</s>FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION REPORTING OFFICE OFFICE OF ORIGIN MEMPHIS OFFICE of ORIGIN DATE INVESTIGATIVE PERIOD 6/5/68 4/4 - 5/31/68 TITLE OF CASE MEMPHS REPORT MADE BY TYPED BY JAMES EARL RAY, aka REPORT JOE C. HESTER TYPID BY Eric Starvo Galt, aka SA JOE B. Hester W. C. Herron, CHARACTER OF CASE W.C. Herrero, James McBride, CHARACTE OF CASE CR - CONSPIRACY; James O'Connor, UPAC - ROBBERY James Walton, James W. Walton, John Willard, Jim FUGITIVE Jim #118 WF #442-A; DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR .- VICTIM WR #442.2; NON-PROSECUTIVE SUMMARY REFERENCES : Reports of SA JOE c. HESTER dated 4/17/68 and 4/30/68 at Memphis. - P - THIS REPORT HAS BEEN PREPARED AS AN INVESTICATIVE AID AND SHOULD NOT BE DISSEMPTED AS NO DISSENSATED AS NO INVESTITIVE MADE TO CONCEAL THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION THAT WAS FURNISHED CONFIDENTIALITY ALL OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED. APPROVED SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW COPIES MADE: 9 - 9 - Bureau (44-38861) SARCHED INEXED. 9- All Offices SERALIZED. 5 - Memphis (44-'1987) SEALIZED, INXEDED, VSI-KANSAS CITY Kanes city Kansas CITM KANSASCITY PROPERTY OF FBI -- This report is loaned to you by the FBI, and neither it nor its contents are to be distributed outside the agency to which loaned, <loc_71><loc_904>pee pf 54 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details forensic analysis of laundry items found in an abandoned Mustang, linking fibers from the bedspread to the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. It notes that the bed linen (laundry mark 20R-3) was connected to GALT, with fibers matching those found at the crime scene. The FBI Laboratory concluded the fibers could have originated from the bedspread abandoned by the killer near 424 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, on April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray is identified as having picked up laundry in Atlanta on April 5, 1968, under the name GALT. A photograph of Ray wearing a bowtie is referenced, with comparisons to other images. The FBI examined handwriting samples from documents attributed to Ray, including letters and forms, but could not definitively confirm authorship due to similarities with known handwriting. A rifle purchase in Birmingham, Alabama (Model 760, serial number 461616) is linked to a signature possibly associated with Ray or another individual named Lowry.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure; identified as the individual who picked up laundry in Atlanta on April 5, 1968, and was last seen by authorities on that date. His handwriting samples were analyzed but could not be definitively linked to certain documents.  
- **GALT**: A name associated with the laundry items and possibly linked to Ray through the FBI’s investigation.  
- **Ray’s Family Members**: Including his parents (James Ray, Lucille Maher), siblings (John Larry Rat, Jerry William Ray, Frank Delano Ryan, Carol Pepper, Melba Marie Ryan, Susan Donian), and stepmother Ruby Carpenter.  
- **Prison Inmates**: Billy Brown Abby, Richard Bean, Julius Maurice Block, Joseph Adams, Leo Barnett, and others who interacted with Ray during his incarceration at the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) or other facilities.  

Key Locations  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Birthplace of James Earl Ray; residence of his parents.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Home to several family members, including Carol Pepper and Ruby Carpenter.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Where Ray was incarcerated from 1961–1964 and later visited by relatives.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Site of a rifle purchase linked to the investigation.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Location where laundry items were picked up on April 5, 1968.  

Key Events  
- **Laundry Fiber Analysis**: Forensic comparison of fibers from the abandoned bedspread and laundry items (laundry mark 20R-3) linked to the assassination investigation.  
- **Handwriting Examination**: FBI Laboratory analysis of documents attributed to James Earl Ray, including letters and forms, with inconclusive results on authorship.  
- **Rifle Purchase**: A Remington Model 760 rifle (serial number 461616) purchased in Birmingham, Alabama, associated with a signature possibly linked to Ray or another individual named Lowry.  
- **Ray’s Prison Behavior**: Descriptions of Ray as a quiet, reclusive inmate at MSP, noted for stealing locks and using amphetamines, which caused weight fluctuations.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI Laboratory**: Conducted forensic analysis of fibers, handwriting, and documents related to the investigation.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Where Ray was incarcerated and where prison inmates provided accounts of his behavior.  
- **U.S. Probation Officer**: Provided records of James Earl Ray’s legal history, including a form signed in 1958.

MLK Declassified Files

44-kc-760_404058_172-04-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search