</s>COMMUNICATIONS SCHOOL FJI WASH DC APRIL 29, 1985 TELLTYPE FBI DETROIT 40SPM URGENT A-30-68 JRM Mason Churty TO DIRECTOR (444-38861) AND MEMPHIS FROM DETROIOT (444)-8891) IP MURKIN 7:30t 4/30t DAVID G. FOX, GRADUATE STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MICH ., ANN ARROBOR, MICH ,, ADVISED INSTANT DATE THAT APRIL TWENTY FOUR LAST WHILE VISITING GUATEMALA HE WAS TOLD BY PAULINO JARQUIN, OPERATOR OF RESTAURANT CATOC, KILOMETER EIGHTY SEVEN, DEPARTMENT OF TECTAN, GUATEMA, THAT JAMES EARL RAY REPORTEDLY IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN IN GUATAMALA. FOX STATED HE WAS RECOGNIZED BY JARQUNLY SEEN AN AMERICAN AT WHICH TIME JARGUIN MADE THE ABOVE STATEMENT. FOX DID NOT QUESTION JARQUINS ABOUT TIME RAY SEENIN IN GUATEMALA OR BY WHOM. END. CAB FBI WASH DO REC. 116 5/1/1- 8 ... 15 MAY 6 1983 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail FBI investigative efforts related to James Earl Ray’s movements and potential connections to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., with a focus on May 1, 1968. On April 29, 1985, David G. Fox reported that Paulino Jarquin, a Guatemalan restaurant operator, claimed Ray was seen in Central America around April 24, 1968. The FBI analyzed phone calls made by Ray from coin telephones in Texas, Colorado, California, and other locations between December 15–17, 1967, recording specific numbers and times to track his whereabouts. Investigations into aliases such as "GALT" and "LOWMER" yielded no results, though laundry mark comparisons and financial records were examined. Raymond R. “Ray” Bodker, who rented a 1967 Ford Galaxie in Georgia using a Shell Oil credit card linked to a promotional campaign, was noted for resembling Ray physically but with discrepancies in age and facial features. The FBI sought to locate the car and verify Bodker’s identity.  

Separate teletype messages from May 1, 1968, include interviews with Mrs. Charles H. Engle and Katherine Click in New Holland, Pennsylvania, regarding Colin Blackman, a Trailways bus driver from Toronto, Canada. Blackman allegedly contacted Engle in February 1967 about being jailed for income tax evasion and planned to visit New Holland but did not arrive. Engle and Click described Blackman as approximately 40 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, heavy build, with dark curly hair. The FBI compared photographs of Blackman to Flyer 442A for Ray’s identification and noted a Social Security Number [SSN REDACTED] in connection to Ray’s employment records. Laboratory reports analyzed laundry tape samples from Jacksonville, Florida; Canton, North Carolina; and Winter Park, Florida, for forensic comparison. A telephone call to Robin C. Shiver, a poultry business owner in Lake City, Florida, was also mentioned as potentially relevant to the case.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- David G. Fox (Michigan graduate student reporting on Ray’s alleged presence in Guatemala)  
- Paulino Jarquin (Guatemalan restaurant operator)  
- Raymond R. “Ray” Bodker (individual resembling Ray, linked to a car rental in Georgia)  
- Colin Blackman (Trailways bus driver from Toronto, Canada)  
- Mrs. Charles H. Engle (New Holland, PA)  
- Katherine Click (New Holland, PA)  
- Robin C. Shiver (Lake City, FL; poultry business owner)  

Key Locations:  
- Guatemala  
- Texas  
- Colorado  
- California  
- Georgia  
- New Holland, Pennsylvania  
- Montreal, Canada (World’s Fair)  
- Jacksonville, Florida (Tillman Laundry and Cleaners)  
- Canton, North Carolina (Canton Laundry)  
- Winter Park, Florida  
- Lake City, Florida  

Key Events:  
- FBI tracking of Ray’s phone calls from coin telephones in multiple states (1967–1985)  
- Analysis of laundry tape samples from Jacksonville, Florida; Canton, North Carolina; and Winter Park, Florida  
- Interviews with Engle and Click regarding Blackman’s alleged contact with Ray  
- FBI investigation into Ray’s social security number and employment history  
- Physical description comparisons between Bodker and Ray  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Detroit, Memphis, San Francisco, Kansas City divisions  
- Trailways Bus Company (Toronto, Canada)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Mountain State Telephone Company  
- Phoenix-based data processing centers

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_09-02-part_2_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search