</s>RECID-TELLE I TYPE UNIT FBI Jul. 12 8 12 PM '68 Jul 15 2-M-N-G8 RECO-TV-ROUGH'S FBI 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI surveillance activities in Memphis, Tennessee, from July 1968, focusing on James Earl Ray, a suspect in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The FBI requested criminal record checks for individuals monitored by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, including Clifford A. Ballard, Samuel Taylor Bell, and others associated with guarding Ray. Fingerprint evidence linked Ray to the Fulham Bank robbery in London, prompting coordination between U.S. and British authorities on legal procedures for his case. Arthur Hanes, a visitor to Ray in prison, was denied permission by the Department of Justice to accompany Ray during extradition arrangements. The FBI also discussed logistical plans for Ray’s extradition from England to the U.S., including military transport via a C-135 aircraft, security measures, and custody protocols upon arrival in Memphis. Legal proceedings in Britain involved court hearings extending detention under British law, though these were not directly tied to MLK’s assassination.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin of MLK Jr.)  
- Clifford A. Ballard, Samuel Taylor Bell, Warner J. Berry, Eulton L. Cobb, William A. Du Four, Earl H. Harrell, Elwyn Quinn Hartline, Walter R. Lincoln, Leslie T. McNatt, Stephen Boyd Scott, Billy J. Smith, Joe David Wright (individuals under surveillance in Memphis)  
- Arthur Hanes (visitor to Ray in prison; attorney for the subject in extradition proceedings)  
- Fred M. Vinson, Jr. (Assistant Attorney General)  
- J. Edgar Hoover (FBI Director, referenced in document context)  
- John Steadman (General Counsel of Air Force)  
- Colonel Burleson (Special Air Forces operational commander)  
- Major General Lawrence S. Lightner (Third Air Force Commanding General)  
- Mr. Minnick (Legal Attache at U.S. Embassy in London)  
- Home Secretary (UK official involved in legal proceedings)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (surveillance and custody arrangements)  
- Shelby County Jail, Tennessee (destination for Ray’s custody)  
- London, England (prison, airport, and extradition coordination)  
- National Provincial Bank, Devon & Cornwall, Plymouth (bank robbery cases referenced)  
- Andrews Air Force Base (military logistics coordination)  

Key Events  
- FBI surveillance of individuals in Memphis connected to James Earl Ray  
- Coordination between U.S. and British authorities on legal procedures for Ray’s extradition  
- Fingerprint analysis linking Ray to the Fulham Bank robbery in London  
- Denial of Arthur Hanes’ request to accompany Ray during extradition arrangements  
- Planning for Ray’s transportation via a C-135 military aircraft, including security measures and custody protocols  
- Legal proceedings in Britain extending detention under British law (not directly tied to MLK’s assassination)  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Department of Justice (U.S.)  
- United States Air Force (military transport coordination)  
- British Home Secretary’s office (extradition legal process)  
- Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Memphis, Tennessee  
- U.S. Embassy in London  
- New Scotland Yard (UK police)

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_20-02-part_4_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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