</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to WASHINGTON, D.C. 20335 File No. August 12, 1968 TO ALL LAUNDRIES AND DRY CLEANING ESTABLISHMENTS: On July 13, 1967, two unknown males, wearing stocking masks, robbed The Bank of Allison, Illinois, at gunpoint and obtained $27,000. Investigation of this crime led to the recovery of a white Van Heusen Vanguard shirt and a pair of tan trouser. To the left of the image, the men and women who were wearing the trousers dry cleaning symbols, facsimiles The shirt bears bears marks and the trousers on the shirt collar, and dry cleaning of which appear below. The laundry marks appear on the right side of the trousers. symbols appear on front and rear pockets on the left side of this trousers. 1737. VANHEUSEN VARGARD 65TH SACRAM ROUGECTER 50% FREE EDITION If, after review of the above facsimilies, you feel you have information which would be of assistance to the FBI, please call the nearest office of the FBI. the telephone- phone number of which is in the front page of your telephone directory. Very truly yours. D. Edgar Hooper Director 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI communications and court records related to James Earl Ray’s trial for the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., with active federal complaints and ongoing legal proceedings. Court orders issued by Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Preston Battle on July 18 and 23, 1968, restrict media involvement, pretrial publicity, and prejudicial remarks to ensure a fair trial. The 1966 Mustang abandoned by Ray in Atlanta remains under FBI custody. Legal scrutiny extends to statements attributed to Arthur B. Hines regarding alleged conspiracy claims. Additional FBI reports from August 1968 reference monitoring of NSRP officials’ contacts with Ray, post-assassination racial disturbances in Atlanta and Albany, Georgia (April 5–10, 1968), property damage estimates ($372,600) from Atlanta Police Department records, and interactions with witnesses such as Mrs. Jody Branum and Francis Walker in Ontario, California. Legal proceedings against Ray include extradition considerations noted on a DJ-150 form.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (defendant in MLK’s murder case)  
- Arthur B. Hines (attorney whose statements were scrutinized for potential conspiracy claims)  
- Preston Battle (Shelby County Criminal Court Judge)  
- Dr. Edward R. Fields (recipient of a letter from J.B. Stoneb)  
- J.B. Stoneb (Vice Chairman of NSRP)  
- Mrs. Jody Branum (individual referenced in FBI interactions)  
- Francis Walker (individual referenced in FBI interactions)  
- Robert Trone (public defender in Illinois)  
- Mr. Hoover (implied reference to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover)  
- Stephen J. Pollak (name mentioned in legal context)  
- Assistant Attorney General Vinson (involved in legal proceedings)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (central to Ray’s trial and court orders)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (where Ray abandoned the 1966 Mustang; site of post-assassination disturbances)  
- Shelby County, Tennessee (court overseeing Ray’s case)  
- Albany, Georgia (site of post-assassination disturbances)  
- Ontario, California (location of interactions with Mrs. Jody Branum and Francis Walker)  
- Los Angeles, California (references to Marya and Laska Van Doorenens)  
- Washington, D.C. (FBI Headquarters)  

Key Events  
- Federal complaint against James Earl Ray for conspiracy in MLK’s assassination remains active pending extradition considerations.  
- Court orders issued on July 18 and 23, 1968, restrict media involvement, pretrial publicity, and prejudicial remarks to ensure a fair trial.  
- The 1966 Mustang abandoned by Ray in Atlanta is still under FBI custody.  
- FBI monitoring of NSRP officials’ contacts with James Earl Ray or his representatives.  
- Post-assassination racial disturbances in Atlanta and Albany, Georgia (April 5–10, 1968), including arrests, injuries, property damage estimates ($372,600), and police reports.  
- Legal proceedings involving the Federal complaint against Ray, with references to DJ-150 form details.  
- FBI interactions with Mrs. Jody Branum and Francis Walker regarding potential witness information.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- National Security Research Project (NSRP)  
- Atlanta Police Department  
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office  
- United States Department of Justice  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), referenced in an address linked to a radio station in Atlanta

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_21-02-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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