</s>RECEIVED - CUNRAD MELCULIVED INVESTIGATIVE APR 26 3 29 AM '68 APR 25 11 57 AM '66 F.B.I LABHATINARY DIVISION TAD OF JUSTICE - - - - - - - - - - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail FBI Laboratory analyses conducted on April 25, 1968, focusing on handwriting comparisons and laundry tape samples linked to the investigation into Martin Luther King Jr.'s (MLK) assassination. Handwriting analysis of postcards addressed to "Miss Sunny Ryan" and "Miss Carol Ryan" was compared to John May (Jack Ray), but results were inconclusive. Laundry tape samples from Thermo-Seal machines were examined alongside questioned specimens, revealing partial similarities in markings but insufficient data for definitive machine attribution. A bedspread found in Memphis prompted inquiries into textile manufacturers in Charlotte and Charleston, NC. References to Jack Ray (Durham, NC) and James W. Cole (KKK-associated) include allegations of planning MLK's assassination, though no conclusive evidence was provided. An anonymous letter blaming communists for the plot was forwarded to the FBI. Administrative records, teletype messages, and routing slips are included, with some sections containing unclear or unrelated content.  

Key People  
- **John May (Jack Ray)**: Allegedly approached to assassinate MLK and James Farmer by George McLamb; identified as a suspect but not definitively linked to the crime.  
- **James W. Cole ("Catfish")**: Associated with the KKK, reportedly planned to kill MLK in Mississippi; referenced in allegations of assassination plotting.  
- **George McLamb**: Identified as a Durham City Council member allegedly involved in plotting MLK's assassination.  
- **Glenn Alvin Platz**: Subject of FBI inquiry due to potential information on the case; no identifiable records found.  
- **Lawrence Eugene Wray**: A former prison inmate paroled in August 1968, mentioned as a potential informant with ties to Kansas City.  
- **William Raymond Stekly**: Identified as a former employee of the Boca Ratón Club in Florida, referenced in an inquiry about his connection to MLK-related activities.  
- **James Ray**: A resident of Mesa, Arizona, described in a telegraphic report as a 55-year-old man with no direct link to MLK but noted in FBI communications.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, TN**: Site of the bedspread investigation and MLK's assassination; referenced as the location of the FBI Laboratory and specimens collected from local laundries (e.g., White Rose Laundry, Thermo-Seal Cleaners).  
- **Durham, NC**: Home of Jack Ray and George McLamb.  
- **Charlotte, NC**: Textile manufacturers involved in tracing the bedspread found in Memphis.  
- **Charleston, NC**: Additional textile manufacturing hub referenced.  
- **San Francisco, CA**: Source of laundry tape samples analyzed by the FBI.  
- **Atlanta, GA**: Mentioned in connection with a laundromat (Chamblee Sunshine Cleaning Center) and as part of broader FBI communications.  
- **Honolulu, HI**: Specimens collected from Abo Laundry and Perfection Dry Cleaners.  
- **Chicago, IL**: Referenced in telegraphic exchanges about potential informants and criminal activities.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, TN.  
- **April 25, 1968**: FBI Laboratory analysis of handwriting and laundry tape samples related to the investigation.  
- **April 23–25, 1968**: Inquiries into textile manufacturers to trace a bedspread found in Memphis.  
- **April 12, 1968**: Airtel communication referencing Jack Ray's alleged involvement in MLK's assassination plot.  
- **June 9, 1966**: James W. Cole allegedly stated intentions to kill MLK in Mississippi.  
- **August 1968**: Reference to Alfred Schneider’s alleged threat received by the Atlanta Police Department.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted handwriting analysis, textile manufacturer inquiries, and surveillance on suspects; referenced its Memphis field office, laboratory divisions, and communications sections.  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**: Associated with James W. Cole ("Catfish") through alleged planning of MLK's assassination.  
- **Textile manufacturers in Charlotte and Charleston, NC**: Involved in tracing the bedspread found in Memphis.  
- **Post Office Department**: Included routing slips and administrative records related to document handling.  
- **Local Law Enforcement Agencies**: Mentioned in context of investigations, including the Atlanta Police Department and Chicago police units.  
- **Laundry and Cleaning Services**: Multiple laundries across California, Georgia, Hawaii, and Florida were referenced as sources of specimens for forensic analysis.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_05-05-part_5_of_7.pdf

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