</s>MM 44-1854 XXII. CONTACTS WITH SALVATION ARMY AND WELFARE AGENCIES, MIAMI DIVISION 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Salvation Army investigations from April 1968 to May 1969 focused on identifying individuals resembling James Earl Ray, a suspect in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Efforts included cross-referencing physical descriptions of suspects with photographs of Ray, reviewing hotel records (e.g., Sun Castle Club, Boca Raton Hotel), analyzing flight manifests (Pan Am Flight 429), and tracking vehicle registrations (e.g., Florida license plate 10W). Investigators examined anonymous notes implicating Tommy Nash Jr. in Georgia, observed individuals at Miami International Airport and Greyhound Bus routes, and checked employment histories and residences of suspects. Some entries referenced prior attempts against King, such as a photographer's involvement in Selma, Alabama. No conclusive evidence linking suspects to the assassination was found.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspect in MLK's assassination)  
- **Thomas Rood** (alleged look-alike; described as 5'8", sandy hair, thin features; resided in Vero Beach, Florida)  
- **Tommy Nash Jr.** (named in an anonymous note linked to the assassination; tied to Lacrange, Georgia)  
- **David McDonald** (ticket agent who observed a man matching a suspect's description at Miami International Airport)  
- **Robert L. Pumble** (individual with a Ford Mustang linked to the investigation; described as 6'2", brown hair, curly eyes)  
- **J. Conraad Morgan** (Tennessee resident allegedly seen purchasing firearms; described as "weird and funny talking")  
- **Mary Elliott** (flight service employee who encountered JOIN C. PRICE, JR.)  
- **Elder S. Barrow** (noted resemblance between photos of photographers linked to King's assassination attempt in Selma, Alabama)  
- **Harry L. Williams** (North Carolina trooper who observed a suspect driving a 1966 Dodge with license plate 10W)  
- **Earl B. Shields** (individual resembling Ray identified at Sun Castle Club)  
- **William R. Stevley** (man seen in Douglas, Georgia, linked to Ray via hotel records)  
- **David O. Conger III** (Florida resident with potential flight connection to Ray)  
- **Ray Morris** (individual with a 1965 Ford Mustang license plate investigated for possible ties to Ray)  

Key Locations  
- **Miami, Florida** (hotels, libraries, airports; Miami International Airport, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company branch)  
- **Vero Beach, Florida** (residence of Thomas Rood)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (linked to J. Conraad Morgan and firearms purchase)  
- **Lacrange, Georgia** (location tied to Tommy Nash Jr.)  
- **West Palm Beach, Florida** (hotel and residence linked to suspects)  
- **Boca Raton, Florida** (Sun Castle Club and hotel records checked)  
- **Nashville, Tennessee** (movement of Ray Morris and vehicle sightings)  
- **Douglas, Georgia** (suspect observed by Natalie Mazzola)  
- **Minneapolis, Minnesota** (truck logistics investigation linked to Ray)  
- **Rock Sound Club, Bahamas** (assisted in identifying suspects by Bahamas Police Force)  

Key Events  
- **April 1968**: FBI and Salvation Army contacted Miami-area welfare agencies, hotels, and transportation services to identify James Earl Ray. North Carolina trooper reported a suspect driving a 1966 Dodge with license plate 10W.  
- **April 4–15, 1968**: Witnesses reported sightings of individuals matching suspect descriptions at locations including the Sea Ranch Hotel, Miami International Airport, and Greyhound Bus routes.  
- **April 7–8, 1968**: FBI received an anonymous note implicating Tommy Nash Jr. in Georgia as "KING'S killer."  
- **April 20–24, 1968**: FBI checked hotel records in Florida (Sun Castle Club, Boca Raton Hotel) for individuals resembling Ray.  
- **April 25–30, 1968**: Investigations into vehicle registrations, flight manifests (Pan Am Flight 429), and truck logistics (Alterman Transport Lines).  
- **May 1968**: FBI distributed wanted flyers in Perrine, Florida, but found no matches.  
- **April 1969**: Elder S. Barrow noted a resemblance between photos of photographers linked to King's assassination attempt in Selma, Alabama.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **Salvation Army**  
- **Florida Department of Motor Vehicles** (checked license plate records)  
- **Pan American Airways** (flight manifest review for Flight 429)  
- **Altermann Transport Lines, Inc.** (truck logistics investigation)  
- **Bahamas Police Force** (assisted in identifying suspects at Rock Sound Club)  
- **Greyhound Bus Lines**  
- **Tiford Flying Service** (West Palm Beach, Florida)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_14-02-part_3_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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