</s>OPTIONAL FORM NO. 19 MAY JUNE EDITION MAY 1/4/18-11/18 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO SAC (44-760) DATE: 4/23/68 : : SA WALTER F. SCOTT (P) SUBJECT: MURKIN Re memo to Senior and Single Resident Agents 4/15/68. The following establishments in Wichita, Kansas, were contacted on 4/18/68 concerning the names ERIC STARVO GALT, HARVEY LOWYER and JOHN WILLARD and any variations of these names with negative results: Art Linklettner's Young World Studios, 3310 West Douglas and 560 East Lincoln, Wichita, Kansas - NEIL KERSBERGEN, Manager, Wichita. KS, NEIL LEWIS, RECEPTIONIST Arthur Murray Studios, 211 North Broadway Wichita - Kansas Receptionist Elder-Cavendish School of Professional Dance, 135 South Hydraulic, Wichita . Kansas - JAMES E. CANAVANESS, owner Iris Clarke School of the Dance, Wichita Kansas - Mrs. IRIS CLARKE, owner Wichita- Kansas, KS Wichita School of Fine Arts 1607 South Broadway, Wichita_ Kansas - PAT MILLER, Dance Instructor, and Mrs. MARTHA RANDOLPH, Secretary, ARMED AND DANGEROUS! WFS-tly 1/700-3644 (2) (2) ARCHED - INDEXED SERIALIZED - FILLED APR 23 3 1986 Fbi-KANSAS CITY Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan SMI-104-04 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray (JER) and his alleged connection to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). JER, a fugitive with a criminal history including robbery, burglary, and forgery, was tracked following his escape from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967. The FBI sought information on his movements, associates, and potential involvement in MLK’s assassination, coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; St. Louis, Missouri; and other locations. Key leads included inmate accounts of JER’s alleged awareness of a $1 million bounty on MLK’s life, his resentment toward Black individuals, and ties to narcotics networks. The Bureau also investigated JER’s brother Jerry Ray, former inmates like Raymond Cuttis and Larry Sprio, and associates such as William Robert Turner (Billy Bob), Neal ABBY, and Frank Guinan. Administrative records note case transfers between FBI offices and personnel assignments.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Fugitive suspect linked to MLK’s assassination; criminal history includes robbery, burglary, forgery, and escape from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967.  
- **Raymond Cuttis**: Former Missouri State Penitentiary inmate who claimed JER was aware of a bounty on MLK’s life.  
- **Larry Sprio**: Former prison mate of JER; provided information about JER’s alleged hatred for Black individuals.  
- **William Robert Turner (Billy Bob)**: Inmate associated with JER; mentioned in FBI investigations.  
- **Neal ABBY**: Inmate linked to JER; referenced in prison records and parole violations.  
- **Frank Guinan**: Prison informant who provided details on JER’s activities.  
- **Jerry Ray**: James Earl Ray’s brother; investigated for potential knowledge of JER’s whereabouts.  
- **George Ben Edmondson**: Former top-ten fugitive incarcerated with JER at Missouri State Penitentiary; escaped in 1965 and resurfaced in Canada under the name Alexandre Peter Bormann.  
- **Russell Lee Martin**: Former inmate who assisted in solving a narcotics ring; provided information on JER’s associations with the Drake brothers.  
- **The Drake Brothers**: St. Louis-based individuals associated with JER, investigated by FBI.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Alleged associate of JER; identified through surveillance in Kansas City, Missouri.  

Key Locations:  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** (Jefferson City): Site of JER’s incarceration and interactions with inmates like Cuttis, Sprio, and Edmondson.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: FBI coordination hub for tracking JER; location where an unidentified man resembling Galt was observed.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Focus of investigations into JER’s criminal history, parole violations, and associations.  
- **Wichita, Kansas**: Location where JER was investigated for potential connections.  
- **Alton, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; Quincy, Illinois**: Sites of JER’s prior arrests and residences.  
- **Canada (Montreal)**: Location of Edmondson’s arrest in 1967.  
- **Tennessee** (Memphis, Nashville): Mentioned in context of motor vehicle records and FBI case coordination.  
- **Maryland** (Beltville): Location where an unidentified man described as a "Negro male" was observed.  

Key Events:  
- **April 23, 1968**: FBI memo requesting investigation into JER’s movements and associations following MLK’s assassination.  
- **April 4, 1968**: Last known sighting of JER in Atlanta, Georgia; FBI sought information on his transportation after this date.  
- **April 22, 1968**: Memphis teletype mentioning a bounty claim on MLK by a businessmen’s association, relayed to JER via Cuttis.  
- **May 10, 1967**: FBI issued a warrant for JER’s arrest for escape from Missouri State Penitentiary.  
- **1965–1967**: Edmondson’s escape from Missouri State Penitentiary and subsequent arrest in Canada under the name Alexandre Peter Bormann.  
- **1968**: FBI efforts to locate JER’s brother Jerry Ray, former inmates like Sprio, and associates such as the Drake brothers.  
- **Parole violations and arrests**: JER’s 1968 arrest in Holtville, California, and prior convictions including a 1966 armed robbery charge.  
- **FBI case coordination**: Administrative updates on personnel assignments and transfers between FBI offices (e.g., Springfield Division, Memphis Division).  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted nationwide investigation into JER, MLK’s assassination, and associated fugitives.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of JER’s incarceration and interactions with informants like Cuttis, Sprio, and Edmondson.  
- **Tennessee Bureau of Motor Vehicles**: Mentioned in context of verifying the identity of an unidentified man resembling Galt.  
- **St. Louis Police Department; Memphis Division; Springfield Division; Cincinnati Division**: Local law enforcement agencies coordinating with FBI on JER’s investigation.  
- **U.S. Probation Office; Veterans Administration**: Referenced in administrative records and insurance-related contexts.

MLK Declassified Files

44-kc-760_404058_169-06-part_1_of_4.pdf

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