</s>CG 44-1114 RJD:Jap 1 RE: DALE BAXTER ET AL GARY, INDIANA On April 19, 1968, an anonymous male telephonically contacted SA ROBERT J. DOLLAN and advised that he wished to furnish SA ROBERT J. DOLAN and captured him. He declined to identify himself but stated the following individuals. all current residents of Gary, Indiana, are reported in possession of information concerning this matter: DALE BAXTER Resides 40th and Tyler SHIRLEE MACKOWAK Resides 4th and Tennessee JACK WEISBUCK Resides 460 Broadway Caller stated above had been bragging they have information concerning the killing of Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING and know the whereabouts of the suspect presently being sought by the FBI. The whereabouts of this suspect were not aware of the actual weapon utilized by the killer but the whereabouts of such weapon is known to the above trio. Caller declined to furnish information and terminated the call. On April 23, 1968; the Indianapolis Division ad- vised that April 23 1968, the Indianapolis division ad- and denied having any knowledge concerning the captioned contact any knowledge concerning this weapon used in this murder. - 149 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
On April 19, 1968, an anonymous caller reported that three individuals in Gary, Indiana—Dale Baxter, Shirlee Mackowak, and Jack Weisbuck—were believed to possess information about the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The caller stated these individuals knew the whereabouts of the suspect sought by the FBI but did not provide details about the weapon used. On April 23, 1968, the Indianapolis Division denied knowledge of the weapon used in the murder.  

John Powell, a resident of Chicago, Illinois, reported on April 18, 1968, observing a white male with a Tennessee license plate BK 1897 (possibly James Earl Ray) driving a car. He described the individual as early 40s, wearing a brown long-sleeved sweater, and noted similarities to a 1962 photograph of Ray.  

Bernice Thomas reported on April 20, 1968, seeing a man in a car with a Tennessee license plate BW 2739. The vehicle was found on April 15 but she delayed reporting until later.  

Investigations into credit card transactions linked to Pure Oil Company records revealed no purchases by James Earl Ray on April 16, 1968. The FBI reviewed credit card slips and identified several individuals with potential ties to Ray, including Col. Wilkerson and H.O. Jones Jr., though none confirmed direct connections.  

The FBI contacted airlines at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to check for sightings of Ray. They also coordinated with the Chicago Police Department’s Identification Division to compare fingerprints and criminal records, eliminating hundreds of latent prints without finding matches.  

Key People:  
- Dale Baxter (Gary, Indiana)  
- Shirlee Mackowak (Gary, Indiana)  
- Jack Weisbuck (Gary, Indiana)  
- John Powell (Chicago, Illinois)  
- Bernice Thomas (Chicago, Illinois)  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- Gerald Hultgren (Mississippi; juvenile record)  

Key Locations:  
- Gary, Indiana  
- Chicago, Illinois  
- Rockford, Illinois  
- O'Hare International Airport, Chicago  
- Pure Oil Company records (Palatine, Illinois)  

Key Events:  
- Anonymous call about individuals in Gary, Indiana with information on MLK’s murder suspect.  
- John Powell’s sighting of a man matching James Earl Ray’s description in Chicago.  
- Bernice Thomas’ report of a car with Tennessee license plate BW 2739.  
- FBI review of Pure Oil credit card transactions and fingerprint comparisons.  
- Coordination with airlines and police departments to locate Ray.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Chicago Police Department  
- Pure Oil Company  
- Airlines at O'Hare International Airport

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_11-02-part_4_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search