</s>FD-204 (Rev. 3-3-59) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Copy to: Report of: SA QUENTIN P. STINSON MAY 17, 1968 Office: Springfield Date: Field Office File #: 44-561 Bureau File # : 44-38861 Title: JAMES EARL RAY, AKA; MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR . VICTIM CIVIL RIGHTS - CONSPIRACY Character: Synopsis: Magistrate ROBERT A. CONEY, Pooria, Illinois, vacationed with wife and twelve-year-old daughter in New Orleans, Louisiana, December, 1967. They could furnish no information relating to JAMED EARL RAY, THEY NO. 404 942, Mrs. CONey recalls observing a white late model sports car parked in archway of Provincial Motel, New Orleans. Louisiana, during visit, but she could not accurately describe or identify occupants. - P- This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the Fbi. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and related activities from 1967 to 1968. Key elements include sightings of a white late-model sports car at the Provincial Motel in New Orleans, Louisiana, observed by Magistrate Robert A. Coney and his family during December 1967. The vehicle was described as clean and waxed but could not be accurately identified. Mrs. Coney noted the car parked near the motel’s archway area multiple times without identifying occupants or model details.  

A .380 bullet fired from a Remington UMC weapon (serial number PA84949) is linked to Robert Joseph Dunaway, an FBI official who resided in Kingston, Tennessee. The weapon was claimed to be registered in Michigan and connected to unsolved cases involving "LON" activities. A memorandum dated May 17, 1968, references Mr. Downey’s encounter with an individual named Gable (possibly James Earl Ray) at a bar in Washington, D.C., where Gable allegedly mentioned possessing $20 and carrying a gun. The FBI sought to verify if Gable matched photographs of James Earl Ray.  

International communications from April to May 1968 include a letter from Amsterdam referencing a Dutch television film about MLK, noting his speeches and interactions with "Dali.King" (possibly a misrendered name). It mentions James Earl Ray as a "blonde, white young man" potentially linked to MLK’s activities. FBI efforts to track Ray included coordination with Dominican authorities (Dominican National Police, DNI) regarding his movements in the Dominican Republic and dissemination of his image across U.S. cities like Memphis, New Orleans, Miami, and Charlotte, North Carolina. A letter from James A. Hannon to J. Edgar Hoover (May 15, 1968) inquired about MLK’s alleged criminal activities, with Hoover declining to release confidential information.  

Additional entries reference unsigned letters received by Inspector R. Zachary of the Memphis Police Department, including one postmarked from Hamilton, Ontario, attributed to an individual previously associated with similar correspondence marked with the initial "y." Claims state James Earl Ray is deceased and buried in Mexico City, Copilco Ruinos, at a location indicated by an "x." The documents contain typographical errors (e.g., "JAMES BARL RAY" instead of "JAMES EARL RAY") and repeated declassification markings like "2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176."  

Key People  
- Robert A. Coney (Magistrate, Illinois)  
- Mrs. Coney (spouse of Robert A. Coney)  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin of MLK)  
- Robert Joseph Dunaway (FBI official linked to weapon evidence)  
- Mr. Downey (individual who met Gable)  
- Gable (possibly alias for James Earl Ray)  
- J. Edgar Hoover (FBI Director)  
- James A. Hannon (inquirer about MLK)  
- Inspector R. Zachary (Memphis, Tennessee Police Department)  
- Insurgentes Cabot Universitario Cobito (possibly a location or individual referenced in the text)  

Key Locations  
- Provincial Motel, New Orleans, Louisiana  
- Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C.  
- Kingston, Tennessee (home of SAM BOMARITO)  
- 29th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. (address linked to Mr. Downey)  
- Amsterdam, Netherlands  
- Dominican Republic  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Mexico City, Copilco Ruinos  
- Hamilton, Ontario  
- Charlotte, North Carolina  

Key Events  
- Sightings of a white sports car at the Provincial Motel in December 1967.  
- Investigation into a .380 bullet and weapon serial number PA84949 connected to Robert Joseph Dunaway.  
- Mr. Downey’s alleged encounter with Gable, who may have been James Earl Ray, involving claims of carrying a gun.  
- FBI coordination across multiple offices to track James Earl Ray’s movements.  
- Distribution of wanted flyers for James Earl Ray to Dominican authorities.  
- Inquiry by James A. Hannon about MLK’s alleged activities.  
- Mention of a Dutch television film about MLK and potential links to Ray.  
- FBI refusal to release confidential information on MLK.  
- Receipt of unsigned letters attributed to James Earl Ray by Inspector Zachary.  
- Claims regarding James Earl Ray’s death and burial in Mexico City.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Dominican National Police (DNP)  
- Dominican National Department of Investigations (DNI)  
- Memphis, Tennessee Police Department  
- U.S. Government agencies (including White House mail room)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_13-01-part_2_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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