</s>LS 44-947 According to officials at the Salvation Army, Butte, the above three subjects were all together driving a 1961-1962 (not further described) station wagon. officials overhead conversation among the three three washington. effect that they were traveling to Spokane, Washington, to the of the registered night of 5/30/68 and checked our night, of 5/31/68. morning. SA FLEMING requests Louisville to contact MAX SPEAR, sister of WILLIAM MOLLETT in regard to his location and whether or not he owns a 1961-62 station wagon, -2- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray, a suspect in Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and related individuals. On May 31, 1968, the Salvation Army in Butte, Montana, reported three individuals—Harry Connors (Mexico), Ferber Olsen (Minnesota), and William Mollett (Kentucky)—driving a 1961-1962 station wagon toward Spokane, Washington. FBI agents sought confirmation of Mollett’s car ownership via Mae Spear, his sister. Ray was linked to the 1959 Bank of Alton robbery, where a Stevens Model 94 shotgun and clothing items (Van Heusen shirt, nylon jacket, trousers, belt, cap) were recovered from a vacant lot in Alton, Missouri. The FBI traced these items through manufacturers, prisons, and retailers, comparing Ray’s physical description to individuals identified by the Salvation Army. Mollett did not match Ray’s profile due to age discrepancies.  

Separate documents describe an unidentified male body found in Wayne County, Virginia, on June 16, 1968, wrapped in an army blanket with bound ankles and no teeth or skull. Forensic analysis suggested a probable match to James Ford Hedges, a missing person reported in Huntington, West Virginia, in 1967. Dental records and hair comparisons were cited as supporting this identification. The FBI Louisville office coordinated with local law enforcement and other agencies to track fugitives like Ray, though no direct connection to MLK’s assassination was established. Other sections mention unrelated inquiries into individuals such as Ralph Renro (Joplin, Missouri), Paul Swanson (resembling Ray), and Paul Bridgeman (Toronto, Canada), including his alleged ties to mining labor disputes and inheritance disputes involving his parents’ 1962 murder-suicide.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK Jr.’s assassination; linked to the 1959 Bank of Alton robbery and associated criminal activities.  
- **William Mollett**: Kentucky resident; reported as a potential suspect due to his connection to the station wagon and alleged ties to Ray.  
- **Harry Connors** (Mexico), **Ferber Olsen** (Minnesota): Identified by Salvation Army officials as resembling Ray’s photo.  
- **Mae Spear**: Sister of William Mollett, contacted regarding car ownership.  
- **James Ford Hedges**: Unidentified body found in Virginia; linked to forensic analysis suggesting a match via dental records and hair comparisons.  
- **Paul Bridgeman**: Suspect linked to Ray; married to Carol Brinker (divorced in 1964), had children with her, and was associated with Jacqueline Kline.  
- **Jacqueline "Jackie" Kline** (Kaye Rosenberg): Bridgeman’s girlfriend; employed as a practical nurse, driving a 1968 Chevrolet Malibu.  
- **Carol Brinker**: Former wife of Bridgeman; children reside in Bloomington, Illinois, on welfare.  
- **Walter Koger**: Brother of Irene Bridgesman (Bridgeman’s mother); resides in New Castle, Indiana.  
- **Jim Davis**: Cousin of Bridgeman; described as a "bad character" by relatives; associated with Bridgeman at Daytona Beach, Florida, around 1962.  
- **Bonnie Davis**: Wife of Jim Davis; husband died under suspicious circumstances in Madisonville, Kentucky, approximately two years prior to the document’s creation.  
- **Marshall Cavey**: Brother of Janet Cavey (Bridgeman’s sister); suspects Bridgeman’s involvement in his parents’ deaths.  
- **Janet Cavey**: Sister of Paul Bridgeman; inherited a safety deposit box from her parents, which Bridgeman allegedly accessed after their 1962 murder-suicide.  

Key Locations  
- **Butte, Montana**: Site of Salvation Army observations and initial suspect identification.  
- **Spokane, Washington**: Destination reported by the three individuals.  
- **Alton, Missouri**: Location of the 1959 Bank of Alton robbery and subsequent discovery of stolen items.  
- **Wayne County, Virginia**: Site of unidentified body recovery.  
- **Huntington, West Virginia**: Missing persons report for James Ford Hedges.  
- **Joplin, Missouri**: Ralph Renro’s residence and employment.  
- **Bloomington, Illinois**: Residence of Carol Brinker and Bridgeman’s children; welfare recipients.  
- **New Castle, Indiana**: Walter Koger’s residence.  
- **Daytona Beach, Florida**: Site of the 1962 murder-suicide of Bridgeman’s parents; associated with Jim Davis and Janet Cavey.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Location where Bridgeman and Kline were last seen; Kline made long-distance calls to Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  
- **Toronto, Canada**: Bridgeman’s alleged residence; passport application for Ramon George Sneyd processed here.  

Key Events  
- **May 30–31, 1968**: Salvation Army officials in Butte reported three individuals traveling to Spokane, Washington, and registered for stays.  
- **April–May 1968**: FBI directed nationwide checks of drivers’ licenses for males aged 30–55 to identify potential matches for Ray’s description.  
- **1959 Bank of Alton robbery**: Linked to James Earl Ray; evidence (shotgun, clothing) recovered and analyzed by the FBI.  
- **June 16, 1968**: Recovery of unidentified body in Wayne County, Virginia, with forensic analysis suggesting a match to James Ford Hedges.  
- **Investigation into Paul Bridgeman**: FBI efforts to locate Bridgeman and his associates, including interviews with family members and contacts in Bloomington, Illinois, and Kansas City, Missouri.  
- **Alleged involvement in parents’ deaths**: Janet Cavey claims Bridgeman accessed a safety deposit box after her parents’ 1962 murder-suicide, leaving her without inheritance.  
- **Passport application for Ramon George Sneyd**: A British Commonwealth passport was obtained by Sneyd in April 1968; his photo was compared to James Earl Ray’s, though no definitive link is confirmed.  
- **Kline’s movements**: Kline left Kansas City on June 2, 1968, possibly to meet Bridgeman; made long-distance calls from the Netherlands Hotel to Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI**: Conducted nationwide tracking of suspects, coordinated with local agencies, and analyzed evidence (e.g., weapon, clothing).  
- **Salvation Army**: Provided initial suspect reports based on observations in Butte, Montana.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Investigated for potential connections to Ray’s stolen items.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville and Kansas City divisions**: Coordinated fugitive tracking and investigations.  
- **Passport Office, Department of External Affairs, Ottawa**: Provided information on Ramon George Sneyd’s passport application but requested no public acknowledgment of their involvement.  
- **Practical Nursing Registry (Minneapolis-St. Paul area)**: Monitored for potential employment leads on Jacqueline Kline.

MLK Declassified Files

44-ls-947_sec_004_ser_297-344-part_2_of_8.pdf

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