</s>44-H-08981 STATES 4688-5042 SATISNS 667 MADE IN U.S.A. ATTENTION BEFORE CHANGING CLASSIFICATION OR PROCESSING ANY DOCUMENT FROM THIS FILE FOR RELEASE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONTACT FOI/PA SECTION UNIT D, EXT. 5767. Fbi/DOJ 2005 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The document details an FBI investigation into potential involvement of Raymond Curtis and James Earl Ray in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Curtis was interviewed at Whitfield County Jail on July 3, 1968, where he denied prior statements about planning King’s murder but later admitted to writing a story for Ebony Magazine detailing his alleged collaboration with Ray. The story described their criminal past, including a 1954 payroll robbery in Quincy, Illinois, and plans to stalk King using maps of cities where he gave speeches (e.g., Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson, Selma). Curtis claimed Ray intended to use a houseboat in Vicksburg, Mississippi, for escape after the assassination. The FBI sought verification of these claims, including checking if "Willet," a name Curtis associated with Ray, was incarcerated at Illinois State Penitentiary. Separate records mention anonymous threats sent to James Earl Ray via postcards, forwarded to the FBI for analysis. The Department of Justice also discussed costs related to transporting Ray from England, with disputes over funding responsibility.  

Key People:  
- Raymond Curtis (subject of interview, alleged collaborator with James Earl Ray)  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin of MLK, subject of investigation)  
- Sheriff G. T. Mauldin (Whitfield County, Georgia; reported on Curtis’s mail)  
- Erwin Mitchell (Curtis’s attorney, noted Curtis’s statements as possibly influenced by media)  
- John Ray (possibly related to James Earl Ray, referenced in British prison records)  
- Mr. Long (involved in discussions about transportation costs for Ray)  

Key Locations:  
- Whitfield County Jail, Georgia (site of Curtis’s interview)  
- Illinois State Penitentiary (investigation into "Willet")  
- Vicksburg, Mississippi (houseboat referenced as escape route)  
- London, England (transportation of James Earl Ray by Department of Justice)  

Key Events:  
- FBI interview with Raymond Curtis on July 3, 1968, regarding alleged plot against MLK.  
- Analysis of anonymous postcards threatening James Earl Ray.  
- Investigation into "Willet" at Illinois State Penitentiary to verify Curtis’s claims.  
- Discussions between FBI and Department of Justice about costs for transporting Ray from England.  
- Examination of British prison records and correspondence related to James Earl Ray.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- United States Department of Justice  
- New Scotland Yard (provided investigative report on James Earl Ray’s activities in London)  
- Illinois State Penitentiary (inmate records checked for "Willet")

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_20-06-part_1_of_4.pdf

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