</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) FBI Date: 5-4-68 Transmit the following in PLAINIEXT Type in plaintext or code) TELETYPE URGENT Via (Priority) TO DIRECTOR (44-38861), MEMPHIS, CHICGO DENVER, ALBUQUERQUE, EL PASO, AND LAS VEGAS FROM LOS ANGELES (44+1574) (5P) MURKIN RE INVESTIGATION LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIVE THREE SIXTY-EIGHT CONCERNING CALL BY UNITED AIRLINES (UAL) PERSONNEL DESCRIBING INDIVIDUAL AS POSSIBLE LOOK-A-LIKE OF JAMES EARL RAY. JOAN KERP. UAL RESERVATIONS CLERK, ADVISED AT APPROXIMATELY SEVEN FORTY-FIVE A.M. MALE CAUCASIAN REQUESTED ONE ROUND TRIP ON ONE WAY TICKET FROM LOS ANGELES TO HONOLULU AND MAY ONE EIGHT NEXT. STATED HE WOULD LIKE TO USE FRONTIER AIRLINESS TICKETS EIGHT TWO NINE SEVEN FIVE THREE AND EIGHT TWO WINE SEVEN FIVE POUR ISSUE IN DENVER. FOR COLORADO ON MAY ONE LAST TO FR. AND MRS CARL RY FOR FLIGHT SEVEN ONE ZERO LASVEAS END PAGE ONE WA13 SEARCHED JUN/RJM WA13 INDEXED ME 1.3 SERIALIZED C6 1.4 FILED 01/3 AQ 1.8 Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent: M Por EP14 44-1574-1088 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI records from May 4, 1968, detailing investigations into individuals potentially linked to James Earl Ray, the accused assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. The focus includes flight ticket purchases, credit card transactions, hotel reservations, and witness reports across multiple locations. Key details include:  
- A male individual resembling James Earl Ray was observed at Los Angeles International Airport on May 1, 1968, requesting travel arrangements to Honolulu via United Airlines using a temporary Frontier Airlines credit card under the name "Carl Ray."  
- Frontiers Airlines records show Carl Ray purchased tickets for flights from Denver to Las Vegas and St. Louis, with some voided due to non-attendance. Credit card details linked to these transactions were traced to Pecos, Texas.  
- FBI agents interviewed airline personnel, including Robert Nichols and Robert Walquist, who described the subject as six feet tall, 185 pounds, with dark or golden blond hair and a grey business suit. Discrepancies emerged between Carl Ray’s physical description and James Earl Ray’s known appearance.  
- Temporary credit cards issued to Herman J. Schumacher were linked to travel arrangements involving Phoenix and St. Louis. The FBI sought to verify connections between Carl Ray, Schumacher, and the assassination investigation by checking hotel registrations, flight manifests, and rental car records.  

Mrs. Stone asserted that Carl Ray does not resemble photos of a suspect (likely James Earl Ray) from flight 785, noting age and appearance discrepancies. The FBI requested records from Denver Frontier regarding crew and passenger lists for flight 785 to confirm if Ray boarded at Albuquerque. United Airlines records were unavailable until Monday, with tickets stored permanently but not immediately accessible. A telegraph from Chicago to Los Angeles referenced a "Swinger Correspondence Club" and a lab report on a letter linked to the Los Angeles Times, though no information was obtained from club members contacted. Birmingham and Atlanta FBI offices were advised of ongoing searches.  

A complaint form (FD-71) reported Warren Walker saw someone resembling James Earl Ray at an auction gallery in Los Angeles. Another complaint form detailed Jack (LNW), possibly connected to Ray, with movements near Richard Station and a phone number 829-36VO. A memorandum from John E. Keane referenced a December 1967 call from Marfa, Texas, to Oxnard, California, involving Mrs. Barrera, who mentioned a trip to Harlem, Texas, using a public phone there. T.T. Ross provided information to Galveston Police about James Earl Ray, with the FBI contacting Ross for details on his whereabouts. A memo from Maurice A. Harr suggested Ray might be in Galveston, noting his preference for movie theaters (e.g., Cameo Theatre) and seating habits.  

