</s>DO-6 OFFICE OF DIRECTOR MR. DEP FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGAT MR. MORR UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MR. CASPER 322 Chadbourne Avenue MR. CASPER Los Angeles, California 90049r. CALLAHAN May 13, 1968 MR. CONRAD Copy to Ramsey Clark MR. FELT MR. R. RALVAN Director J. Edgar Hoover MR. TRAVEL Federal Bureau of Investigation MR. TROTTER Washington, D.C. MR. JONES TELE. ROOM Dear Mr. Hoover M.K.KIN. MISS HOLMES MRS. METCALF MISS GANDY The two enclosed letters may give me a some idea of my puzzlement and I presume that of millions of other Americans concerned over the mysterious murder of the Rev. King. Sincerely, Logan Wilshire COPY:hcv 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI and DOJ communications related to investigations into threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and James Earl Ray. On May 23, 1968, Stephen Thome, son of Harold J.B. Thome, reported his father had called from an unknown location, claiming he felt someone would kill him. The FBI noted this indicated disturbed mental health but highlighted the father’s interest in world peace and brotherhood. James Earl Ray is described as armed and dangerous. A confidential informant (CI) in Miami reported that Roland, a man frequenting the Diamond Inn, claimed to be a KKK member and boasted about planning assassinations of MLK, Stokley Carmichael, Rap Brown, and Bobby Kennedy. Roland was described as a white male, 40s, with specific physical traits, carrying weapons, and accompanied by a vicious Doberman pinscher. The CI’s wife confirmed Roland’s statements but delayed reporting due to fear for her safety. The FBI requested investigations into Roland’s identity and connections to the assassination plot.  

Key People:  
- Stephen Thome (son of Harold J.B. Thome)  
- James Earl Ray  
- Roland (KKK member, alleged assassin plot participant)  
- Confidential Informant (CI) and CI’s wife  
- FBI agents (e.g., Director, SACs in Memphis, Mobile, Cleveland)  

Key Locations:  
- Dallas, Texas (initial investigation context)  
- Miami, Florida (Diamond Inn, where Roland was linked to the CI)  
- Kansas City, Missouri (FBI operations related to driver’s license records)  
- San Antonio, Texas (phone call tracking)  
- Rome, Italy (international police coordination on Ray’s movements)  

Key Events:  
- FBI monitoring of phone calls and photographs of James Earl Ray in unsolved cases.  
- Reporting of Roland’s threats against MLK, Carmichael, Brown, and Kennedy.  
- CI’s wife verifying Roland’s claims and fearing retaliation.  
- FBI requests for investigations into Roland’s identity and connections to the assassination.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Italian National Police (coordinated with FBI on Ray’s movements)  
- National Drivers Registry (administrative records unrelated to MLK case)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_14-04-part_4_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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