</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) FBI Date: 5/27/68 Transmit the following in (Type in plainstor or code) AIRTEL AIRMAIL Via (Priority) TO: DIRECTOR FBI (44-38861) FROM: SAC OKLAHOMA CITY (44 -8866) (P) MURKIN CR 00 Memphis Re San Antonio airtel to Director 5/20/68 Re: Telephone Calls of JAMES EARL RAY in Texas During Period 12/15/17/67 Enclosed for the Bureau are 2 copies and for Memphis 15 copies of an investigative insert reflecting investigation copies of of an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, state to telephone call made from Oklahoma City area area 7/11/1967 to Oklahoma City telephone. From 04-07-72-3/2626, by S3 MICHAEL F. HUTTER and DAVID J. LANG. JAMES EARLY RAY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS REC-12 2 MAY 29 1968 C. D. B. BISTRO Bureau (Enc 2) ENCLOSURF 1 - Memphis (Enco. 15) (44)-1987) 1 - Oklahoma City JAG:OW (66) Approved: Sent M Per 66JUN7 1988/d/Adent in Charge

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against Martin Luther King Jr. and related individuals during 1967–1968. On December 17, 1967, a telephone call from San Antonio, Texas, to Oklahoma City was traced to James Earl Ray, flagged as armed and dangerous. The caller identified themselves as "Love," an Air Force personnel stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Interviews with Jan Aubert and her mother Irma Aubert (Oklahoma City residents) indicated the call’s origin. The FBI linked this investigation to Frank Butler Stevens, a suspect allegedly connected to MLK’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Stevens was reportedly in Detroit on the day of the assassination and had plans to travel to Memphis. Walter Harvard, owner of the Playmoor Bar in Detroit, provided information about Stevens’ alleged threats and financial dealings (including $4.5 million). The FBI concluded the call to Oklahoma City was part of an investigation into Stevens’ activities but found no direct connection to MLK’s assassination.  

In May 1968, the Dallas Field Office explored Sylvester Johnson’s tip suggesting MLK might be at C.A.W. Clark’s residence in Dallas, though no telephone listing for Clark existed. A Rev. Caasar Clark was listed in the directory but was out of town and not expected to return. The FBI deemed further investigation unnecessary due to Clark’s status as a NAACP minister. Other telegrams referenced suspects like Harold St Clair in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and inquiries into Greyhound bus travel routes to Dallas. Memphis-based lab reports analyzed laundry tapes from cleaners, concluding they were not linked to MLK’s assassination. Surveillance of KKK-related activities in North Carolina involved Puckett Grocery employees and Param brothers, though no direct ties to MLK’s case were established.  

The FBI also investigated Marshall Goldman’s assassination, linking James Earl Ray to multiple locations and activities. Ex-convicts like James W. Brown and Johnny Velanti provided information about Ray’s associates. The FBI coordinated with local law enforcement in Milwaukee, Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, and Birmingham to trace suspects and case records. Despite efforts, no further investigation into Goldman’s assailants was pursued due to insufficient evidence.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (flagged as armed and dangerous; linked to MLK’s assassination)  
- **Frank Butler Stevens** (suspected of involvement in MLK’s assassination; allegedly in Detroit on April 4, 1968)  
- **Walter Harvard** (Playmoor Bar owner in Detroit; provided information about Stevens)  
- **Jan Aubert and Irma Aubert** (Oklahoma City residents interviewed about the December 17, 1967, call)  
- **Sylvester Johnson** (provided tip about MLK’s possible location)  
- **C.A.W. Clark/Rev. Caasar Clark** (subject of investigation due to potential association with MLK)  
- **Harold St Clair** (suspect linked to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Greyhound bus travel)  
- **Clarence Rostyer** (reported interactions with Puckett Grocery employees and KKK ties)  
- **Dave Param** (allegedly associated with the KKK; mentioned as a National Guard affiliate in April 1968)  
- **Kelvin Pucket** (grocery store employee allegedly connected to KKK activities)  
- **James W. Brown** (ex-convict with information about Ray’s associations)  
- **Johnny Velanti** (prisoner associated with Ray’s alleged activities)  

Key Locations  
- **San Antonio, Texas** (origin of telephone call; Lackland Air Force Base)  
- **Oklahoma City, Oklahoma** (destination of call; residences of Aubert family)  
- **Detroit, Michigan** (Stevens’ residence; Playmoor Bar location)  
- **Dallas, Texas** (center of investigation into Clark’s residence)  
- **Tulsa, Oklahoma** (Harold St Clair’s home address)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (FBI lab analysis of laundry tapes)  
- **North Carolina (Bullock)** (KKK-related activity involving Param brothers and Pucket)  
- **Chicago, Illinois** (police department and gas station records)  
- **Milwaukee, Wisconsin** (investigative reference)  
- **Sacramento, California** (correspondence course inquiry)  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** (ex-convict interviews)  

Key Events  
- December 17, 1967: Telephone call from San Antonio to Oklahoma City linked to James Earl Ray.  
- May 21–27, 1968: FBI inquiries into MLK’s safety via Sylvester Johnson’s tip about Clark’s residence.  
- May 24–26, 1968: Surveillance of Greyhound bus routes to Dallas and interviews with suspects like Harold St Clair.  
- May 28, 1968: Memphis-based lab analysis of laundry tapes from cleaners, concluding no link to MLK’s assassination.  
- KKK surveillance in North Carolina involving Pucket Grocery employees and Param brothers.  
- Investigation into fraudulent credit card use linked to Marshall Goldman’s assassination.  
- FBI coordination with local police departments to trace suspects and case records.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** (central coordinating agency for investigations)  
- **Chicago Police Department** (provided records on credit card fraud)  
- **National Guard** (mentioned as possible affiliation for Dave Param in April 1968)  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)** (suspected involvement in North Carolina through Pucket Grocery employees and Param brothers)  
- **Universal School of Master Locksmithing** (mentioned in correspondence course inquiry)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_15-02-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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