dallas, Memphis, San Francisco, and Kansas City. Key elements include phone records linking Ray to associates like Charles Stein, interviews with prison inmates such as Neal Edgar Abby, and investigations into potential conspirators like John Madizer, R.B. Harrell, and Alvis Gray. The FBI marked cases as "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" due to concerns about public safety and Ray’s alleged propensity for violence. Redacted sections suggest some details were censored at the time.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Accused of assassinating MLK, escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967.  
- **Neal Edgar Abby (NEA)**: Fellow inmate who provided information on JER’s escape route and behavior.  
- **Charles Stein**: Suspected associate of Ray linked to phone records from Texas.  
- **John Madizer**: Suspect connected to threats against MLK, though unlinked to Ray in Dallas.  
- **R.B. Harrell**: Fugitive with criminal history potentially tied to Ray or other conspirators.  
- **Alvis Gray**: Storm Trooper associated with the KKK under investigation for connections to Ray.  
- **Billy Brown Abby**: Former Missouri inmate tracked as a potential drug-related associate of Ray.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of JER’s incarceration and escape attempts.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Focus of JER’s alleged travel in December 1967.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Involved in tracking suspects like John Madizer and R.B. Harrell.  
- **San Francisco, Kansas City, Houston, Little Rock, Los Angeles**: FBI offices coordinating the investigation.  
- **Spotsylvania, Virginia**: Location of Alvis Gray’s residence.  

Key Events  
- **JER’s escape from Missouri State Penitentiary (December 1967)**: Escaped twice, with a failed rope attempt causing injury.  
- **Hitchhiker encounter in Mobile, Alabama (April 7, 1968)**: A man reported picking up a hitchhiker resembling JER heading to New Orleans.  
- **FBI coordination across U.S. offices**: Sharing leads on suspects, phone records, and witness interviews.  
- **Investigation into potential conspirators**: Including KKK members like Alvis Gray and fugitives with criminal histories.  
- **Marking cases as "ARMED AND DANGEROUS"**: Highlighting risks posed by JER and other suspects.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI**: Central agency coordinating the manhunt, interviews, and cross-agency collaboration.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Provided prison records and inmate information on JER’s escape.  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**: Alvis Gray was associated with Storm Troopers, linking him to potential extremist ties.

MLK Declassified Files

44-dl-2649_sec_002_ser_201-325-part_4_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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