</s>4/9/68 PLAINTEKT TELETYPE URGENT TO: SAC'S, JACKSON (157-9568) NEMPHIS (44-1997) FROM: DIRECTOR, FBI HURKIN, CIVIL RIGHTS RE JACKSON TELLETE AIL EIGHT, SIXTEIGHT, AT FIVE TWENTYTHO P. M. NO FINGERPRINTS LOCATED BUFFLES FOR JIMMY GARLAND COPELAND, BURRIS LEE DUNN, JR ., JAMES LEMIS HARPER, GATHO OVERBY, WILLIAM HENRY WATKINS OR BENNELLY FLOYD, JR. LATENT FINGERY PRINTS THIS CASE NOT IDENTICAL FINGERFRINTS OTHER NAMED SUSPECTS. NO PALM PRINDS BUFFIES FOR ANY OF SUSpects. REC-105 200 1 - Mr. Rosen GJB:min (5) REC- 105-APR 10 1968 FEDERAL BUREAU OF WESTIGATIO, APR 10 1968 M.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMMUNICATION SECHON- APR 9 1968 9/10/96/96 9/9p TELETYPE Telenon Telenor 9/19/96% 9/18/969 Deloach Molle- Capella Capell Capello Capelli Cell Cell 5/4 APR 16 1968 Rosen Trenton Trente Trenti- Trent Hales Room Holes Gandy MAIL ROOM TELETPE UNIT 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Key elements include forensic analysis of clothing damaged during the shooting, fingerprint comparisons, witness accounts, and coordination between FBI offices in Memphis, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., and other locations. The investigation involves inquiries into stolen vehicles, motel registration records, hardware store tools, and credit records linked to suspects such as Eric Stavo Galt. Forensic reports note bullet damage, lead contamination, and torn fabric in MLK’s clothing but could not definitively determine the entry point of the fatal wound. Administrative details reference Executive Order 14176 and unrelated investigations.  

Key People  
- **Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK)**: Victim of the assassination.  
- **Eric Stavo Galt**: Suspect linked to Standard Oil Company credit records in Alabama.  
- **Jimmy Garland Copeland, Burris Lee Dunn Jr., James Lemis Harper, Gatho Overby, William Henry Watkins, Bennelly Floyd Jr.**: Suspects subjected to fingerprint checks.  
- **Willard-Jack**: Linked to the case; instructions to interview a named individual without disclosing the connection to MLK’s assassination.  
- **E.L. Bing (Plant City, Florida)**: Reported sighting of a suspect resembling the artist's sketch.  
- **Robert W. Knight (Tampa Division FBI Agent)**: Directed to interview E.L. Bing.  
- **Larry Hogan (former SA), Mayor Bob Yost (Colmar Manor, Maryland), James W. Sibert (FBI Agent), Frank Clemente (Chicago), SAC Jensen (Memphis FBI Office), Harry Burgess (Brentwood, Maryland), Willard/John Hubbard (probation record in Mississippi)**: Individuals involved in witness accounts or investigative leads.  
- **Leonard Barksdell**: Engineer who reported observing a suspect matching descriptions linked to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Detective Calvin C. Ellison**: Memphis PD officer who took photographs of MLK at St. Joseph’s Hospital.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central location for the assassination and initial investigation; St. Joseph’s Hospital where MLK was taken post-shooting.  
- **Indianapolis, Indiana**: Involved in coordination with FBI offices and hardware store inquiries.  
- **Plant City, Florida**: Location of E.L. Bing’s reported sighting.  
- **Tampa, Florida (FBI Division)**: Agent Robert W. Knight’s office.  
- **Colmar Manor, Maryland**: Mayor Bob Yost’s location; lead on Harry Burgess.  
- **Chicago, Illinois**: Frank Clemente’s report of a suspect sighting.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Mentioned in administrative records and Standard Oil Company credit records.  
- **Valentine, Texas**: Reported observation of a suspect.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of MLK in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **Forensic analysis** of clothing damaged during the shooting, including microscopic and spectroscopic examinations for bullet damage, lead contamination, and fabric tears.  
- **Investigation into stolen vehicles**, particularly white Mustangs, with requests to check NCIC records for stolen cars in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.  
- **Witness accounts**: Leonard Barksdell described a suspect as a white male, approximately 45 years old, wearing a light blue suit, and driving a late 1960s Desoto or Chrysler. E.L. Bing reported seeing someone resembling the artist’s sketch of the suspect.  
- **Motel registration records** from the Rebel Motel in Memphis, including handwriting comparisons to identify suspects.  
- **Coordination between FBI offices**: Communications between Memphis, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C., involving fingerprint analysis, witness interviews, and evidence collection.  
- **April 9–11, 1968**: E.L. Bing contacts the Attorney General’s office; SAC Jensen requests color photographs of evidence (bedspread, Schlitz beer cans) for analysis.  
- **Ongoing latent fingerprint examination** of firearms and items linked to the suspect, including a rifle and cartouche box.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency conducting the investigation; offices in Memphis, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Tampa, and other locations.  
- **National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA)**: Provided information on hardware store records for tool identification.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Involved in administrative and investigative coordination.  
- **Memphis Police Department (MPD)**: Collaborated with FBI on evidence collection, including photographs of MLK post-assassination.  
- **Standard Oil Company divisions** (Alabama, Illinois, Ohio, California, etc.): Mentioned in credit records inquiries related to Eric Stavo Galt.  
- **Motor Vehicle Division, Alabama Department of Revenue and Driver’s License Division**: Involved in administrative tasks and record checks.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_01-02-part_6_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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