</s>HO 44-1509 OSCAR SCHMARTZ Crossroads Coffee House 1011 Meyer Street A.L. L. WILCOX Chief, Seabrook Police Department RALPH ANGELINO Fox and Hounds Club Highway 146 On April 19, 1968 the following ng persons were contacted to their respective establishments by SAS WILLIAM G. MORRISSEY and JOHN MICHAEL MC CABE in Kemah, Texas with negative results: R.B. OLIVER Constable, Kemah, Texas, Precinct 7 Constable, and Harris Street BEN BLACKLEDGE, Mayor of Kemah HEN BLACKEDGE, G10 and Street BEN Orange, G20 and Street Bradford Apartments, 610 3rd Street TIM HOMER JIMMY WALKER'S EDgewater Inn JAMES COOPER Key Largo Restaurant WESLEY VAN COURT Clear Creek Inn Clear Creek Van Sylvia A. Motel Texas Avenue L.E. MARTIN DONALD FRY Don't's Place 406 Texas DON COURS 406 Texas HAZEL CONTLIN Chatterbox 401 Texas -22 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail investigative efforts by U.S. federal and state agencies between 1967 and 1968 to track individuals associated with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). These include FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements, associations, and alleged activities, as well as broader inquiries into potential connections to MLK’s assassination. Key targets included Eric Starvo Galt (alias for Ray), John Willard, Harvey Lower, and others. Investigations spanned Texas cities (Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston) and Alabama locations (Birmingham, Jefferson County). Agencies reviewed records from NASA, Customs, credit bureaus, telephone directories, and criminal databases to verify employment, residences, and prior arrests. While some records indicated discrepancies or incomplete data, no direct links to MLK’s assassination were confirmed. The FBI reported ongoing efforts to locate Ray through informants, surveillance, and checks on travel and financial records.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (also known as Eric Starvo Galt): Central suspect in MLK’s assassination; investigated for movements, associations, and alleged purchases of firearms and photographic equipment.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Alias used by Ray; linked to interviews at Taska Dance Studios and inquiries into his residences.  
- **John Willard**: Name associated with investigations; no confirmed ties found during interviews or record checks.  
- **Harvey Lower**: Sought in connection to the case; no records confirmed his presence at dance studios or other locations.  
- **Clyde Manasco**: Gun Rack clerk in Birmingham, Alabama, who identified a man matching Ray’s description visiting the store on March 27, 1968.  
- **Neal Edgar ABBY** (EABY): Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary who described Ray’s behavior and escape attempts.  
- **Thomas Britton**: Former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; contacted by FBI as a potential informant.  
- **Gladys Key** (also known as Gladys Haywood): Bar owner in Jefferson County, Alabama, who provided information about Ray’s possible presence in local establishments.  

Key Locations  
- **Houston, Texas**: Site of payphone calls allegedly made by Ray, port inspections, and NASA Security Division records reviews.  
- **Corpus Christi, Texas**: Locations where interviews were conducted at dance studios and coffee houses; also referenced in ship departure checks.  
- **Galveston, Texas**: Center for Customs inspections of U.S. registry ships departing for international ports.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Sites of Gun Rack store visits, Allstate Cafe, FBI field office, and informants’ reports.  
- **Jefferson County, Alabama**: Bars and nightclubs associated with Ray’s alleged activities, including Riverview Night Club.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of Ray’s incarceration and interactions with inmates like ABBY and Britton.  
- **Puerto Vallarta, Mexico**: Hotel Rio where Ray allegedly stayed during October 1967.  

Key Events  
- **April–May 1968**: FBI and local agencies conducted checks on credit bureaus, telephone directories, criminal records, and airline passenger lists in Texas and Alabama for suspects linked to MLK’s assassination.  
- **March 27, 1968**: Ray allegedly visited the Gun Rack in Birmingham, Alabama, seeking high-powered rifles and scopes.  
- **December 16, 1967**: Ray made a phone call from a payphone near Houston, Texas, to New Orleans.  
- **October 1967**: Ray’s alleged stay at Hotel Rio in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with other U.S. residents.  
- **April 1968**: Customs inspections of ships departing Houston for international ports; no records found for suspects like GALL, LOWERY, or LOWNER.  
- **Escape attempts by Ray**: Two failed escapes from Missouri State Penitentiary (1962 and 1966).  
- **Distribution of photographs**: Ray’s images were shared with service stations and businesses to aid in his identification.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted primary investigations, coordinated with local agencies, and used informants to track Ray’s movements and associations.  
- **U.S. Customs Service**: Checked passenger and crew lists for ships departing Texas ports.  
- **Texas Department of Corrections (TDC)**: Managed records of Ray’s incarceration and release.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of Ray’s imprisonment and interactions with inmates providing details about his behavior.  
- **NASA Security Division**: Provided employment and vehicle records for JAMES EARL RAY.  
- **Local law enforcement** (e.g., Galveston Police Department, Birmingham Police Department): Assisted in database checks and informant interviews.  
- **Southwest Bell Telephone Company**: Provided records of calls made from payphones near Houston, Texas.

MLK Declassified Files

44-la-1574_742142_009-02-part_8_of_9.pdf

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