</s>TELETYPE 1 - Mr. Gallagher 1 - Mr. Ingram PRIORITY 12/14/76 CLEAR 1 -Mr. Deegan 1 - Mrs. Lawn FM DIRECTOR (100-106670) 1 - MR. Thornton 1 - Mr. Leavitt TO BALTIMORE PRIORITY BT CLEAR ATN: C-6 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MURKIN - REBETUL TO ALL OFFICES DATED JULY 28, 1976, WHICH SET FORTN BACKGROUND INFORMATION CONCERNING REVIEW OF OUR MARTin LUTHR KING, Jr. INVESTIGATION BY A TASK FORCE OF THE OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY (OPR), DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ). PURPOSE OF THIS TELETYPE IS TO ALERT BALTimore REGARDING PLANS OF OPR TASKE FORCE PERSONNEL TO VISIT THAT OFFICE TO CONTINUE REVIEW OR OUR KING INVESTICATIONS. ON DECEMBER 15, 1976. TASX FORCE PERSONNEL MR. JEFF COVERT AND MS. HOPE BYRNE WILL ARRIVE AT THE BALTIMEORE OFFICE, THEY DESIRE TO REVIEW KING ASSASSINATION FILES ORIGINAL FILLED BY (MURKEN), THE INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGNATION OF KING, AND ALL 1- 44-38861 1-44-386861 414-38681- VIRT:cj1 (9) NOT RECORD SEE NOTE PAGE 3 . 46 DEC 47 1976 ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS ASSIFIED 8 4 DEC23 1976 ATE 2.27.5.1.SPYAMALA CATE OF WIRE TRANSMITTED 02016 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The document details an FBI investigation into potential connections between James Earl Ray, Alfred William Martinez, and William P. Simpsonis regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martinez claimed he wrote letters for Simpsonis addressed to Ray in Memphis, Tennessee, during 1968. Simpsonis was incarcerated at Salt Lake County Jail from January to March 1968 and later committed to a federal medical facility in Missouri, where he died on July 14, 1962. The FBI sought to locate Jimmie Wayne Ray (FBI No. 94363F), who was previously incarcerated in Memphis and may have corresponded with Simpsonis. The Bureau also noted that Simpsonis had requested contact with Jimmie Wayne Ray through federal prison systems. Additional sections reference legal cases involving James Earl Ray, FBI internal memos about the investigation, and cost data from the Dallas Office for 1976.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray**: Alleged assassin of MLK Jr., referenced in correspondence with Martinez and Simpsonis.  
- **Alfred William Martinez**: Claimed to have written letters for Simpsonis addressed to Ray.  
- **William P. Simpsonis**: Incarcerated at Salt Lake County Jail, later died in a federal medical facility.  
- **Jimmie Wayne Ray (FBI No. 94363F)**: Previously incarcerated in Memphis; sought by the FBI for potential ties to Simpsonis.  
- **Betty Ray Brashear**: Sister of Jimmie Wayne Ray, provided information about his residence and employment.  

Key Locations:  
- **Salt Lake County Jail (Utah)**: Where Martinez met Simpsonis.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central location for Ray’s alleged activities.  
- **Springfield, Missouri**: Site of federal medical facility where Simpsonis was incarcerated.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Mentioned as a potential residence for Jimmie Wayne Ray.  

Key Events:  
- Martinez’s claims about writing letters for Simpsonis to Ray in Memphis (1968).  
- Simpsonis’s incarceration and death in 1962 (contradicted by later references to his 1968 imprisonment).  
- FBI efforts to locate Jimmie Wayne Ray for interrogation.  
- Legal proceedings involving James Earl Ray, including a Supreme Court case denied on December 13, 1976.  
- Internal FBI memos discussing the investigation and coordination with legal divisions.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into MLK’s assassination, correspondence, and potential conspirators.  
- **Domestic Intelligence Division (DID)**: Provided input on MLK-related cases.  
- **General Investigative Division (GID)**: Handled investigative aspects of the case.  
- **United States Department of Justice**: Monitored developments through reports and memos.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_29-06-part_2_of_4.pdf

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