</s>PD-38 (May. 5-22-64) F.B.I Date: 4/27/68 Transmit the following in (Type in plainstest or code) TELETYPE URGENT Via (Priority) TO: LOUISVILLE (3 pgs) (3 pcs) FROM: MEMPHIS (44-1987) MURKIN. CR. RE MINNEAPOLIS TEL TO MEMPHIS APRIL SEVENTEEN LAST RE EDWARD GEORGE WILSON. LEETER RECEIVED MINNEAPSOLIS FROM PAUL L. MOORE (PROTECT IDENTITY), VA HOSPITAL, MINNESOTA, MINNEOPOLIS, MINNESOTA, REFLECTING HE HAD INFORMATION REGARDING INSTANT CASE, ON APRIL SENTENTEENTEEND LAST PAUL I. MOORIE ADVISED HE WAS EMPLOYED BY MRS. CHESTER W. JOHNSON, BOX ONE TWO ONE, R.T. FIVE, EXCELSIOR, MINESOTA. JONNSON'S, SON' SON, JEROME K. JOHNSONS, BOXONE ONE ONE, NUMBER ONE EAST DRIVE, SAME ADDRESS, OWNER OF GALLERY INTERIORS, ED WILLSON, WHO LEFT THE BUSINESS OVER TWO YEARS AGO. WILson PRESENTLY RESIDES MEMPHISS, TENN ,, AND WORKS ON SHIP ON MISSISSIPPI Airtel RIVER. ONE WEEK BEFORE DEATH OF VICTIM, WILTON CALLED Teletytype JEROMA JOHNNSON FROM MEMPHISA, NO CONVERSATION OVERHEARD. A.M. ON DAY OF VICITIM'S DEATH MOORE OVERHEAD JEREME JONSON. A. M.S.D ., TELL HIS MOTHER QUOTE I'LL BE TIL'LL BET DID THAT. UNQUOTE. Spec. D.L.I. ON APRil SEVTEENTEEMEN LAST JEOMAJONSON, JABOVE ADRESS, Reg. Mail HEG/VIP (1) 44-1949-80/4 Registered Approved: Special Agent in charge Sent 11:07PM P.O.P.LOR h 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O ., 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and associations around the time of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Key figures include Edward George Wilson, employed by a Mississippi Riverboat company in Memphis, Tennessee, with connections to Jerome Johnson (Gallery Interiors, Minnesota) and his son George E. Wilson. The FBI tracked Wilson’s whereabouts through employment records and family interviews. Ray’s alleged involvement was investigated via car rental history at Hertz in Lake Charles, Louisiana, under the name Eric S. Calt, and Delta Airlines Flight 725 on April 14, 1968, which reportedly carried a rifle box. Leads included Jerry (Tennessee drawl, prison record) and Milton Dean Batchelder, identified as a former Ray associate arrested for burglary and prostitution. The FBI coordinated with Memphis, New Orleans, and Kansas City authorities to trace Ray’s activities, including alleged stays at motels or logging sites along Chef Menteur Highway. Additional inquiries focused on Charles Stein, who visited New Orleans around December 24, 1967, discussing "cosmic philosophy" with Anthony Decarvelho. Stein claimed Galt (a white male in his late 20s/early 30s) drove him to New Orleans and paid for the trip. Delta Airlines Flight 106 was noted for a stewardess’s identification of a passenger resembling Ray, described as a white male in his early 40s with specific physical traits. The FBI also investigated Paul Alvin Lail Jr., a former inmate associated with Ray, and John Francis Smallwood in Suffolk, Virginia, who allegedly received threats to assassinate MLK. Identification records for Stein and Marie Martin (Myrial Tomas) revealed arrest histories involving drug offenses and vagrancy.  

Key People  
- **Edward George Wilson**: Riverboat employee in Memphis; connected to Jerome Johnson and George E. Wilson.  
- **Jerome Johnson**: Owner of Gallery Interiors in Minneapolis, Minnesota; father of George E. Wilson.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK; linked to car rentals, phone calls, and associations with Jerry and Charles Stein.  
- **George E. Wilson**: Son of Edward Wilson; employed as a deckhand on a riverboat, last seen in Memphis.  
- **Milton Dean Batchelder**: Former associate of Ray, arrested for burglary and prostitution in Missouri and Illinois.  
- **Charles Stein**: Reported to be in New Orleans around December 24, 1967; discussed "cosmic philosophy" with Anthony Decarvelho.  
- **Anthony Decarvelho**: Friend of Stein; described Galt’s physical appearance.  
- **Galt**: White male in his late 20s/early 30s, dark hair and brown eyes; allegedly drove Stein to New Orleans.  
- **Rita Renkopf**: Delta Airlines stewardess who identified a passenger resembling Ray.  
- **Paul Alvin Lail Jr. (aka Paul Arthur Lail Jr.)**: Former inmate associated with Ray in Missouri; had prior arrests for drug offenses.  
- **John Francis Smallwood**: Allegedly approached by three men to assassinate MLK; investigated by FBI.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Wilson’s residence and employment location; key hub for FBI investigations.  
- **Minneapolis, Minnesota**: Home to Jerome Johnson and Gallery Interiors.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Stein’s reported location during December 1967 trip; Hertz rental records linked to Ray.  
- **Lake Charles, Louisiana**: Hertz rental records associated with Ray’s alleged activities.  
- **Chef Menteur Highway**: Route investigated for potential motels or logging sites where Ray may have stayed.  
- **Delta Airlines Flight 725 (April 14, 1968)**: Reported to carry a rifle box; FBI inquiry initiated.  
- **Delta Airlines Flight 106**: Aircraft where Rita Renkopf identified a passenger resembling Ray.  
- **Suffolk, Virginia**: Smallwood’s alleged involvement in planning MLK’s assassination.  
- **Springfield, Missouri**: FBI files reviewed regarding Paul Alvin Lail Jr.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: MLK Jr.’s assassination in Memphis; FBI launched investigation into potential suspects.  
- **December 24, 1967**: Stein visited New Orleans and met Decarvelho, discussing "cosmic philosophy" and Galt.  
- **April 14, 1968**: Delta Airlines Flight 725 reported carrying a rifle box; FBI inquiry initiated.  
- **December 1967–January 1968**: Hertz rental records reviewed for Ray’s car usage; no confirmed rentals found.  
- **April 1968**: FBI coordinated with Memphis and New Orleans authorities to track Wilson and Ray’s movements.  
- **April 25, 1968**: Identification of Milton Dean Batchelder as a former associate of Ray.  
- **FBI inquiry into Smallwood**: Investigation into whether he or others were involved in planning MLK’s assassination.  
- **Review of identification records**: FBI examined Stein and Myrial Tomas’ arrest histories, including drug-related charges.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray, Stein, Lail Jr., and Smallwood; reviewed files and sought information on insurance and driver’s licenses.  
- **National Maritime Union (NMU)**: Used to track Wilson’s employment on Mississippi Riverboats.  
- **Hertz Rent-a-Car**: Investigated for potential car rentals linked to Ray’s movements.  
- **Delta Airlines**: Monitored Flights 725 and 106 for suspicious cargo or passenger activity.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Prison records reviewed regarding Ray’s incarceration (1962–1966) and associations with LEO Barnett and Billy Miles.  
- **Memphis Police Department**: Considered a murder indictment for stolen cars linked to Georgia.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_63a-03-part_2_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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