</s>F-D-36 (ev. 5-22-64) F.B.I Date: Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) Via (Priority) PAGE THREE SI 44-561 DID NOT RESEMBLE. RAYS HOWEVER HIS VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED BECAUSE OF DARKNESS. REVEREND STEWART MENTIONED THAT LAWRENCE PELI, A LOCAL NEWS PAPER REPORTER IS A MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH AND ALSO A SUPERVISOR AT TEEN CENTER HOWEVEVER REW WAS NOT PRESENT ON MAY TWENTYTEIGHT SIXTYEIGHT BUT OBTAINED THE INFORMATION AND WROTE STORY THIS DATE WHICH WAS ALSO RELEASED TO A.P. BECAUSÉ HE THOUGHT IT NEWS WORTHY ITEM. REVERED STEWARD AND GADDIS WERE THOROUGHLY INTERVIEWED AND NUMEROUS DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ABOVE FOR INFORMATION BUREAU IN VIEW OF CURRENT AP ITEM THIS MATTER. END Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent M. Per 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities spanning 1962 to 1968, focusing on driver’s license checks, surveillance of individuals linked to potential threats, and inquiries into associations with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1968, the FBI pursued leads involving James Earl Ray, including witness interviews describing a man resembling Ray, vehicle and clothing descriptions, fingerprint comparisons, and verification of bodies found in Tennessee and Memphis. Efforts to trace Ray’s movements included driver license database checks, correspondence with media outlets, and investigations into Ramon George Sneddon’s passport applications and Paul Bridgeman’s financial records. A body identified as an elderly white male was found in Tennessee, while another on President’s Island was confirmed as an elderly Black male. No conclusive evidence linked Ray to MLK’s assassination at this stage. Earlier activities included driver’s license checks in Georgia (1963) and Florida (1968), inquiries into Billy Mack Wisdom’s incarceration status, and requests for computerized data retrieval of license applications. References to "armed and dangerous" designations and administrative notes about document releases under Executive Order 14176 are also noted.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray  
- Ramon George Sneddon  
- Paul Bridgeman  
- John Larry Ray  
- Jerry Ravier  
- Paul Osborn Bridgmans (multiple variations)  
- Billy Mack Wisdom  
- Daniel Patricote Yoyhelian  
- Reverend Stewart, Lawrence Peli, Reverend M. Harris, Joseph G. Black, James Smith, Joe J. Slaw, Walter Black, William Maher, Eric S., C. M. Bedgell, Miss L. Spencer, A. F. Temple, Jim Carney, Kennedys Travel Bureau  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (President’s Island, Lebanon)  
- Decatur, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; Joplin, Missouri; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Ames, Iowa  
- Atlanta, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana  
- Toronto, Canada  

Key Events  
- Witness interviews describing a suspect resembling James Earl Ray at Teen Center events  
- Vehicle and clothing descriptions of a suspect, fingerprint comparisons, and body identifications in Tennessee and Memphis  
- Investigations into Ramon George Sneddon’s passport applications and Paul Bridgeman’s financial records  
- Driver license checks in Georgia (1963) and Florida (1968), including computerized data retrieval requests  
- Inquiry into Billy Mack Wisdom’s incarceration status at Atlanta Penitentiary  
- Surveillance of individuals linked to aliases or potential threats  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Driver License Bureau (Texas DPS)  
- Georgia State Patrol  
- Local law enforcement agencies in Memphis, St. Louis, and Atlanta  
- Confidential Mail Forwarding Service  
- Kennedys Travel Bureau  
- Kodak Microflor Reader

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_64-01-part_5_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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