</s>FBI KAN CITY FBI MINNAPLS 151 PM 6-14-68 URGENT BLE TO DIRECTOR KANSAS CITY MEMPHIS J OMAHIA FROM MINNEAPOLIS (157-450) AP MORKIN RE MINNE APOLIS TEL JUNE SEVEN, LAST, AND MEMPHIS TELD JUNE THIRTEEN LAST. 44-100-100Y 10th P2 Paul O'Donnell Blythean 24-2375 1919 PAUL BRIDGEMAN, FORNER INNATE, MSP. JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI, REINTEEREWED AND ADVISED THE SAW JAMES EARL RAY AT FORTRESS BAR, KANSAS CITY, APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS AFTER HIS DISCHARGE FROM MSP, JANUARY SIXTEEN. LAST. HE ADVISIED Balden AT TIME HE WAS LIVING AT FIVE FOUR THREE EIGHT SKYLINE DRIVE, MISSION. KANSANS. CROE VILLAGED. HE ADVISED A MIKE HEAD. 87-2017/5 DESCRIBED AS MALE. WHITE. FIVE FEET NINE INCHES, ONE SIX ZERO POUNDS. SANDY BUSHY HAIR. WHO WORKS FOR HIS FATHER IN SMALL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, WAS IN BAR AT TIME AND SAW BEVERLY. AND WANTED TO KNOW WHO WAS. BRIDGeman STATES EMPHATICALLY HE DOES NOT KNOW. BEVELRY END PAGE ONE 44-760-1118 SERIALIZED, RULED. JUN 14-1301 FBI - KANSASC CITY 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements following his release from Missouri State Penitentiary in January 1968, focusing on his alleged connections to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Paul Bridgeman, an inmate at the prison, reported seeing Ray in Kansas City approximately three weeks after his release, describing him as a white male with sandy hair and a light blue T-Bird. Ray allegedly discussed plans to evade capture by changing identities, including obtaining Canadian passports through Episcopal Church records or smuggling small appliances into Mexico. The FBI examined a “Vibro-Graver” radio case linked to Ray’s prison purchase, noting numbering patterns for tracking inmate acquisitions. Inmate interviews and financial records referenced Ray’s monthly pay ($2.00), money orders sent to attorneys like Phillip Baker and David EKD, and his alleged involvement in prison gangs such as the “COOLEY gang.” Discussions between Ray and an associate named May included strategies for evading law enforcement. Inmate accounts also mentioned potential threats or conspiracies related to MLK, though no direct evidence was provided linking Ray to the assassination.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation)  
- Paul Bridgeman (inmate who reported seeing Ray)  
- Cecil Clayton Lillibridge (informant providing details on Ray’s plans)  
- May (suspected associate of Ray, discussed escape strategies)  
- JAMES D. WALLACE (inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary, claimed knowledge of Ray’s activities)  
- RAYMOND PRUTT (inmate questioned about prison gangs and Ray’s escape)  
- PHILLIP BAKER (attorney involved in financial transactions related to Ray)  
- DAVID EKD (attorney mentioned in financial records)  
- JAMES DUANE WAY (inmate with potential ties to Ray)  
- RICHARD L. MENARD (inmate at USP Leavenworth, discussed drug trafficking with Ray)  
- JIM BRADLEY (inmate connected to Ray’s drug operations)  
- BOBBY ASHE (inmate linked to Ray’s drug supply network)  

Key Locations  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, MO)  
- Kansas City, MO (where Ray was allegedly seen)  
- Memphis, TN (FBI office involved in coordination)  
- Mexico (discussed as potential escape destination)  
- St. Louis, MO (locations of financial transactions and inmate interactions)  
- Independence, MO (address associated with PHILLIP BAKER)  
- USP Leavenworth, KS (location of Richard L. Menard’s interview)  

Key Events  
- Ray’s release from Missouri State Penitentiary on January 16, 1968  
- Bridgeman’s sightings of Ray in Kansas City and Oklahoma City  
- Discussions between Ray and May about identity-changing methods and smuggling operations in Mexico  
- FBI investigation into the “Vibro-Graver” radio case linked to Ray’s prison purchases  
- Inmate interviews about Ray’s escape plans, drug trafficking activities, and potential threats to MLK  
- Financial transactions involving money orders sent to attorneys for Ray’s legal matters  
- Attempts to locate PAUL BRIDGEMAN and other individuals linked to Ray  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- United States Penitentiary (USP) Leavenworth  
- Bolsaw Lockstitching Institute (mentioned in financial records related to Ray’s transactions)

MLK Declassified Files

44-kc-760_404058_172-04-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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