</s>FRI KAN CITY 538 PM URGENT 4/24/66 PM TO DIRECTOR, MEMPHIS, HOUSTON, DALLAS, OKLAHOMA CITY, AND CHICAGO 1ROM KANSAS CITY 44-760 2P MURKIN FRANK GUINAN, PRISONER, MISSOURI STATE PENITENTIARY, ADVISED SUBJECT WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED IN PRISON WITH NEAL EDGAR ABBY. ABBY REPORTEDLY GAVE RAY THE IDEA OF ESCAPING IN A BREAD BOX FROM PENTIENTIARY. ABEY AND RAY WERE TUGETHER RECEIVING BARBITUATES AND AMPHETAMINES. RAY WAS AWARE THAT SOME OF ABEBY'S BROTHERS WERE INVOLVED IN NARCOTICS IN TEXAS. HE STATED ONE OF THE BROTHERS WAS ARRESTED IN DALLAs. ON NARCOGITICS CHARGE IN ABOUT SIXTYSIX. BELIEVED THIS BROTHER TO BE NAMED AUBREY ABBY, GUINANTEAL NEAL ABBY IS PRESENTLY ON STREETS AS HE RECEIVERED POSTCARD FROM HIM TWO WEEKS AGO MAILED IN OKLAHONA CITY. OKLA. GUINAIN SAID NO NO IDEA WHERE RAY MIGHT GO. HE LIKED BENNIES AND AMPHTAMINNES AND COULD POSSIRLY CONTACT SOME OF THE ABEYS IN TENAS. He ALSO REMEMBERED RAY SPEAKING OF A BROTHER IN CHICAGo. ILL .. WHO OWNED A BAR AND OF THE FACT OF THE WOULD A BROTHER IN CHICAGO. IILL .. WHO OWED A BARTENDER FOR HIS BROTHER. 44-189-198 END PAGE ONE SEARCHED SEARCHING INDEXED SEARCHIED ALED SEARCHALED APR 24 1968 FBI-HOUSTON 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
This document contains a collection of FBI investigative reports from April 1968, detailing an internal inquiry into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and the suspect James Earl Ray. The reports reference efforts to track Ray’s movements, including a long-distance call he allegedly made from Houston, Texas, on December 16, 1967, which was linked to planning MLK’s assassination. FBI agents investigated phone records, surveillance of potential locations in Houston and New Orleans, and connections to individuals such as Louis Lomax (a journalist and civil rights advocate) and Charles Stein (an informant). The documents also mention the purchase of Japanese handcuffs around April 26, 1968, potentially tied to Ray’s arrest. Key uncertainties include the absence of confirmed phone records for December 16, 1967, and the ambiguous identities of associates like Jeri/Darell/Heleena. The FBI’s focus on transportation networks and surveillance methods reflects broader challenges in tracing Ray’s activities during this period.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK; central figure in the investigation.  
- **Louis Lomax**: Journalist, civil rights advocate, and informant linked to tracking Ray.  
- **Charles Stein**: Informant who provided details about Ray’s December 1967 trip.  
- **Marie Martin**: Contact in New Orleans potentially tied to Ray’s activities.  
- **Jeri/Darell/Heleena**: Female associates of Ray, with unclear identities or roles.  

Key Locations  
- **Houston, Texas**: Site of the alleged phone call from Ray on December 16, 1967.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Destination for Ray’s trip; referenced locations include Industrial Canal and Chef Menteral Highway.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Home to Louis Lomax and other investigative contacts.  
- **Dallas, Austin, Texas**: Mentioned in phone record checks related to Ray’s movements.  

Key Events  
- **December 16, 1967**: Alleged long-distance call from Houston by Ray, linked to MLK assassination planning.  
- **April 26, 1968**: Purchase of Japanese handcuffs by an individual (possibly tied to Ray’s arrest).  
- **FBI surveillance efforts**: Focus on phone booth monitoring, witness interviews, and tracking transportation networks.  
- **Investigation into car thefts**: Examination of vehicles stolen or used by Ray post-April 4, 1968 (date of MLK’s assassination).  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted internal investigations, surveillance, and record checks.  
- **Police equipment companies**: Mentioned in context of handcuff purchases linked to potential arrests.

MLK Declassified Files

44-ho-1509_sec_003_ser_171-268-part_2_of_6.pdf

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