</s>SIRIENS 3263-3872 44-0-38861 (P1616-1/1661) H. S. Department of Justire 44-08-8861 SERIENS 33263 3872 H.S. Departament of Justirre 14-04-088861 (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE) ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED DO NOT DRSTROY 1/STORIC FOR HISTORICAL NATIONAL AMALIE VALUE DECLASSIFICATION NATIONAL ANCHIVES FEDERAL BUREAU SECTION 46 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ENCLOSED INVESTIGATION ATTENTION SERIIS 2763-38762 BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT OR PROCESSIONING FOR RELEASE TO FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE T0 THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FO/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. FBI/DOJ USE CARE IN HANDLING THIS FILE ALL FBIINFOFACTION CONTAINED HERELINE DAI1010/10/1/0/B/SpiCK/C/D Transfer-Call 421 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s involvement in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including surveillance on Albert and Carol Pepper, John Larry Ray, and the Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis, Missouri. Technical surveillance (TESUR) was installed on telephones linked to these individuals, with legal debates over wiretapping admissibility referenced. Ray is identified as a fugitive suspect, with connections to Jefferson County, Alabama, bars like Riverview Night Club and Allstate Cafe, and financial transactions such as a September 28, 1967, bank draft purchase from Exchange Security Bank. Interviews with former inmates at Missouri State Penitentiary, including James W. Brown and Thomas Britton, describe Ray’s alleged discussions about an assassination plot involving Cooley’s $10,000 reward for information on King and up to $100,000 for killing him. Surveillance efforts also included passport application reviews, money order investigations linked to Eric S. Galt (Ray), and comparisons of signatures to identify potential connections. The FBI referenced House Select Committee on Assassinations materials and internal procedures for handling classified information.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; fugitive under investigation; linked to financial transactions, bars in Jefferson County, Alabama, and prison conversations about an assassination plot.  
- **Carol Pepper**: Owner of Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis; sister of James Earl Ray; subject of technical surveillance.  
- **Albert Pepper**: Spouse of Carol Pepper; subject of technical surveillance.  
- **John Larry Ray**: Brother of James Earl Ray; operated Grapevine Tavern; subject of surveillance.  
- **James W. Brown**: Former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; reported conversations between Johnny Velanti and Ray about Cooley’s reward for information on MLK and potential assassination.  
- **Quinton Davis**: Owner of Gun Rack in Birmingham, Alabama; reviewed photographs of suspects but could not confirm matches.  
- **John Michael Kopp**: Manager of Long Lewis Hardware Store, Bessemer, Alabama; reviewed photographs of suspects.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt** (true name: James Earl Ray): Linked to firearm inquiries at Gun Rack in Birmingham on April 18, 1967, and money order purchases.  
- **Clyde Manasco**: Clerk at Gun Rack in Birmingham; identified Eric Starvo Galt as a suspect.  
- **Johnny Velanti** (VELANTI/VELANDI): Inmate with prior convictions in Kansas City and Baton Rouge; introduced James Earl Ray to James W. Brown.  
- **Marlin C. Myers**: Owner of Continental Dance Studios, Birmingham, Alabama; provided information on Eric Galt’s alleged dance lessons.  
- **Mrs. J.D. Weeks**: Sister of Marlin C. Myers; described an individual resembling Eric Galt.  

Key Locations  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Residence of Albert and Carol Pepper; Grapevine Tavern owned by Carol Pepper.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Gun Rack store (Clyde Manasco, Quinton Davis); Exchange Security Bank (bank draft purchase).  
- **Jefferson County, Alabama**: Riverview Night Club and Allstate Cafe associated with James Earl Ray’s alleged activities.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** (Jefferson City, Missouri): Site of incarceration for James W. Brown, Johnny Velanti, and James Earl Ray; location of prison conversations about the assassination plot.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Continental Dance Studios linked to Eric Galt’s alleged activities.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Location of Johnny Velanti’s prior convictions.  
- **Baton Rouge, Louisiana**: Associated with Johnny Velanti’s criminal activities.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Site of alleged robbery involving Johnny Velanti and James Earl Ray; location of Velanti’s son’s death in 1963.  
- **Virginia**: Cave mentioned by James Earl Ray as a potential escape location.  

Key Events  
- **April 18, 1967**: Eric Starvo Galt (James Earl Ray) inquired about high-powered rifles at Gun Rack in Birmingham.  
- **September 28, 1967**: Eric Starvo Galt purchased a bank draft from Exchange Security Bank for $337.24 payable to Superior Bank Films Company.  
- **April–May 1968**: FBI interviews with witnesses and former inmates to investigate James Earl Ray’s alleged involvement in the assassination plot against MLK.  
- **Prison conversations**: Discussions between Johnny Velanti, James Earl Ray, and James W. Brown about Cooley’s reward for information on MLK and potential assassination plans.  
- **Velanti’s criminal history**: Prior convictions in Kansas City and Baton Rouge; son killed in Atlanta in 1963; estranged from wife after the incident.  
- **Ray’s alleged statements**: Expressions of hatred toward Catholics and Negroes, and mention of a Virginia cave as an escape location.  
- **Surveillance efforts**: Technical surveillance on Pepper, Ray, and Grapevine Tavern; passport application reviews; money order investigations linked to Eric S. Galt.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance, interviews, and financial investigations into James Earl Ray’s activities.  
- **Department of Justice (DOJ)**: Involved in internal procedures for handling classified information and legal discussions on wiretapping admissibility.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Referenced in documents as a source of declassified materials related to the MLK assassination investigation.  
- **Exchange Security Bank**: Recorded transactions involving Eric Starvo Galt’s bank draft purchase.  
- **Continental Dance Studios** (New Orleans, Louisiana): Allegedly associated with Eric Galt’s activities.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of incarceration for individuals involved in prison conversations about the assassination plot.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_13-05-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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