</s>CV 44-565 The following description was obtained from observation and interrogation: Residence: CHARLES MAN WIZZLER OLD Soldiers and Sailors Home, Columbus Avenue, Age: Date of Birth: 68 Place of Birth! Parrysburg, Ohio. Hoes: White Height: Height: 18g Hair: Brown Pounds Tattoos! Brown Seal above an eagle with Social Security of the United States on beal on inner right forearms, seal of the Indian head Family! on left shoulder. Son! WILLIAM WIZLER, The Street, Son! Maine, Ohio, KICHARD WIZLER, West Harrison Street, Daughter! Mrs. JAN GALLEY, Centerfield Drive, Maine. Ohio. Copies are provided for the Document Section since the writer of the letter, forwarded to the Document section in above referenced airtel, has been identified as CHARLES MAN WIZLLER by his own admission. It is to be noted that the FBI Laboratory in its commission in report dated May 8, 1968, was successful in discovering the name WIZLIN through examination for im- dented writing. -3- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray (JER), a suspect in Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, spanning April–May 1968. Key elements include:  
- Aerial photography requests for the Memphis, Tennessee, assassination site submitted by HERSHEL COOK, involving payment and contact prints.  
- FBI efforts to track JER’s movements via telephone subscribers, fingerprint comparisons, and witness accounts, including sightings in St. Thomas, Cruz Bay, Curacao, and Florida.  
- Financial records indicating JER’s military service in the U.S. Navy and Army, with his father Rufus Ray listed as a retired IRS employee in Montgomery, Alabama.  
- Administrative actions under Executive Order 14176, including document redaction protocols and stops at Arizona Bureau of Vital Statistics to check for unidentified deaths matching JER’s description.  
- Coordination between FBI offices (Memphis, Jacksonville, Phoenix) and local authorities, such as the Oregon Bureau of Vital Statistics and Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, to verify suspect identities and movements.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Central suspect in MLK’s assassination; described as white male, 40–50 years old, 5'10", stocky, with green eyes and receding hairline.  
- **HERSHEL COOK**: Submitted aerial photography request for the assassination site.  
- **Rufus Ray**: Father of JER; retired IRS employee in Montgomery, Alabama.  
- **Bess Ray**: Half-sister of JER, married to a Speaker in Washington, D.C., with unclear residence and employment details.  
- **Richard Wier**: DDS in Wilmington, Delaware, reported seeing a man resembling JER in St. Thomas, VI.  
- **Mrs. Snider**: Witness in Curacao who observed an individual resembling JER at a restaurant.  
- **Fenton H. Butler**: Deputy State Registrar, Arizona Bureau of Vital Statistics, involved in administrative protocols.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI offices and payment records for aerial photography.  
- **St. Thomas, VI** (Carousel Bar, Red Hook): Witnesses reported no matches for JER’s description.  
- **Cruz Bay, St. John, VI** (Ellington’s Guest House): JER allegedly stayed here per Richard Wier’s account.  
- **Curacao**: Mrs. Snider observed an individual resembling JER at a restaurant.  
- **Montgomery, Alabama**: Rufus Ray resided as a retired IRS employee.  
- **Phoenix, Arizona**: Bureau of Vital Statistics stop to check for unidentified deaths matching JER’s profile.  

Key Events  
- **April 12, 1968**: FBI requested aerial photography of the MLK assassination site.  
- **April–May 1968**: Witness interviews (e.g., Mrs. Snider, Staff Sergeant Wenclaw) provided descriptions of individuals matching JER’s profile.  
- **May 20, 1968**: Stop at Arizona Bureau of Vital Statistics to check for unidentified deaths matching Ray’s description.  
- **Fingerprint comparisons**: Efforts to match JER’s latent prints with those of James Earl Ray.  
- **Locksmithing course records**: FBI reviewed enrollment data from the Locksmithing Institute in Little Falls, New Jersey, for handwriting/typewriting evidence.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into JER’s movements, financial records, and witness statements.  
- **IRS**: Rufus Ray was a retired employee based in Montgomery, Alabama.  
- **Arizona Bureau of Vital Statistics**: Involved in checking for unidentified deaths matching JER’s description.  
- **Locksmithing Institute (Little Falls, New Jersey)**: Provider of correspondence locksmithing course enrollment records.  
- **Oregon Bureau of Vital Statistics**: Coordinated with FBI to verify suspect identities.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_71-02-part_3_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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