</s>FD-36 (R.V. 5-22-64) FBI Date: 5/14/68 Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) AIR MAIL Via AIRTEL (Priority) TO : DIRECTOR, FBI (44-38861) : SAC, SEATTLE (44 -3771) (P) FROM : SUBJECT: MURKIN 00: MEMPHIS RE: SIMILAR NAME OF EARL RAY On 5/6/68, the manager of the Aurora-Midway Branch of the People's National Bank of Washington, telephonically advised that it had had his attention that a check had been issued to that it held RAY. Mrs. ROGER L. MILLER (19/24 80th West, Edmonds, Washington, Mrs. ROBERT L. MILLER (9/24 The manager reported this check had ended at the Liberty Supermarket, Memphis, Tennessee, and under the endorsome appeared the numbers "743-797" which he thought might be a telephone number. SA JOHN F. CONNOR checked the records of the Seattle Credit Bureau and the Edmonds Police Department and found both to the Edmonds Mrs. Roger L. Miller also known as KATIEYEN MILLER, 1974 West, Edwards, Washington. SA CONNOR determined that the records the Credit Bureau of Sohohen County, Everett, show that the MILLERS have been listed since January, 1965, coming to the Edmonds, since January. He was a driver for Darigold Farms, his wife, KATHERN MILLER and Mr. MILLERS had previously been employed by Muffler City in the Seattle having lived in the Seattle area since at least 1958. The credit record was satisfactory. 3-Bureau 2-Seattle (44-(1987) 44-1912-Suff13-1553 2-Seattle VPC-ms (77) SERIALIZED 1-INDEXED MAY 1-1968 FBI-MEMPHIS Memphis Quigny Dudri Gavn Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent M. Per 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The document details FBI investigations into EARL RAY (JAMES EARL RAY) following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. It includes reports from Seattle and Memphis, noting a check issued under the name "EARL RAY" linked to a Memphis bank transaction. The FBI agent, SA JOHN F. CONNOR, checked credit records and police files for Roger L. Miller (also known as Katieyen Miller) in Edmonds, Washington, who claimed their relative EARL RAY was a 38-year-old white male from Memphis with military service history. The document also references a look-alike in Sanford, Florida, identified by a supermarket owner as resembling Ray. Additional files include letters from JERRY RAY (possibly related to EARL RAY) to Marjorie Louise Petters, dated April 1968, and inquiries into his brother JOHN LAURY RAY’s military discharge. The Memphis Division was instructed to verify if any of Ray’s relatives matched the suspect in King’s assassination. A separate FBI form (FD-36) dated May 13, 1968, details impounded automobiles in Syracuse, New York, and other locations, including vehicles seized without theft records. It includes vehicle descriptions, registered owners, and dates of impoundment, with instructions to law enforcement agencies to check stolen vehicle reports for specific cars (#2 and #5) in Atlanta, Georgia, and determine the disposition of automobiles #1, #3, #4, and #6. The document notes no stolen vehicles were reported in Memphis during the relevant period linked to a suspect.  

Key People:  
- **EARL RAY** (JAMES EARL RAY): Suspect linked to MLK’s assassination; described as 38 years old, 5'6", 140 pounds, with military service history.  
- **ROGER L. MILLER**: Seattle resident who provided information about a relative named EARL RAY from Memphis.  
- **JERRY RAY**: Sent letters to Marjorie Louise Petters in April 1968; possibly related to EARL RAY.  
- **JOHN LAURY RAY**: Brother of JERRY RAY, with military discharge records noted by the FBI.  
- **Sgt. John O'Malley**, **Officer Robert Busch**: Syracuse Police Department personnel referenced in vehicle impoundment documentation.  

Key Locations:  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination; central to investigations into EARL RAY’s connections.  
- **Seattle, Washington**: Credit bureau and police records checked for Roger L. Miller.  
- **Sanford, Florida**: Sanford Supermarket owner reported a look-alike resembling EARL RAY.  
- **Syracuse, New York**: Location of impounded automobiles detailed in the FD-36 form.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Mentioned in FBI instructions for stolen vehicle checks.  

Key Events:  
- FBI investigation into EARL RAY’s background, including credit checks and verification of his Memphis ties.  
- Reports of a look-alike in Sanford, Florida, matching Ray’s description.  
- Analysis of letters from JERRY RAY to Marjorie Louise Petters, dated April 1968.  
- Inquiry into JOHN LAURY RAY’s military discharge records.  
- FBI instructions to law enforcement agencies for stolen vehicle checks on specific automobiles in Atlanta, Georgia.  
- Verification of registered owners and disposition of impounded vehicles in Syracuse, New York, and other locations.  

Key Organizations:  
- **FBI**: Conducted investigations, including credit bureau checks, interagency coordination, and vehicle impoundment documentation.  
- **Memphis Division (FBI)**: Directed efforts to verify EARL RAY’s relatives in Memphis.  
- **Seattle Credit Bureau/Edmonds Police Department**: Provided records on Roger L. Miller.  
- **Syracuse Police Department**: Referenced in FD-36 form regarding impounded vehicles.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_71-01-part_5_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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