</s>ME 44-1987 2 The ground level premises in the area were immediately searched. However, nothing was revealed or noted connected to this area, however, nothing were revealed or noted connected a few investigation. He also advised that in a matter of off the area in a effort to apprend the individual responsi- ble for shooting Doctor KING. He re-referred that he is ple for shooting doctor KING. The re-retired that he was Lorraine Motel in the Area behind the rooming house in the 400 block of S. Main Street, he would have been able to observe the individuals footprints, however , none were noted, 88 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail multiple FBI investigations into events surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Key witness accounts describe firefighters Charles Elvin Stone, George I. Loenneke, and William Bishop King observing Dr. King on the motel balcony before the shooting. Stone reported seeing a shot fired from the left side of a fire station, while Loenneke confirmed the bullet’s origin. Patrolman Barney Wright and others documented emergency responses, including police securing the scene. A white Mustang with an Arkansas license plate was noted by Charles Hurley near the Canipe Amusement Center. Items recovered included a rifle and satchel from the parking area near the fire station.  

FBI FD-302 forms from April 1968 include witness statements from Jim’s Grill (418 South Main Street), where individuals reported observing a white Cadillac and white Mustang, some describing a man with brown hair and specific physical traits. A purchase of Bushnell binoculars ($39.95) was recorded at York Arms Company (162 South Main Street) around 4:00 AM on April 4, paid in cash by an unknown buyer. Witnesses at Jim’s Grill also noted a deputy sheriff ordering patrons to remain inside before the shooting, though some claimed they did not hear gunfire directly.  

Investigations extended to Ralph M. Carpenter, an employee of York Arms Company, who identified a customer purchasing binoculars on April 4, noting physical characteristics like medium eyebrows and a blue suit but unable to recall the individual’s name. The FBI interviewed staff at the Rebel Motel (3466 Lamar Avenue), where Eric S. GALT stayed from April 3–4, 1968, under the name Eric S. GALT. Registration records linked him to a Mustang license plate (number 1-38983). Mrs. Peggy Burns of Oliver Rexall Drug Store (Whitehaven) described a customer purchasing a shaving kit on April 1, 1968, wearing a dark blue suit.  

The documents emphasize discrepancies in witness accounts, including conflicting details about vehicle descriptions, timing, and direct observations of the shooting. No definitive identification of the perpetrator was provided.  

Key People:  
- Charles Elvin Stone (firefighter)  
- George I. Loenneke (firefighter)  
- William Bishop King (firefighter)  
- Barney Wright (Patrolman)  
- Charles Hurley (witness)  
- Peggy Hurley (waitress at Jim’s Grill)  
- Elizabeth Copeland (witness)  
- Frances Thompson (witness)  
- David Owens (witness)  
- Harold E. Parker (Yellow Cab driver)  
- Jimmie Richard Sanders (patron at Jim’s Grill)  
- Rajph Meredith Carpenter (York Arms Company salesman)  
- Ralph M. Carpenter (York Arms Company employee)  
- Eric S. GALT (suspect linked to Rebel Motel)  
- Mrs. Peggy Burns (Oliver Rexall Drug Store employee)  
- Anna Christine Kelly (Rebel Motel manager)  
- Ivan B. Webb (Rebel Motel desk clerk)  

Key Locations:  
- Lorraine Motel (site of assassination, Memphis, Tennessee)  
- Fire Station (Main and Butler Streets, Memphis)  
- Canipe Amusement Center (424 S. Main Street, Memphis)  
- Jim’s Grill (418 South Main Street, Memphis)  
- York Arms Company (162 South Main Street, Memphis)  
- Rebel Motel (3466 Lamar Avenue, Memphis)  
- Oliver Rexall Drug Store (Whitehaven, Tennessee)  

Key Events:  
- Observation of Dr. King on the Lorraine Motel balcony by firefighters  
- Firing of a shot from the left side of the fire station  
- Recovery of a rifle and satchel near the parking area  
- Witness accounts of a white Mustang and Cadillac at Jim’s Grill  
- Purchase of Bushnell binoculars at York Arms Company on April 4, 1968  
- FBI interviews with Ralph M. Carpenter regarding binocular purchase  
- Registration records for Eric S. GALT at Rebel Motel (April 3–4, 1968)  
- Interview with Mrs. Peggy Burns about a shaving kit purchase at Oliver Rexall Drug Store on April 1, 1968  

Key Organizations:  
- Memphis Police Department  
- Shelby County Sheriff’s Office  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- York Arms Company  
- Rebel Motel  
- Oliver Rexall Drug Store

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_06-04-part_3_of_4.pdf

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