</s>ME 44-1987 TOR:ngm 1 ROBERT LYNN POWELL, Doe Run, Missouri, was in prison at Jefferson City, Missouri. From January, 1967, to February, 1968, at which time he knew JAMES EARL RAY only slightly. They both had worked in food service in the prison. He did not consider himself a friend of RAY's and did not know any background nor any information concerning RAY'S escape. He further advised that RAYS' being someworthy of a loner resulted in no one being very close to him. POWELL had no idea of RAV'T's present whereabouts. RAY RAYT possesses Missouri State Penitentiary No. 2195 and is a Clerk in K Hall. He knew JAMES EARL RAY well and visited him on occasion in the hall of the Missouri State Penitentary. He considered him a "neighbor." RAY had no ill feelings toward the Negro race and had no abnormal sexual habits. He first met RAY in St. Louis about 1959 and knew him all of the time they were in the penitentiary except for a brief period when he, PRUETT, was on parole. 63 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI communications from June 1968 related to fugitive publicity cancellations and investigative updates. It notes that James Earl Ray (Identification Order No. 4182) is no longer being sought by the FBI. A teletype mentions an anonymous male caller claiming to have escaped from Washington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla, and asserting he was paid $1,600 by Gene Bass of Dallas, Texas, for work involving Ray. The caller claims to have contact with Ray and offers information about individuals involved but has not yet appeared at FBI offices. The RCMP requests no public identification of the "Fat Man," a figure linked to recent publicity. The document also references an investigation into escapes from Washington State Penitentiary in February 1967 and 1968, noting two escapes from honor camps in July 1967 (Kayo Stannard and Eldride Breshears) under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Penitentiary. A separate note mentions Ralph M. Carpenter, a York Arms employee hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, and Dr. Max West’s assessment that Carpenter’s current condition does not affect his competency regarding the MLK assassination investigation.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (Identification Order No. 4182): Central figure in the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., later convicted of murder.  
- **Gene Bass**: Dallas, Texas, individual allegedly paid by an escaped prisoner for work involving Ray.  
- **Kayo Stannard** (FBI Number 32,388,88B): Escaped from Washington State Penitentiary in July 1967.  
- **Eldride Breshears** (FBI Number 6357, SEFLE EIGHTEEN DASH FOUR THREE NINE, BUFLE EIGHTEEN DASH FOUR SEVEN FIVE SIX FIVE): Escaped from Washington State Penitentiary in July 1967.  
- **Ralph M. Carpenter**: York Arms employee hospitalized for psychiatric treatment; his competency regarding the MLK assassination investigation was evaluated by Dr. Max West.  
- **Dr. Max West**: Physician at a psychiatric hospital who assessed Ralph M. Carpenter’s condition.  

Key Locations  
- **Washington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla, Washington**: Site of escapes in February 1967 and 1968; jurisdiction for Kayo Stannard and Eldride Breshears’ escapes in July 1967.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Location associated with Gene Bass.  
- **Seattle, Washington**: Mentioned in the context of FBI operations.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** and **Chicago, Illinois**: Locations referenced in the RCMP’s request for no public identification of the "Fat Man."  
- **Spokane, Washington**: Additional location noted in the document.  

Key Events  
- **Cancellation of fugitive publicity for James Earl Ray** (June 10, 1968): Indicates Ray was no longer being actively pursued by the FBI.  
- **Anonymous caller claiming to be an escaped prisoner from Walla Walla, Washington** (June 12, 1968): Alleged connection to Gene Bass and James Earl Ray; offered information about individuals involved but did not appear at FBI offices.  
- **Investigation into escapes from Washington State Penitentiary in February 1967 and 1968**: Includes two escapes from honor camps in July 1967 (Kayo Stannard and Eldride Breshears).  
- **Evaluation of Ralph M. Carpenter’s competency** regarding the MLK assassination investigation by Dr. Max West: Determined that Carpenter’s condition did not affect his competency.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into fugitive publicity cancellations, escapes from Washington State Penitentiary, and the MLK assassination case.  
- **Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)**: Requested no public identification of the "Fat Man," a figure linked to recent publicity.  
- **Washington State Penitentiary**: Jurisdiction for escapes in February 1967 and 1968, including those involving Kayo Stannard and Eldride Breshears.  
- **York Arms**: Employer of Ralph M. Carpenter, who was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.

MLK Declassified Files

44-dl-2649_sec_004_ser_551-660-part_5_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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