</s>2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176 REC.O-ROSEN

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on suspects such as Eric Stavvo Galt (also known as Harvey Lawyer, John Willard) and Claude Albert Cass. On April 18–19, 1968, the FBI conducted fingerprint comparisons of unidentified prints against suspects like Ronnet Paklin Williams, David Ernest Hakens, and James Board Spears, finding no matches. An anonymous female caller in New York provided information about Cass, a city marshal in Atlanta, prompting the FBI to request fingerprint checks for unsolved cases. Charles Morgan Jr., director of the ACLU Southern Regional Office, advised law enforcement to ensure suspects’ constitutional rights were upheld during apprehension. FD-36 forms transmitted via Airtel outlined investigations at Memphis locations including the Rebel Hotel, Lorraine Motel, and York Arms, with crime scene sketches and autopsy reports referenced. The FBI requested photographs and fingerprint verification for Galt, who was listed as a fugitive with a civil rights conspiracy charge. Additional records noted Galt’s alleged residency in Atlanta, travel to New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and associations with George Wallace’s American Independent Party. Interviews with individuals like Jimmie Delton Garner (rooming house manager) and Harold C. Anderson (Pick Motel employee) provided details about Galt’s activities, including alleged storage of belongings and interactions with Rita Stein and Marie Denino. The FBI also investigated other names such as Robert Gault, Malcolm A. Gault, and Sumpter E. Gaulet, noting employment histories, residences, and familial connections. References to social security numbers were noted but redacted.  

Key People:  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (assassination under investigation)  
- John Edgar Hoover (FBI Director)  
- Charles Morgan Jr. (ACLU Southern Regional Office Director)  
- Claude Albert Cass (city marshal in Atlanta, subject of fingerprint check)  
- Eric Stavvo Galt (fugitive wanted for civil rights conspiracy; also known as Harvey Lawyer, John Willard)  
- Jimmie Delton Garner (rooming house manager in Atlanta)  
- Harold C. Anderson (employee of Pick Motel)  
- Rita Stein (associated with Galt)  
- Marie Denino (linked to Galt)  
- Frank Clifford Beebe (U.S. Navy veteran, code name "MURKIN")  
- William Jennings Bryan Lee (individual interviewed about Galt’s activities)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Rebel Hotel, Lorraine Motel, York Arms, city map sections)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (113 14th Street, N.E., rooming house; Claude Albert Cass’s employment as city marshal)  
- New York (anonymous caller providing information on Cass)  
- Los Angeles (St. Francis Hotel)  
- New Orleans (Providence Motel)  
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Hotel Rio)  
- Huntsville, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; San Antonio, Texas  

Key Events:  
- FBI fingerprint comparisons of unidentified prints against suspects in MLK assassination case  
- Investigation into Claude Albert Cass’s potential involvement in unsolved cases  
- ACLU directive to law enforcement on handling apprehension of suspects  
- Transmission of FD-36 forms detailing Memphis crime scene investigations and autopsy findings  
- Request for photographs and fingerprint verification of fugitive Eric Stavvo Galt  
- Galt’s residency at Atlanta rooming house, alleged storage of belongings, and travel to New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Mexico  
- Interviews with Rita Stein, Marie Denino, William Jennings Bryan Lee, and Jimmie Delton Garner regarding Galt’s activities  
- FBI investigation into Galt’s background (locksmithing school, dance lessons, bartending) and connections to George Wallace’s American Independent Party  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Southern Regional Office  
- United Fruit Company  
- U.S. Department of Justice Communications Section  
- Memphis Police Department  
- National Dance Studio (Los Angeles)  
- American Business Consultants (linked to Xavier Von Koss, who taught self-hypnotism)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_03-06-part_4_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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