</s>F.D. 248 (REV. 4:13:60) H. S. - - artment of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE) (MATEURAL MUST NOT be REMOVEO FROM OR ADPED TO THE FILE) FIELD OFFICE FILE FORFA PROCESSED FEDERAL BUREAU DO NOT DESTROY DO NOT ESTROY PENDING LITIGATION of X DO NOT DESTROY HISTORICAL VALUE 2778 3/8/85 NATIONAL ARCHIVES INVESTIGATION Volume Number: Bureau File Number 4/4-35/61/61 EDO PT DESTROY: HIST. NATION.W. ., M.S.IVES" ENTIRE FILE-REVIEWED FOR HISTORICAL See also No. DECLASSIFICATION SEE VOL 1 FOR LITigATIONS ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE IS UNCLOSSCIATED - - www.10-405960 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document outlines FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s activities in 1967 and 1968, focusing on his movements, vehicle transactions, and potential connections to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Key elements include Ray’s purchase of a 1962 Plymouth by John L. RAYNS in July 1967, interactions with Canadian government employees during August 1967 involving travel to Montreal and Quebec, and investigations into his hotel stays in Birmingham, Alabama, and Mexico. A revolver was discovered in Ray’s possession during his arrest in London, England, on June 8, 1968. The FBI tracked license plates and vehicle registrations linked to Ray, while RCMP records detail his attempts to obtain a Canadian passport through William Bradford in 1967. Hotel registration records from the Granada Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, under the alias John L. RAYMS on August 26, 1967, were reviewed, though no prior record of Ray as a guest was found. A separate FBI investigation examined motel occupancy data at the Flamingo Motel in Selma, Alabama, for March 1968, focusing on Eric S. Galt’s stay and potential ties to the assassination.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation)  
- John L. RAYNS (linked to car transactions)  
- Maurice Lund (individual who contacted Ray about a car sale)  
- Geneva Jones (Supervisor at Illinois Secretary of State’s Office)  
- William Bradford Hale (author/contact seeking information on Ray)  
- William Bradford (involved in passport inquiries)  
- John L. RAYMS (alias used for hotel registration)  
- Eric S. Galt (registered guest at Flamingo Motel, March 1–25, 1968)  
- Arthur Hanes (attorney from Birmingham, Alabama, contacted motel owner)  
- Mrs. Bessie Barrett (Flamingo Motel owner/operator)  
- Barretha Garner (motel bookkeeper)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (investigation origin)  
- Springfield, Illinois (car registration records)  
- Montreal, Canada (Ray’s alleged travel and meetings)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (Granada Hotel investigation, Flamingo Motel)  
- London, England (Ray’s arrest in 1968)  
- Ottawa, Canada (Canadian government employee’s association with Ray)  
- Detroit, Michigan (border crossing between Canada and the U.S.)  
- Selma, Alabama (Flamingo Motel)  
- Montgomery, Alabama (associated with Barretha Garner and Services Unlimited)  

Key Events  
- Purchase of a 1962 Plymouth by John L. RAYNS in July 1967  
- Ray’s interactions with Canadian government employees during August 1967, including travel to Quebec and Montreal  
- Investigation into Ray’s movements involving hotels in Birmingham, Alabama, and Mexico  
- Discovery of a revolver in Ray’s possession during his arrest in London, England (June 1968)  
- FBI tracking of license plates and vehicle registrations linked to Ray  
- RCMP interviews regarding Ray’s attempt to obtain a Canadian passport via William Bradford in 1967  
- Review of Granada Hotel registration records for John L. RAYMS on August 26, 1967  
- FBI investigation into Eric S. Galt’s potential involvement in Dr. King’s assassination through Flamingo Motel records  
- Arthur Hanes’s request to verify Galt’s presence at the Flamingo Motel and review phone billing records  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Illinois Department of Public Safety Administration  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Citizenship Office (Canadian immigration authority)  
- Services Unlimited Company (associated with Barretha Garner)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_65-04-part_1_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search