The document also includes fragmented records of an FBI investigation into long-distance telephone calls made by Charles Stein during December 1967, with connections to Texas locations including El Paso, Van Horn, and San Antonio. It references checks on pay station call records for specific dates (December 12–17, 1967) and billing data for long-distance calls from various Texas numbers. A separate section details an FBI inquiry into James Earl Ray’s activities in New Orleans, including a review of city directories and police reports. It notes the absence of "Wanda's Seven Seas Restaurant" but identifies "Wanda's Seven Seas Bar" at 608 Iberville Street, where an altercation occurred on December 17, 1967, involving a Black male and three white males. The investigation also includes Charles Stein’s arrest records in New Orleans from 1955–1968, detailing charges of gambling, vagrancy, narcotics possession, and solicitation for prostitution, most dismissed due to insufficient evidence.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused of assassinating MLK Jr., referenced as a subject in descriptions, photographs, and witness reports.  
- **Carl Ray**: Name associated with travel transactions, credit card use, and potential connections to James Earl Ray.  
- **Herman J. Schumacher**: Linked to temporary Frontier Airlines credit cards and flight tickets purchased for travel between Phoenix, St. Louis, and Denver.  
- **Robert Nichols** and **Robert Walquist**: FBI agents who observed the individual at Los Angeles International Airport.  
- **Warren Walker**: Reported seeing someone resembling James Earl Ray at an auction gallery in Los Angeles.  
- **Jack (LNW)**: Possibly connected to Ray, with movements near Richard Station and a phone number 829-36VO.  
- **T.T. Ross**: Provided information about James Earl Ray to Galveston Police.  
- **Mrs. Barrera**: Mentioned in context of a December 1967 call from Marfa, Texas, to Oxnard, California.  
- **Maurice A. Harr**: Suggested Ray might be in Galveston based on movie theater habits.  
- **John E. Keane**: Referenced a December 1967 call from Marfa, Texas, to Oxnard, California.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles International Airport**: Central location for flight ticket purchases, hotel checks, and observations of the subject.  
- **Denver, Colorado**: Site of credit card transactions, flight reservations, and FBI inquiries.  
- **Las Vegas**: Involved in tracking voided tickets and hotel registrations.  
- **Phoenix**: Linked to Schumacher’s travel arrangements and credit card issuance.  
- **Pecos, Texas**: Address associated with the temporary credit card used by Carl Ray.  
- **Galveston, Texas**: Mentioned in context of T.T. Ross’s information about James Earl Ray.  
- **Albuquerque, New Mexico**: Reference to flight 785 boarding point.  
- **Marfa, Texas** and **Oxnard, California**: Locations tied to Charles Stein’s December 1967 calls.  
- **Wanda's Seven Seas Bar (608 Iberville Street)**: Site of an altercation on December 17, 1967.  

Key Events  
- **Flight Ticket Purchases**: Multiple round-trip tickets booked under names Carl Ray or Schumacher for flights between Los Angeles, Denver, Las Vegas, and St. Louis; some voided due to non-attendance.  
- **Credit Card Investigations**: Temporary Frontier Airlines credit cards issued to Carl Ray and Schumacher traced to Pecos, Texas, with details checked against travel records.  
- **Hotel Reservations**: The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas investigated for potential stays by Carl Ray, though no record found.  
- **FBI Surveillance**: Agents monitored airline personnel, cross-referenced descriptions of the subject with photographs of James Earl Ray, and sought to confirm identities.  
- **Witness Reports**: Mrs. Stone’s assertion that Carl Ray does not resemble James Earl Ray; Warren Walker’s sighting at an auction gallery in Los Angeles.  
- **Telephone Call Investigations**: FBI checks on long-distance calls made by Charles Stein during December 12–17, 1967, linked to Texas locations.  
- **Altercation at Wanda's Seven Seas Bar**: Incident involving a Black male and three white males on December 17, 1967.  
- **Arrests of Charles Stein (1955–1968)**: Multiple charges dismissed due to insufficient evidence.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations across Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and New Orleans; coordinated with airlines and local police departments.  
- **Frontier Airlines**: Provided flight records, credit card transactions, and ticket details for the subject.  
- **Pan American Airlines**: Assisted in verifying ticket purchases and passenger information.  
- **United Airlines**: Reference to travel history for Carl Ray; records unavailable until Monday.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Handled complaint forms related to witness reports.  
- **New Orleans Police Department (PD)**: Provided arrest records and incident details related to Charles Stein and the Seven Seas Bar.  
- **West Texas Telephone Company**: Furnished duplicate pay station bills for call verification.

MLK Declassified Files

44-la-1574_742142_003-04-part_4_of_7.pdf

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