</s>FBI MEMPHIS 12:45PM URGENT 4/17/68 RPC TO: DIRECTOR (44-38561), MEMPHILS (44 -1987), BIRMINGHAM (44-(44-1740) SAN FRANCISCO (173-65), AND NEW YORK, BIRMINGHAM (44'-1740] FROM: NEW HAVEN (157-818) MURKIN:CR 44-1987-SUBE-1609) RE: SAN FRANCISCO / TELETYPE, APRIL THIRTEEN LAST, AND NEW YORRK-1690) TELETYPEE, SAME DATE, TO BUREAU, NEW HAYEN AND SAN FRANISCO. JOHN GIMBERLY, SECURITY, OTIS ELEVATOR, STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT ADVISED PABLO REYES CELEPHONICALLY CONTACTED OTIS MORNING OF APRIL SIXTEEN LAST FROM NEW MEXICO AND IS ENROUTE STAMFORD VIA AUTO, DUE TO ARRIVE APRIL TWENTY TWO NEXT. NO DEATILS AS TO CAR OR AUTO. DUE REYES EMPLOYED OTIS AND ASSIGNED SAISON AS FIELD REPRESENTATIVE JAMES MC KINLEY, DIVISION MANAGER, OTis ELEVATOR, NEW YORK CITY, AND GIMBERLEY 90TH ADVISED REYES IS A PHILLIPPIRE NATIONAL WITH VERY DEFINITE ORIENTAL FEATURES AND COULD NOT BE MISTAKEN FOR CAUCASIAN. IN VIEW OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, NO INTERVIEW WILL BE CONDUCTED. END ... SEARCHED, D.J.F. 3440 SA3 SEARCHLED, D-FILED, SEARCHALED, B-F.FILED. F31 MEMPHIIS SEARCHALD, D, F-FILEO. FOR MEMPHUS TU TENAYS MEMPHS DATE FILE STRIPPED/S/L6/2 INITIALS DTD 11/7/86 RE: BU ARRIEL DTD 113/86 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats or connections to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in April 1968. Key elements include:  
- Pablo Reyes, a Philippine national employed by Otis Elevator, was tracked due to his physical description (non-Caucasian features) and reported movements from New Mexico to Connecticut. FBI agents concluded no further interviews were warranted based on his appearance.  
- Clarence L. Robinson and Max Dixon of Delhi, Louisiana, were interviewed regarding potential ties to MLK. Robinson, a motel manager, claimed unspecified remarks about King but denied involvement. Dixon confirmed Robinson’s employment status at Otis Elevator.  
- William Randall Askew (21) of Alexander City, Alabama, made a long-distance call to Memphis Police Department on April 7, 1968, from his home phone (329-9567). The call involved an unidentified individual claiming to be a U.S. Marshall or official, referencing MLK’s assassination. Askew stated he was intoxicated and acted impulsively after reading about King’s death in media.  
- Pervis Askew (Askew’s cousin) and Douglas Cooley (friend) were present during the call. Both denied knowledge of an assassination plot but acknowledged drinking alcohol. Cooley described the call as a drunken attempt to contact an official, with no further details provided.  
- FBI agents in Memphis, Birmingham, New York, and San Francisco coordinated efforts to verify Askew’s movements, employment records, and potential connections to MLK-related activities.  
- Joseph M. Pritchett, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, was investigated as a suspect linked to MLK’s assassination. His Navy service records (1959–1963) were cross-referenced with descriptions of an individual seen near MLK’s residence in 1968. A Coast Guard officer, Gilmer P. Stafford, provided Pritchett’s physical description and alleged connection to the murder. The FBI confirmed his presence in Montgomery during relevant dates but took no further action.  

Key People  
- Pablo Reyes (Philippine national, Otis Elevator employee)  
- Clarence L. Robinson (Hilltop Motel manager, Delhi, Louisiana)  
- Max Dixon (Otis Elevator employee, Delhi, Louisiana)  
- William Randall Askew (21, Alexander City, Alabama)  
- Pervis Askew (cousin of William Askew)  
- Douglas Cooley (friend of William Askew)  
- Joseph M. Pritchett (suspect linked to MLK’s assassination; served in U.S. Navy 1959–1963, employed as police officer and highway patrol trooper in Montgomery, Alabama)  
- Gilmer P. