</s>THE MEMPHIS OFFICE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE MEMORANDUM TO ALL AGENTS: RE: MURKIN The Bureau has instructed that since the subject JAMES EARL RAY has been known to consort with prostitutes and "street bums" all agents should bear with this in mind in their daily contacts with informators, vice squad, and any prostitutes they might contact during the course of their regular work. Inspector N. E. ZACHARY, Memphis PD, who is in charge of the PD's investigation in this matter, has been requested by SA Joe C. HESTER to so alert the Memphis PD Vice Squad. In the event of inquiry regarding the reward money offered in this case, you may confidently advise established sources that according to a compilation set forth in the 4/27/68 edition of The Commercial Appeal, $25,000, $250,000 each each has been offered by the City Council and the Memphis Press-Scienitar and the Memphis City Council has agreed to underwrite the reward up to a total of $100,000. ARMED AND DANGEROUS. ROBERT SAC LARE 44-1987 C.T. 6-6-3/ JCH-LP 5/23/68 SEARCH.D. SEARCH-D. INCE.D 144-1994-Seb-190 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and local law enforcement investigations into potential connections between individuals and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Key figures include James Earl Ray, identified as a suspect with ties to Memphis, Tennessee, and Hubert Freeman, whose name was linked to Ray through tire sales and physical descriptions. Agents explored Ray’s associations with prostitutes, street bums, and potential hiding places, including a body found in Lebanon, Tennessee, which was examined but not confirmed as Ray. Investigations also focused on Ramon George Sneyd, a Canadian suspect linked to a passport application, and other individuals such as C.N. Foust, who provided unreliable information about assassination plots. The FBI coordinated with the RCMP to track Sneyd’s passport and compiled laundry mark records from Memphis laundries for forensic analysis. Administrative tasks, case numbers, and redacted social security numbers were noted in internal communications.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK; investigated for associations with prostitutes, street bums, and tire sales.  
- **Hubert Freeman**: Linked to Ray through tire sales and physical descriptions; associated with Mississippi.  
- **W.O.O. "Billbo" Dixie Dimiuke**: Memphis resident who reported interactions with Ray and found a bullet slug during tire balancing.  
- **C.N. Foust**: Alleged informant who claimed money was offered for MLK’s assassination but later deemed unreliable.  
- **Frank L. Johnson**: FBI agent involved in investigating leads related to the assassination.  
- **Ramon George Sney, William Eugene Sides (FBI #918 549), Tommy Ellis Pike, James Gordon Forbes**: Suspects or associates with ties to Memphis, Alabama, and Florida; some entries include redacted SSNs.  
- **Robert C. Carter**: Provided account of an airplane incident involving MLK and pilot Wilson.  
- **Dr. Max West**: Evaluated Ralph Meredith Carpenter for potential involvement in the investigation.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central to investigations, including tire sales, fire station claims, laundries, and suspect interactions.  
- **Lebanon, Tennessee**: Site of an unidentified white male body discovered on May 23, 1968.  
- **Toronto, Canada**: RCMP efforts to locate Ramon George Sneyd via passport records.  
- **Nesbit, Mississippi**: Linked to Hubert Freeman’s residence and tire-related activities.  
- **Clarksville, Tennessee**: Mentioned in connection with C.N. Foust’s alleged ties to assassination plots.  
- **South Main Street, Memphis**: Area searched during neighborhood investigations.  
- **John Gaston Hospital, Memphis**: Where Ralph Meredith Carpenter was treated.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis; FBI investigated potential sources of the fatal shot.  
- **Tire sale investigation**: Dixie Dimiuke reported selling tires to James Farsell Ray and found a bullet slug during tire balancing.  
- **Fire station claim**: Mr. Wade alleged the shot came from a Memphis fire station, but this was dismissed due to ballistic inconsistencies.  
- **Laundry mark investigation**: FBI compiled records from Memphis laundries to identify evidence linked to the suspect.  
- **Airplane incident involving Dr. King**: Robert Carter relayed a story about an airplane conversation between MLK and pilot Wilson discussing racial tensions.  
- **FBI coordination with RCMP**: Tracking of Ramon George Sneyd’s passport application.  
- **Evaluation of Ralph Meredith Carpenter**: Mental health assessment by Dr. Max West, noting potential ties to the investigation.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into leads, suspect tracking, and forensic analysis (e.g., laundry marks).  
- **Memphis Police Department (PD)**: Collaborated with FBI on local inquiries and suspect monitoring.  
- **Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)**: Assisted in passport-related inquiries for Ramon George Sneyd.  
- **Tennessee Bureau of Criminal Identification**: Provided fingerprint analysis for the body found in Lebanon, Tennessee.  
- **John Gaston Hospital**: Provided medical records and evaluations for Ralph Meredith Carpenter.  
- **First National Bank of Memphis**: Mentioned in a bank transaction inquiry involving John Eisel (possibly a misspelling).

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_64-05-part_2_of_6.pdf

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