</s>LA-44-1574 PAGE TWO PLIERS AFFECT INVEST I ON THIS DATE AT ROMPAGE HARDWARE COMPANY, FIVE FIVE FOUR TWO HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, DISCLOSES COMPANY EMPLOYERS POSITIVE DUCK-BILLED PLIERS IN COLOR PHOTOGRAPH IS PART OF A ONE TIME SHIPMENT THEY RECEIVED IN COLDR SIXTY SIX. PRESENT MANAGER BELIEVES TWELVE SUCH PLIENS IN SHIPMENT. BUREAU AGENT OBTAINED THE LAST ONE FROM "BARGAIN BIN" NEAR FRONT DOOR OF STORE. IT APPEARS IDENTICAL WITH PHOTO AND BEARS SAME LABEL EXCEPT THAT STORE CODE IS FAINTY VISIBLE IN UPPER LEFT AND UPPPER RIGHT CORNER SHOWING INVENTORY DATE TEN - SIX." ALL PRESENT SALES FORCE HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF ANY SALE OF THIS ITEM. MANAGEMENT ADVISED APPROXIMATELY EIGHTY FIVE - NINETY PERCENT OF BUSINESS IS CASH SALES. CREDIT INVOICES FOR ALL SALES SINCE OCTOBER SIX TO PRESENT BEING CHECKED TO DETERMINE IF SUBJECT PLIER POSSIBLELY PURCHASED ON CREDIT. ONE CREDIT ITEM REFLECTING SALE OF ONE DOLLAR NINety EIGHT CENTS PLIERSON, TYPE UNKNOWN, LOCATED. PURCHASER WILL BE INTERVIEWED. REVIEW OF VOLUMINOUS CREDIT SALES CONTINUES. END PAGE TWO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail an FBI investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on surveillance, witness interviews, and forensic checks. A hardware store in Los Angeles (5542 Hollywood Boulevard) reported receiving a shipment of duck-billed pliers in 1966, with the manager estimating twelve units. One plier was recovered from a "Bargain Bin" near the store, matching a color photograph but bearing faint inventory codes. Credit sales records from October 6 to present are being reviewed for potential purchases, though no confirmed transactions were found. Former employees of the hardware store who left after October 1966 are being interviewed, with theft by a shop lifter considered as a possibility.  

An anonymous female complainant in Chicago reported her ex-husband, Jesse Willard Edwards (white male, 40-48 years old), as a suspect. She described him as an expert marksman owning multiple rifles and harboring hatred toward MLK and JFK. Edwards was previously arrested in Columbus, GA, for assault and driving offenses, with last known ownership of a 1964 Jeep. The FBI requested identification data from Columbus police to confirm his identity.  

In Memphis, informants like Bob McGowan (Miami office) were questioned about sightings of a white Mustang and a red Dodge pickup truck. Interviews with service station attendants Fredric Alvin Dorris and Perry Sweatman described a man matching the profile of a Cutlass owner who allegedly wrecked a car in Tennessee. Dorris claimed to have made a phone call on April 2, 1968, discussing unrelated matters, while Sweatman denied knowledge of any criminal activities.  

Key People  
- **Fredric Alvin Dorris**: White male, described as nervous and suffering from birth defects causing tremors; interviewed about a car incident on April 2, 1968.  
- **Perry Sweatman**: Army serial number noted; described the Cutlass owner as white, 55 years old, with dark hair and specific clothing details.  
- **Jesse Willard Edwards**: Suspected killer; ex-husband of an anonymous complainant in Chicago; described as a marksman with multiple rifles, arrested in Columbus, GA.  
- **Bob McGowan**: Informant for the Miami FBI office; mentioned sightings of a white Mustang and red Dodge pickup truck.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Hardware store (5542 Hollywood Boulevard) where pliers were purchased.  
- **Columbus, Georgia**: Edwards’ last known arrest location for assault and driving offenses.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI office conducting interviews with informants and service station attendants.  
- **Chicago, Illinois**: Location of the anonymous female complainant who identified Jesse Willard Edwards.  

Key Events  
- **April 2, 1968**: Interview with Fredric Alvin Dorris regarding a car incident at an Esso service station.  
- **April 3, 1968**: Perry Sweatman described a Cutlass owner wrecking a car in Tennessee.  
- **April 8, 1968**: FBI instructions on reporting racial incidents and other matters under specific captions.  
- **April 8, 1968**: Gene Cantarell in St. Louis mentioned Charlie Roberts purchasing a rifle to kill MLK; Roberts last known driving a white Mustang.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Conducted interviews, surveillance, and forensic checks across multiple locations.  
- **Memphis FBI Office**: Coordinated investigations with Miami and Chicago offices.  
- **Columbus Police Department (GA)**: Provided information on Jesse Willard Edwards’ arrest record.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_62-06-part_4_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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