</s>CUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Mr. T.I.m .- DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Mr. I. I-m ., M. H. J. P. M. I -, I-p. APRIL 1968 Mr. F. I ., i-p M. F ., I -p. Mr. Gile. TELETYPEN Mr. Fit-it. FBI WASH DC Mr. Guile. Mr. Sullivan Mr. Trucker. FBI DALLAS Mr. Tucker. Tele. D. H ., Miles Gancy. 536 PM URGENT 4-24-68 CBB TO DIRECTOR (44-38861), LITTLE ROCK, PHOENIX, MEMPHIS FROM DALLAIS (444-2649) MRURKIN RE PHOENTIX TELS APRIL TWENTYONE AND TWENTTWO LAST; AND LITTLLE ROCK AIRTEL TO DIRECTOR, DALLAs, JACKSONVILLE, PHOEENIX. AND MEMPHIPS, APRILA TWENTHYREE LAST. PARENTS OF R. B. HARRELL AKA RICHARD AND JIMMY, LOCATED AND INTERVIEWED AT ABERNATHY, TEXAS, THIS DATE. ADVISED WHEREABOUTS SON UNKNOWN BUT WAS LAST HEARD FROM ONE YEAR AGO FROM BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA. PARENTS NOT COOPERATIVE IN PROVIDING INFO CONCERNING SON, BUT PROVIDED FOLLOWING RELatives of R.B. HARRELLE! BROTHER - HENRY HARREILL, LOONEY FARM, IDALOU, TASXAS, BROTHER - J. C. HARRILL, TWO ONE AVENUE C. ABERNATY, ALEXAS: UNCLE - RICHARD HARREll, WILLOW CREEK, CALIFORNIAS - AUNT - JEWEL-GRANE LAKE VILLAGE, ARKANSAS; GRANDMOTHER - FANNIE GILL LIVES 1M1 APR-JEJE3T66 CRANE, ABOVELL, UNCLE . JOE BONHAM, PUCKETT, MISSISSIPPI .- J.C. HARRRELL, BROTHER OF R B ., INTERVIEWED at ABERNATHY, TEXAS. AND ADVISID LAST HEARNED FROM OR SAW BROTHER THREE YEARS AGO WHEN R. b. TOOK HIS PICKUP AND LEFT ABERNATHER. HE BELIEVED HE WAS END PAGE ONE 3111 APR3U1968 77mw 00. yow 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The document contains FBI records detailing investigative efforts related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and associated inquiries into individuals linked to the crime. It includes tracking of R.B. Harrell, whose disappearance was investigated after his last known communication with a sibling in 1967. The FBI interviewed family members in Texas and California. A separate investigation focused on Harvey Edward Lohmeyer (FBI #730979A), suspected of associating with Ray, a person linked to MLK’s murder. Crime scene fingerprints were analyzed, including those of Glyn King (Memphis police officer) and others connected to the Rebel Motel in Memphis. The FBI requested elimination prints for comparison and sought information on witnesses like Ralph Meredith Carpenter, who allegedly sold binoculars used during the crime. Communications between FBI offices in Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, and San Francisco are detailed, including teletype exchanges and fingerprint submissions for forensic analysis. A separate section references a 1968 case involving James Earl Ray (JER), his criminal history, parole status, and alleged connections to violent acts, with mentions of the "KING MURDER" likely referring to MLK’s assassination. Records include laundry code markings, death certificates for Earl E. Ray (a separate individual), and FBI efforts to locate JER, including his association with aliases like "Johnny Larry Ravs." Other sections discuss unrelated cases, such as Robert Dale Porter’s fraudulent activities and ties to a murder investigation in Missouri.  

Key People:  
- R.B. Harrell (disappeared, last seen in Bakersfield, California)  
- Harvey Edward Lohmeyer (FBI #730979A, suspect linked to Ray)  
- Ray (allegedly connected to MLK’s murder)  
- Glyn King (Memphis police officer, fingerprint match found)  
- Ralph Meredith Carpenter (suspected binoculars seller)  
- James Earl Ray (JER): Accused of MLK’s assassination; details include parole violations, criminal record, and alleged connections to violent acts.  
- Robert Dale Porter: Alleged associate of JER; involved in fraud, with ties to the "KING MURDER" investigation.  
- Earl E. Ray: A separate individual whose death certificate and funeral records are detailed.  
- John Larry RAYs (likely a misspelling of James Earl Ray): Criminal history including burglary, parole, and alleged involvement in violent acts.  
- Curtis States (testified about Ray’s prison contacts)  
- Anna Christine Kelly, Henrietta Hagemaster, Phillip Keece, Telma Pearl Woodman, Sadie Bell Moore, Sarah L. Loring (Rebel Motel employees with fingerprint records)  

Key Locations:  
- Abernathy, Texas  
- Bakersfield, California  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Rebel Motel, police department)  
- Dallas, Texas  
- Atlanta, Georgia  
- San Francisco, California  
- Jackson, Mississippi  
- Illinois (Menard State Penitentiary)  
- Buffalo, NY (site of Earl E. Ray’s body discovery)  
- Quincy, IL (home address linked to JER’s records)  
- St. Louis, MO; Kansas City, MO; Oklahoma City, OK (locations tied to Robert Dale Porter’s activities)  
- Menard, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Springfield, IL (sites of prisons, parole offices, and reformatories referenced in JER’s background)  

Key Events:  
- FBI investigation into R.B. Harrell’s disappearance and potential ties to MLK’s assassination.  
- Fingerprint analysis of crime scene evidence, including latent prints from the Rebel Motel and Memphis police department.  
- Interviews with family members of R.B. Harrell and suspects like Harvey Edward Lohmeyer.  
- Coordination between FBI offices in Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, and San Francisco for forensic and investigative updates.  
- Request to eliminate fingerprints of individuals (e.g., Ralph Meredith Carpenter) for comparison with crime scene evidence.  
- Tracking of Ray’s alleged associates, including Curtis States’ testimony about prison contacts.  
- Investigation into the "KING MURDER" involving JER and associates.  
- FBI tracking of individuals deemed "armed and dangerous," including JER and Robert Dale Porter.  
- Parole violations and criminal records for JER, including his alleged connection to violent acts.  
- Death certificate and funeral arrangements for Earl E. Ray (a separate individual).  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Memphis Police Department  
- Rebel Motel (Memphis, Tennessee)  
- Menard State Penitentiary (Illinois)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)  
- Indiana Reformatory and Illinois State Penitentiary

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_05-05-part_1_of_7.pdf

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