</s>FRI CMPHIS FBI 1OAPOL3 523PX UPGENT 4/25/33 5K TO DIRECTOR 44-5361 AND MEMPHIS 44-1937 FROM INDIANAPOLIS 44 -5553 ARRIKIN MAJORIE BOTTL LAMAGE, PROPERITY CLEANERS AND LAUNORY, HETTER ZERO ONE BROADWAY, F. CHICAGO, ID ., CHICADO, IND ., ADVISED THIS DATE AFTER THREE DAY SEARCH BIKE LOCATED AN-ORDER BILL WALON DONE YELLY! THR-SSAL LAUNDRY, MARK NO. TWENTY ., THREE ., GONCE STATED THIS ONDER WAS FOR TIO SHIRTS FOR EUSENE COFFRAIN, THAE FIVE ONE MINE ELKELMUNDT APARTMENT), S. CHIACO, INC. ., SON OF OAKER OF BLUMINIST APARTMENT. SOWE STATED BACH. CUSTOER AND IS SOK OF OFNER OF ELMURIST APPARENTENT. SOWER STATED SACH. IDIVIDUAL ORDER IS ASSIGNED NEW LAUNGRIST TAKING AND THAT MARKER. TERY 2-THREE WAS ONLY USED OF OCCASION, SEPT. INCTIVATIVE BENTOVEN, BY ABOVE TWO SHIRITS FOR COFFMAN AND WAS NEVER USED OK ANY SATER ITEN, Y Y AOVE LAUNCHY TWO SHIRTES FOR ANY OTHER CUSTOMER. INDIA/AFFLIG INDIGES NOTATIVE OR FORMAN. EFFORTS BEING BADE TO LOSTATE AND INTERVIEW COFFNA. . ILL OSTAIN SAMPLES OF PROSPERITY CLEANSE IS AND LAURDRY THEMO-SEAL LAUNCHIY IN MARKINGS AND FORLAND TO RI LAS. 44-1917-1444 ND. RI MEMPHIS Remay J. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents consist of FBI telegraph messages from the 1960s detailing investigative efforts related to James Earl Ray, a suspect in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4, 1968). The records focus on tracking Ray’s movements, associations, and criminal history, including alleged involvement in postal burglaries. FBI inquiries reference interviews with Ray’s family members (e.g., his mother, sister, ex-wife) and others connected to him. The telegrams span late 1967 to early 1968, highlighting Ray’s alleged activities in St. Louis, Memphis, and other locations. The documents also mention connections to firearms or dangerous activities, as well as potential links to broader criminal networks. A Bureau file (SI 44-561) notes possible ties between Ray and Joseph Elmer Austin, an individual with a criminal record involving murder and armed robbery. The FBI’s investigation into Ray was part of the broader effort to determine responsibility for MLK Jr.’s assassination, which remains a subject of historical debate.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK Jr.’s assassination; arrested in London in 1968 and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy but maintained innocence.  
- **Joseph Elmer Austin**: Accomplice in a 1959 armed robbery arrest; linked to Ray via FBI records (SI 44-561).  
- **George Parsons**: Social worker in Quincy, Illinois, involved in case management for the subject’s family.  
- **Hazel Hamilton**: Catholic Charities case worker in Quincy, Illinois, with information on the subject’s family.  

Key Locations:  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** (employment, arrests, and investigations).  
- **Alton, Illinois** (1959 armed robbery arrest).  
- **Quincy, Illinois** (family residence, employment records).  
- **Des Moines, Iowa** (prior family residence, 1942–1943).  
- **Ewing, Missouri** (residence prior to Des Moines).  
- **Memphis, Birmingham, and Canada** (investigative connections).  

Key Events:  
- **Arrest in Alton, Illinois (August 20, 1959)** for armed robbery with Joseph Elmer Austin.  
- **FBI investigation (SI 44-561)** linking the subject to criminal records including murder and armed robbery.  
- **Employment checks** at Avery/Arvey Corporation (Chicago) and Neo Produce Company (St. Louis).  
- **Family history investigations** involving residences in Des Moines, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and Ewing, Missouri.  

Key Organizations:  
- **FBI**: Conducted records checks and linked the subject to criminal activities.  
- **Catholic Charities (Quincy, Illinois)**: Involved in case management for the subject’s family.  
- **Local police departments** (e.g., Burbank, California): Mentioned in context of unrelated investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_63a-02-part_1_of_2.pdf

Document Summary

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