</s>- - - FED. 1.EV. 4:13:40) H. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE) DO NOT DESTROY FEDERAL BUREAU ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICAL DECLASSIFICATION of DECLASIFICATION DO NOT STRIPO INVESTIGATION Bureau File Number Sandra Volume Number 719-7090 DO NOT RESTROY E014 required made DO NOT NO3. PRESERVE FOR SELECT D NOT DESTIROY! COMMITTEE ON ASSINATION See also Nos. ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE'S IS UNCLASSLFED DATE: 21-01-BY Gille F. DATE. 21-02-BY-Gille Fot DUW SHARE 10-28-20 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The FBI conducted extensive investigations into James Earl Ray’s potential involvement in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Teletypes from May 1968 detail efforts to track Ray’s movements, associations, and connections to criminal networks. Key elements include inquiries into laundry services frequented by Ray, interviews with Thomas Britton (a former prisonmate who alleged ties to "Coolley’s Organization" and a group offering rewards for King’s assassination), and coordination with local law enforcement across multiple cities. The FBI also investigated William Thomas Jacobs, a convicted fraudster linked to Ray, and sought information on Ray’s aliases and criminal history. A 1965 Volkswagen with a Tennessee license plate (JO-0987) was scrutinized for potential connections to Ray. Photographs of Ray were distributed for identification, emphasizing physical traits such as a cleft chin and black laundry marks. No other individuals were convicted in the case, though names like Alenda Wade, Delma Ray, Jesse Blakely, Cosme Carza, and Betty Human were checked without confirmation.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspect in MLK’s assassination; also known by aliases including Eric Starvo Galt, Harvey Lawyer, John Willard)  
- **Thomas Britton** (prisonmate who provided details about Ray’s alleged ties to criminal organizations)  
- **William Thomas Jacobs** (convicted fraudster linked to Ray)  
- **Marjorie Louis Pettets** (contacted by Ray under false pretenses of being his brother)  
- **Special Agents** (including SACs in Kansas City, Memphis, and Newark involved in tracking Ray)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (site of King’s assassination)  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**, **Jefferson City, Missouri**, **Oklahoma City, Oklahoma**, **Fort Worth, Texas**, **Waco, Texas** (locations where Ray was tracked or investigated)  
- **Port Brownville-Port Isabel (Texas)** and **Campeche, Mexico** (ports associated with shrimp fishing and smuggling activities)  
- **Alpine, Texas**, **Del Rey, California**, **McPherson, Kansas**, **St. Louis, Missouri**, **Camden, New Jersey** (locations tied to Ray’s movements or phone records)  

Key Events  
- FBI efforts to track Ray through laundry services, prison records, and telephone investigations  
- Interviews with Thomas Britton regarding Ray’s alleged ties to "Coolley’s Organization" and a group offering rewards for King’s assassination  
- Investigation into William Thomas Jacobs’ criminal history and connection to Ray  
- Coordination between FBI offices and local law enforcement to locate Ray  
- Search for evidence of Ray’s involvement in plots against MLK, including references to a group offering financial incentives for his assassination  
- Distribution of photographs of Ray for identification purposes  
- Tracking of inmates released from Missouri State Penitentiary with California addresses, including David McNarin, Michel P. Clark, Jimmie Lee Hill, and others  
- Notification that Ray was "armed and dangerous"  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI** (Federal Bureau of Investigation)  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)** (site of Ray’s incarceration and prisonmate interactions)  
- **"Coolley’s Organization"** (prison-based group allegedly involved in inmate protection and criminal activities)  
- **Business Men’s Association** (alleged organization offering financial incentives for King’s assassination)  
- **California State Department of Mental Health** (checked for mental health records on Ray)  
- **Local police departments in Kansas** (investigated potential connections to Ray)

MLK Declassified Files

44-kc-760_404058_170-03-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search