</s>TP 157-3231 Sisteri JANET UPSHAW, maiden name WHEUNT Age: 25 Residence: Stone Mountain, Georgia Telephone No.1 404-294-7071. 5* 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains investigative records from August 1978 detailing federal agencies’ efforts to examine the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) on April 4, 1968. Key elements include FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiries into James Earl Ray’s alleged involvement in MLK’s murder, his 1967 escape from a Missouri state prison, and claims he traveled from Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. Burgess Audie Wilson is noted as having confessed to shooting MLK during the 1968 Memphis visit, describing his use of a white Mustang and interactions with Sheriff Gene Barksdale and Reverend Noel Fannon. FBI records indicate Wilson was eliminated as a suspect in 1973 due to insufficient evidence. The document also references Lynnda D. Cobbles’ testimony about Ray’s alleged threats, bank robberies, and her death in Portland, Oregon, on November 28, 1971. Shirley Cox and Eugene Cox claimed they observed a white Mustang resembling Ray during their April 1968 trip to Memphis, later identifying the driver in a composite sketch from the *St. Louis Globe Democrat*. An FBI memorandum dated August 21, 1978, stated no further investigation would proceed without DOJ direction.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Alleged assassin of MLK; referenced as having escaped Jefferson City, Missouri, prison in 1967 and allegedly traveled from Mississippi to Memphis on April 4, 1968.  
- **Burgess Audie Wilson**: Claimed responsibility for MLK’s assassination, described his actions, and sought to meet with Sheriff Gene Barksdale.  
- **Gene Barksdale**: Shelby County Sheriff who received calls from Wilson and Reverend Noel Fannon regarding the alleged assassination.  
- **Reverend Noel Fannon**: Confirmed Wilson’s confession about shooting MLK during a phone call to Barksdale.  
- **Lynnda D. Cobbles (nee Leach)**: Testified about her interactions with Ray, including his alleged threats and involvement in bank robberies; shot and killed in Portland, Oregon, in 1971.  
- **Shirley Cox**: Claimed to have observed a white Mustang resembling Ray during their April 1968 trip to Memphis.  
- **Eugene Cox**: Partner of Shirley Cox; described the driver’s erratic behavior during their Memphis visit.  
- **Carl Stephens**: Allegedly described seeing someone resembling Ray near Lavon, Oklahoma.  
- **Reverend Jesse Jackson** and **Reverend James Lawson**: Interviewed by federal agencies (only Lawson was interviewed).  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination; referenced as the location where Wilson was taken to a hotel near Beale Street and where Coxes observed the white Mustang.  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri**: Ray’s escape from a state prison in 1967.  
- **Gulfport, Mississippi**: Wilson requested to meet Barksdale at a Holiday Inn.  
- **San Antonio, Texas**: Wilson’s business activities related to jewelry and diamonds.  
- **Brounsville, Texas**: Debra Jones’ father was arrested for possessing a rifle.  
- **Cahokia, Illinois**: Residence of Cobbles and her mother; mentioned in connection with Ray’s activities.  
- **Florissant, Missouri**: Site of a bank robbery allegedly planned by Ray and James Allen Benney.  
- **Lavon, Oklahoma**: Stephens’ description of sighting someone resembling Ray.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: *St. Louis Globe Democrat* published a composite drawing of the suspect.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **James Earl Ray’s escape (1967)**: Mentioned in FBI records as linked to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Wilson’s confession (1978)**: Wilson claimed he shot MLK from below a balcony, described his use of a white Mustang, and sought to meet Barksdale.  
- **Reverend Fannon’s confirmation**: Verified Wilson’s account of the assassination during a phone call to Barksdale.  
- **Cobbles’ death (1971)**: Shot and killed in Portland, Oregon, after receiving threats attributed to Ray.  
- **Observation of white Mustang (April 1968)**: Coxes described the driver’s erratic behavior and later identified him in a composite sketch.  
- **FBI memorandum (August 21, 1978)**: Stated no further investigation into MLK’s assassination would proceed without DOJ direction.  
- **Bank robberies**: Alleged involvement of Ray and James Allen Benney in multiple heists, including one in Florissant, Missouri.  
- **Threatening calls to Cobbles**: Multiple anonymous threats received by Cobbles after MLK’s assassination, attributed to Ray.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray, Wilson, and Cobbles’ testimony; managed informant networks and case files.  
- **Department of Justice (DOJ)**: Coordinated with FBI on domestic security cases and directed investigative priorities.  
- **Shelby County Sheriff’s Office**: Involved in tracking Wilson and reviewing records.  
- **Memphis Police Department**: Mentioned in the context of MLK’s assassination and related investigations.  
- **St. Louis Globe Democrat**: Published a composite drawing of the suspect based on witness accounts.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_30-03-part_3_of_6.pdf

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