</s>4. 596(Rev.) 9-9-88) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SERIES 2674-2239 44-HO-38981 SERIES 2874-2230 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS SECTION 28 FBIHQ INVESTIGATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE FILES ATTENTION BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FOI/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. FOIPA SECTION Unit D, EXT. 567. Transfer - Call 3421 Use Care in Handling this File MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The document contains fragmented FBI records related to investigations into individuals potentially connected to Martin Luther King Jr.'s (MLK) assassination. One section details an FBI inquiry into Earl Everett Ray, a man with familial ties to MLK, including his uncle and mother. Ray’s employment history, prison records, and alleged associations are noted, including claims he expressed hostility toward Black individuals and made statements about assassinating MLK during incarceration. Other entries reference Hillard Sanders and James V. Brown, former inmates who allegedly discussed Ray’s potential involvement in MLK’s assassination. The text includes incomplete or illegible details about phone calls, prison activities, drug use, financial transactions, and inmate associations. A separate section references telephone calls made by James Earl Ray from coin-operated telephones along a route from Los Angeles to New Orleans during December 1967, with locations such as Dallas, Memphis, Indianapolis, San Antonio, and Texas cities like Sanderson, Alpine, and McAllen. The text also mentions FBI actions, including interviews with witnesses like Harry Lunsford ("Woody") and checks on toll call records. Administrative notes reference document releases under Executive Order 14176 and unrelated textile machinery records.  

Key People  
- **Earl Everett Ray**: Subject of an FBI investigation; alleged ties to MLK’s family, including his uncle and mother. Claims he expressed anti-Black sentiment and discussed assassinating MLK during incarceration.  
- **Hillard Sanders**: Former inmate who allegedly knew Ray and provided information about his activities.  
- **James V. Brown**: Inmate who claimed Ray made statements about killing MLK and had financial resources to do so.  
- **Johnny Valenti**: Alleged associate of Ray in prison; believed to be from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  
- **Ray’s brother-in-law**: Mentioned as working in Africa and allegedly involved in large financial transactions.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Subject of a separate FBI investigation into telephone calls made during December 1967.  
- **Frank L. Butterly**, **Columbus Jones**, **Charles P. Nasburn**, **Harry Lunsford** (also known as "Woody"), **Robert Kesley**, **W. M. Coward**, **J. S. Clemens**, **Delta Clemens and Equipment Company**, **Andy Codos**: Individuals referenced in telephone call investigations.  

Key Locations  
- **Galesburg, Illinois** (Ray’s former residence).  
- **Uvalde, Texas** (location of a phone call linked to Ray).  
- **Missouri** (references to prison locations and associates like Johnny Johnson and Richard Beeman).  
- **Alabaster, Alabama** (investigation into Hillard Sanders’ last employment).  
- **Los Angeles**, **New Orleans**, **Dallas**, **Memphis**, **Indianapolis**, **San Antonio**, **Sanderson**, **Alpine**, **McAllen**, **Uvalde**, **San Angelo**, **Del Rio**, **Brownsville**, **Laredo**, **Flagstaff, Arizona**, **Springfield, Illinois**, **Jacksonville, Florida**: Locations associated with telephone calls and FBI activities.  
- **St. Francis Hotel (Los Angeles)**, **Memphis, Tennessee**: Specific locations mentioned in the context of phone calls or interviews.  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Earl Everett Ray’s potential involvement in MLK’s assassination, including his alleged anti-Black rhetoric and financial resources.  
- Inmate accounts of Ray’s alleged plans to kill MLK and prison-related activities, including drug use and financial transactions.  
- Surveillance and interviews with individuals connected to Ray, including former inmates and associates like Hillard Sanders and James V. Brown.  
- Investigation into telephone calls made by James Earl Ray from coin-operated telephones during December 1967, with locations spanning Texas, Arizona, and Illinois.  
- FBI actions related to tracking phone numbers, toll call records, and interviews with witnesses such as Harry Lunsford.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray and related individuals, including telephone call monitoring and inmate surveillance.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Where Ray and other suspects were incarcerated.  
- **Interstate Compacts**: Mentioned in the context of supervision for inmates transferred between states.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**, **Communications Section**: Agencies or divisions referenced in FBI actions and document management.  
- **Textile Machinery Companies** (e.g., Thermo-Seal, Pentex-Prospority): Mentioned in unrelated administrative contexts.  

Note: Social security numbers present in the summaries are noted but not included; references to such numbers are marked as '[SSN REDACTED]'.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_09-01-part_1_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search