</s>FB LOS ANG. FBI NEW ORLS 848PM URGENT 4/25/68 OLP TO DIRECTOR AND LOS ANGELES FROM NEW ORLEANS 157-10676 MURKIN RE LOS ANGLES TELETYPE TO NEW ORLEANTS FOUR TWENTYFIVE SIXTYEIGHT AND NEW ORLANS TELETYPE TO DIRECTOR AND Los ANGELES FOUR TWENFTIVE SIXTYEYEIGHT WHICH CONTAINED RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH RELATIVES OF CHARLES STEIN AND MARIA MARTIN. RE MARIE LEE, SISTER OF CHARLES STEIN. MARIE LLE, INTERVIEWED TODAY AND ADVISED CHARLES STERN TRAVELED FROM LOSANGELS TO NEW OLEANS IN DECEMBER, SIXTYSEVEN, DATES UNRECALLED. STEIN LIVED WITH HER AT ONE FOUR TWO NINE BURGUNDY FOR TWO DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. STEINS' ORIGINAL PLANS WERE TO SPEND ONE DAY AND ONE NIGHT IN NEW ORleans, BUT HIS PLANS WERED ALTERED AND HE SPENT TWO DAYSS AND THREE NICHTS. STEIN CAME TO NEW orLEANS TO PICK UP RITA STEIN'S TWO CHILDREN. END PAGE ONE 44-15744 SEARCHED INDEXED SERIALIZED FILED APR 25 1968 AFLER 7LOS ANGELES 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI records and telegraphic reports from April 1968 detailing investigations into threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and the search for James Earl Ray, a suspect in MLK’s assassination. The FBI tracked Ray through phone calls between Los Angeles, Memphis, and New Orleans, noting his movements and potential connections to underworld figures. A Sears Roebuck battery linked to a 1966 Mustang abandoned by Ray in Atlanta was examined, with serial number F-OUR ONE tied to Louisville, Kentucky plant shipments in March 1968. Investigations also focused on individuals like Keith Gilbert and William Jamison, some of whom were associated with the John Birch Society or alleged racist activities. The FBI pursued leads involving phone records from Yuma, Arizona, to Shreveport, Louisiana, dated December 14–15, 1967, and monitored suspects such as Billy Joe Paulkner and William Earnest Harper registered in Atlanta during relevant timeframes. Unrelated inquiries into Charles Stein’s travel to New Orleans in December 1967, including his stay at 1429 Burgundy Street and interactions with Eric Galt, were also referenced. A box delivered to the Rodriguez residence in March 1968 was later retrieved by Lorraine Calloway. The FBI noted challenges in tracing a "mysterious blonde" and a New Orleans industrialist, both linked to Ray through telephone contact.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; tracked via phone calls, travel records, and battery shipments.  
- **Louis Lomax**: Identified as having contact with the "mysterious blonde," described as a writer/TV personality.  
- **"Mysterious Blonde"**: Close associate of Ray, linked to New Orleans industrialists and Hollywood.  
- **New Orleans Industrialist**: Major figure in economic/political circles, connected to Ray through telephone contact.  
- **Eric Galt**: Alleged driver who transported Charles Stein to New Orleans; described as a white male with light hair and a long skinny nose.  
- **Maria Martin**: Arranged Stein’s trip to New Orleans.  
- **Marie Lee**: Stein’s sister, provided details about his stay.  
- **Lorraine Calloway**: Retrieved the box delivered to the Rodriguez residence in March 1968.  
- **Keith Gilbert**, **William Jamison**, **Billy Joe Paulkner**, **William Earnest Harper**: Suspects linked to threats against MLK or potential involvement in assassination plots.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Central to Ray’s movements and connections with the "mysterious blonde."  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Where Ray traveled after leaving Los Angeles; reportedly purchased an airplane ticket for the "mysterious blonde."  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Home to the industrialist and a focus of FBI investigation due to underworld ties.  
- **Shreveport, Louisiana**: Mentioned in phone records from December 14–15, 1967.  
- **Yuma, Arizona**: Source of phone calls linked to MLK threats.  
- **Louisville, Kentucky**: Linked to Sears Roebuck battery shipments in March 1968.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Site of the abandoned 1966 Mustang and registration records for suspects like Paulkner and Harper.  

Key Events  
- **December 14–15, 1967**: Phone calls from Yuma, Arizona, to Shreveport, Louisiana, linked to threats against MLK.  
- **April 25–26, 1968**: FBI telegrams detailing ongoing efforts to trace Ray and the "mysterious blonde," noting their disappearance and lack of records.  
- **Investigation into Ray’s travel**: Including his registration at a New Orleans motel and potential connections to underworld figures.  
- **Tracking Sears Roebuck battery**: Linked to a 1966 Mustang abandoned by Ray in Atlanta, with serial number F-OUR ONE tied to Louisville shipments in March 1968.  
- **Delivery of box to Rodriguez residence**: Retrieved by Lorraine Calloway in March 1968.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Led the investigation into MLK’s assassination, focusing on Ray, the "mysterious blonde," and the New Orleans industrialist.  
- **Sears Roebuck**: Linked to a battery used in a 1966 Mustang abandoned by Ray in Atlanta.  
- **John Birch Society**: Associated with suspects like Keith Gilbert and William Jamison.  
- **New Orleans Police Department**: Collaborated with federal agencies, though no direct evidence of local involvement was found.

MLK Declassified Files

44-la-1574_742142_003-02-part_1_of_5.pdf

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