</s>STATE OF MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES GEORGE H. CAMP JEFFERSON CITY DEPUTY DIRECTION February 26, 1976 Reverend Emanuel Cleaver Executive Director Southern Christian Leadership Conference St. James Gregory United Methodist Church 3000 East Missouri Kansas City, Missouri 64132 Dear Reverend Cleaver: Gourry Bond was asked me to respond to your Mailgram dated February 26 concerning the James Earl Ray article which appeared in the James Concord issue of Time Magazine. First of all, I have attached a copy of my letter of January 28 to Time Magazine, the contents of which are self-explanatory. You note that the extent of the issue is controlled to Draw McMillan. well, except that there are no more than one Magazine as In response to your particular questions, I Have thoroughly re- viewed the file of James Earl ray when he was an inmate in the Missouri State Penitentiary in the early 1960s. I have also reviewed and studied all reports available to the Division of while an inmate and to the escape itself. My finding are that there is nothing whatsoever to substantiate any conclusion that James EarlRay financed either his escape or his activity after his escape through any means while he was years that he was missing from the Missouri State Penentiary. The meeting took Penitentiary, he kept primarily to himself and, other than for the fact that he attempted to escape on more than other one occasion, that was for the possession of three packages of entire time and ball point pen and one pound of coffee. During the entire time he was inmate, the total amount of money received was carried was $903.39. The majority of these funds were spent in the inmate Canteen during his years in the Penitentiaries. 2005 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 1476

Summary  
The document contains correspondence and internal memos from the Missouri Department of Social Services regarding James Earl Ray’s prison records and escape investigation. George M. Camp, Deputy Director, addresses Reverend Emanuel Cleaver, clarifying that no evidence supports claims about Ray financing his escape or orchestrating a conspiracy to kill Martin Luther King Jr. during his incarceration. Camp states Ray was a loner with limited funds ($903.39) spent primarily on prison canteen items. He notes inmate Raymond Curtis, who was later incarcerated for murder, was released before Ray’s escape. The text also references reviews of other inmates’ files and personnel records, concluding Ray’s escape resulted from staff negligence, not financial support. A separate FBI-related Airtel message mentions a Legal Memorandum (LiM) sent to Memphis and Kansas City, referencing the Civil Rights Division’s involvement in assessing further federal action.  

Key People  
- George M. Camp: Deputy Director of Missouri Department of Social Services  
- James Earl Ray: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; subject of investigation  
- Raymond Curtis: Inmate released before Ray’s escape, later incarcerated for murder  
- Reverend Emanuel Cleaver: Executive Director of Southern Christian Leadership Conference  
- Alfred Burhardt, Joseph Siebert, Ronnie Westbrook, Robert Lynn Powell, James Esson, Carl Drake, Gary Wayne Hopkins, Billy Mac Miles, George Harold Jones, Donald Ray Johnson, Raymond Curtis: Inmates reviewed in files  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Mentioned in context of legal and investigative actions  

Key Locations  
- Missouri State Penitentiary: Site of Ray’s incarceration  
- Jefferson City, Missouri: Location of Missouri Department of Social Services  
- Kansas City, Missouri: Address associated with Reverend Cleaver  
- Memphis, Tennessee: Mentioned in FBI-related Airtel message  

Key Events  
- Review of James Earl Ray’s prison records and escape investigation by George M. Camp  
- Assessment that Ray’s escape was due to staff negligence, not financial support or conspiracy  
- Reference to Raymond Curtis’ incarceration for murder after his release from Missouri State Penitentiary  
- Transmission of Legal Memorandum (LiM) by FBI to Memphis and Kansas City regarding potential federal action  

Key Organizations  
- Missouri Department of Social Services: Conducted review of Ray’s records  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC): Recipient of correspondence  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Involved in legal and investigative actions related to the case

MLK Declassified Files

44-kc-760_404058_173-03-part_4_of_4.pdf

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