</s>FBI JACKSVILLE FBI INAPOLS 507PM URGENT 4/11/68 GWK TO DIRECTOR AIR MAIL AND JACKSONVILLE 44-769 MURKIN - CR, 001 MEMPHIS. RE JACKSON TELE. INSTANT, LAUNDRY CONTACTS. WILLIAM DUDENOFFER, UNIVERISERS, IND ., INDIANAPOLIS, ADVISED HIS ORGANIZATION HAS NUMEROUS ESTABLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT COUNTRY AND INVENTORY RECORDS OF EACH WOULD HAVE TO BE CHECKED. HE ADVISE THAT HERMAN MILLER, PRESIDENT, ORANGE STATE UNIFORM AND LINEN SERVICE, JACKSONVILLE, WOULD BE THE PERSON MOST LIKELY TO KNOW WHEREABOUTS OF THERMO-SEAL MACHINE. DUDENNOFFER SAID HE COULD THEN CHECK INVENTRY RECOROS FOR THAT LOCATION. HE SAID MILLER WILL BE BACK IN JACKSONville APRIL TWELVE NEXT AND CONTACT SHOULD BE MADE ONLY WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL. END. CJA FBI JACKSULE 44-269-86 X SEARCHED INDEXED SERIALIZED FILED APR 1 1968 FBI JACKSONVILE 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations in 1968 focused on tracking individuals associated with potential threats or connections to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Key activities included examining financial records, credit bureaus, and employment histories in Florida counties (Citrus, Lake, Marion, Sunter) for names like Eric Starvo Galt, Lowmeyer/Lowyer, and Frank Gurney. The FBI sought a thermoseal machine through Herman Miller of Jacksonville, with follow-up planned after April 12, 1968. Investigations tracked Frank Gurney, described as resembling an artist’s sketch of the assassination suspect, who was found in Florida with ties to New York and linked to activities around Orlando and Eatonville. The FBI coordinated with Greyhound Bus Company to trace his movements and cross-referenced descriptions with police records. A composite sketch of the suspect was circulated, and efforts were made to identify him through regional law enforcement and public sightings. Additional inquiries included checking dance studios for Eric Starvo Galt’s enrollment, verifying John S. Hugenberg’s Florida driver’s license (G-434093T), and photographing Clyde Courtney in Jacksonville on April 13, 1968, with fingerprints sent to Memphis for latent print comparison. The investigation involved multiple jurisdictions, including Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, and New York, with efforts to trace connections between suspects like Gordon Forbes and Galt.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Investigated for potential ties to the assassination; checked against dance studio records in Florida.  
- **Frank Gurney**: Identified as resembling the assassin’s sketch; found in Florida with New York ties; linked to activities around Orlando and Eatonville.  
- **Clyde Courtney**: Arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 14, 1968; described as matching the assassination suspect’s sketch; had criminal records for drunk driving and armed robbery.  
- **Gordon Forbes**: Mentioned in relation to Galt; former operator of fishing boats in Panama City, Florida.  
- **John S. Hugenberg**: Subject of car rental inquiry at Econocar in East Point, Georgia; driver’s license number G-434093T verified via DMV.  
- **Herman Miller**: Contact for thermoseal machine procurement in Jacksonville.  
- **H. R. Plunkett**: Jacksonville police officer who arrested Courtney and reported his resemblance to the assassin sketch.  
- **Lt. Richardson**: Jacksonville PD officer coordinating with Plunkett on Courtney’s arrest.  

Key Locations  
- **Jacksonville, Florida**: Site of Courtney’s arrest; where Gurney was tracked and Frank Gurney’s activities were monitored.  
- **Orlando, Florida**: Linked to Gurney’s movements via Greyhound Bus records.  
- **Eatonville, Florida**: Associated with Gurney’s activities.  
- **New York City, New York**: Tied to Gurney’s alleged ties.  
- **Panama City, Florida**: Location of Gordon Forbes’ fishing boat operations.  
- **East Point, Georgia**: Site of Econocar car rental inquiry for John S. Hugenberg.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Involved in fingerprint comparison and broader FBI coordination.  

Key Events  
- **April 12–14, 1968**: FBI sought thermoseal machine through Herman Miller in Jacksonville; Clyde Courtney arrested in Jacksonville after matching the assassination suspect’s description.  
- **April 13, 1968**: Clyde Courtney photographed by Jacksonville Police Department; fingerprints sent to Memphis for latent print comparison.  
- **April 15, 1968**: John S. Hugenberg attempted to rent a vehicle at Econocar in East Point, Georgia; no record found.  
- **April 16, 1968**: FBI requested verification of John S. Hugenberg’s Florida driver’s license number (G-434093T).  
- **Ongoing investigations**: Tracking Frank Gurney’s movements via Greyhound Bus records and cross-referencing descriptions with police files; checking dance studios for Eric Starvo Galt’s enrollment.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted nationwide investigation, coordinating with local agencies in Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and New York.  
- **Jacksonville Police Department**: Involved in Courtney’s arrest and provided details about his criminal history.  
- **Greyhound Bus Company**: Used to trace Frank Gurney’s movements.  
- **Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Florida**: Verified John S. Hugenberg’s driver’s license number.  
- **Econocar**: Car rental service in East Point, Georgia, where John S. Hugenberg attempted to rent a vehicle.

MLK Declassified Files

44-jk-769_739798_01-02-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search