</s>KC 44-760 JAB:cm 1 The following investigation was conducted by SA JAMES ALLEN BENROOKB Mr. WILLIAM R. RUDDELL, Postal Inspector, Kansas City, Missouri, related R. WILLILLAM KENNEDY KNIGHT is not known as him as a fence, that is his belief that JAMES EARL RAY and his partner, WALTER TERRY RIFE, when apprehended in 1955 were passing postal money orders and those persons who actually burglarized the post office in Illinois from where the postal money ordered were obtained although unknown individuals he purchased these money orders from an unknown individual. Mr. RUDELL said he knew of no fence handling money orders in 1955 in the Kansas: city area who MAY or RIFE may have contacted. 142 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The document details an investigation into LYNN RAY CLEVELAND’s potential connection to the assassination of MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., though no direct evidence was found linking him to the crime. Cleveland was arrested in Joplin, Missouri, on April 9, 1968, after a motel manager reported he resembled an artist's depiction of the killer. He claimed to have been hitchhiking from Baxter Springs, Kansas, to Springfield, Missouri, around April 4, 1968 (the day of MLK’s assassination), but could not confirm his presence in Memphis, Tennessee, where MLK was killed. Cleveland stated he received $20 via Western Union at 1871 N. Broadway, Springfield, Missouri, and mentioned staying at the Hoff's Hotel during his travels. His father, GARLAND CLEVELAND, provided details about his son’s whereabouts, noting he had not been in contact since March 26, 1968. The FBI noted Cleveland did not have direct ties to MLK’s assassination but matched the physical description of the suspect. No incriminating items were found during a thermofax record of his belongings, and no conclusive evidence was established.  

Key People:  
- LYNN RAY CLEVELAND (subject of investigation)  
- GARLAND CLEVELAND (father of Lynn Ray Cleveland)  
- BILLY MAX WELLER (individual who identified Cleveland’s movements)  
- VIRGINIA ULLER (motel manager who reported Cleveland’s appearance)  
- ADRIAN MEACHAN (Joplin, Missouri Police Chief)  
- ROBERT E. HICKAM (FBI agent involved in the case)  

Key Locations:  
- Baxter Springs, Kansas (Cleveland’s claimed origin point)  
- Springfield, Missouri (location of Western Union office and alleged stay)  
- Joplin, Missouri (arrest location and police department involvement)  
- Hoff's Hotel (alleged overnight stay)  
- St. Louis, Missouri (Cleveland’s listed address)  

Key Events:  
- Cleveland’s arrest in Joplin, Missouri, on April 9, 1968, following a motel manager’s report of his appearance matching the assassin’s description.  
- Claims by Cleveland that he was hitchhiking to Springfield, Missouri, around April 4, 1968, the day of MLK’s assassination.  
- Western Union transaction for $20 sent to 1871 N. Broadway, Springfield, Missouri.  
- FBI investigation noting no direct evidence linking Cleveland to the assassination but confirming his physical resemblance to the suspect.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Joplin, Missouri Police Department  
- Missouri State Highway Patrol (mentioned in unrelated records)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_12-01-part_4_of_4.pdf

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