</s>Complaint Form FD-7(Lcv). 10-26-65) NOTE: Hand print names legally: handwriting satisfactory for remainder. Indirect: Negative See below Subject's name and aliases Address of subject Character of case MURKIN Complaintant Complaint's address and Compliant received PETER GORMAN telephone number Los Angeles Complaint Personal Telephone UP 02226 Los Angeles Date 1-23-68 Time 1:07pm Race Sex Height Hair Build Birth date and Birthplace Age Male Weight Eyes Complexion. Scars, marks or other data Specialists Female Facts of complaint of Pico and LA Brea. The man worked for all day Friday, at C's home, and C paid paid cash, C stated that he would like to work for him again C said he asked the man if he would have to work at the Cooli Hotel and Sate, JAMES C and yes. The next day he went to get a pick name and phone number down for C. He wrote this address at the Cooll Hotel and phone number Down for C .. the next day went to G.C. He asked the He subject up, locate him. He went into the hotel and He said that he wanted to be a good man. they did not have a JUNEAU registered there, C then checked the phone number and it is fictitious. C stated this man looked very similar to the pictures of R.M. C newspapers. C stated that JUNEEV JUNEAU said he had been in the Navy stationed been on the area before. He stated the answers he got to some of his questions were strange, and he doesn't believe he was in that area where the Navy. C stated he still has the card that JUNEAEU wrote on if this office would like it. 4445244623 SEARCHED Action Recommended LL-1574 SEARCHADED APR 2 3 1968 IC RICHARD T. VOYLES FB-LOS ANGELES (Argent) <loc_391><loc_918>2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents consist of multiple FBI and law enforcement forms and memos from 1965–1968 detailing investigations into individuals suspected of connections to James Earl Ray, the accused in Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Key figures include Richard Bair, John Kay, Oscar Barnes, Herman Taylor, and Bertram Smith, who were identified as potential matches for Ray’s physical description or linked to his activities. The documents reference sightings of a white Ford Mustang (later confirmed as a 1965 model), interactions with individuals in Los Angeles and Costa Mesa, and efforts to verify identities against known information about Ray. Mentions of John Willard, Don Maddox, and the Islander Motel are included, along with notes on mental health claims and alleged associations with Ray.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused of assassinating MLK; described as white male, 5'10", slim build, black hair, and driving a white Ford Mustang.  
- **Richard Bair**: Identified as possibly matching Ray’s description; claimed to have been in New York.  
- **John Kay**: Bartender at the Hunt Room Bar in Hollywood, allegedly associated with Ray.  
- **Bertram Smith**: Claimed to reside in Memphis, described as suffering from a mental disorder but asserting truthfulness about his interactions with Don Maddox and John Willard.  
- **Don Maddox**: Former owner of a Costa Mesa restaurant; linked to John Willard via Bertram Smith’s testimony.  
- **John Willard**: Suspected of resembling Ray; employed at the Yorba Linda Inn in Placentia, California.  
- **Oscar Barnes**: Reported overheard women discussing Ray’s possible location in a Los Angeles hotel.  
- **Herman Taylor**: Identified a man matching Ray’s description staying at the Baltimore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Central to investigations; locations include the Hollywood Inn Hotel, Yorba Linda Inn, and the Islander Motel (Anaheim).  
- **Costa Mesa, California**: Mentioned as a location for Don Maddox’s restaurant and Ray Donegan’s operations.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Reference to Bertram Smith’s residence and alleged ties to Ray.  
- **Anahiem, California**: Home to the Islander Motel, where Richard Bair was reportedly checked in.  

Key Events  
- **1965–1968**: Ongoing FBI investigations into individuals matching James Earl Ray’s description or linked to his activities.  
- **Sightings of a white Ford Mustang**: Noted by multiple informants, later confirmed as a 1965 model.  
- **Interactions with John Willard**: Reported by Bertram Smith and Don Maddox; Willard allegedly resembled Ray.  
- **Hotel surveillance**: Claims that individuals matching Ray’s description were observed in Los Angeles hotels.  
- **Mental health claims**: Bertram Smith alleged to have a mental disorder but insisted on the accuracy of his statements about Ray’s associates.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Los Angeles Field Office)**: Conducted investigations, including interviews and file reviews.  
- **Local Police Departments**: Anaheim P.D., Los Angeles P.D., and Memphis P.D. referenced in reports.  
- **Department of Justice**: Mentioned as handling classified materials; documents note preservation for historical value.

MLK Declassified Files

44-la-1574_742142_002-06-part_9_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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