</s>5/1/68 AIRTEL DIRECTOR, JBI (84-38861) TO: FROM: SAC, HOUNOUN (44-1599) SUBJECT: MRKIN SUBJICT: Resortirel, 5/3/68 (copy to Chicago). For the information of Phoenix, Texas offices have reviewed this information of Phonix, Texas all long distance phone calls from public phones on Interstate Highway 10 during the ported 12/2/87, JANUS EARL RAY is aligned to have made phone calls during this period along this route. Phoenix check out the following calls: DATE FROM 12/16/67 713-709-9148 602-275-5905 Vidor, Texas Phoenix, Arizona chicago check out following: 12/15/67 713-835-8051 312-921-812 Chicago, Illinois = Bureaus = Moughie = Phoenix Chicago = Houston (11/4/4m WL Searched Socielied indoor 44/1587-323 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into long-distance telephone calls made between December 15-27, 1967, primarily from Houston, Texas, to locations in Louisiana and other Texas cities. Records include call dates, originating and called numbers, destinations such as Beaumont, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Nigeria. The FBI Houston Division compiled data through Southern Bell Telephone Company equipment programming and physical logs, with requests for verification by the New Orleans office due to potential connections to individuals or locations under investigation. Some entries contain redacted text, placeholders for numbers, and declassification markings (E.O. 14176). Later records from December 1966–December 1967 reference calls on Interstar 10 system, linking activity to James Earl Ray (alleged MLK assassination suspect), Charles Stein, and FBI operational directives. A 1968 report notes a German doctor’s sighting of an individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt at the Bristol Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, later identified as Joe Musgrove, whose passport records were checked by U.S. authorities. Fingerprint checks of James Earl Ray were conducted by Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Call records from December 15-17, 1967, include calls from Los Angeles to New Orleans and Alpine, Texas, with some deemed unrelated. The FBI also investigated connections between Wilder Oil Company and Nigerian entities, though no confirmation of the company’s existence was found.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (alleged suspect in MLK's assassination)  
- Charles Stein (individual under investigation)  
- Joe Musgrove (passport holder linked to Nigeria)  
- Klaus Szerr (German doctor reporting sighting of Eric Starvo Galt)  
- Eric Starvo Galt (individual reportedly seen at Bristol Hotel, Lagos)  
- Herb Foster (Houston Police Department fingerprint examiner)  
- Lt. Rex Fullerton (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)  
- Robert Wade (Wade Machine Company employee)  
- Felix David Clark (employee of Wade Machine Company)  
- SAC Houston (Special Agent in Charge, FBI)  
- FBI Director (via reference)  

Key Locations:  
- Houston, Texas  
- Beaumont, Texas  
- New Orleans, Louisiana  
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana  
- Lagos, Nigeria (Bristol Hotel, Habbitt House, Berkeley Street)  
- Nigeria (Lagos, Ibadan, P.O. Box 2841)  
- Alpine, Texas  
- Bartow, West Virginia (gas station purchase)  
- Temple, Texas  
- Cameron, Texas  
- Laredo, Texas  
- McAllen, Texas  

Key Events:  
- Compilation of telephone call records by FBI Houston Division (December 1966–December 1967)  
- Monitoring of calls linked to James Earl Ray and Charles Stein on Interstar 10 system  
- Sighting of an individual resembling Eric Starvo Galt at the Bristol Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria (April 23, 1968)  
- Fingerprint checks of James Earl Ray by Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office  
- Investigation into Wilder Oil Company and Gulf Credit Card connections to potential suspects  
- Passport review for Joe Musgrove (H-1052048) issued for travel to Nigeria  
- Tracking of long-distance calls between Texas cities and Nigeria during late 1967  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Southern Bell Telephone Company  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- U.S. Passport Office  
- Houston Police Department  
- Harris County Sheriff’s Office  
- Nigerian Department of States  
- Gulf Oil Corporation  
- U.S. Department of Commerce (African Division, International Commerce Bureau)

MLK Declassified Files

44-ho-1509_sec_004_ser_269-365-part_4_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

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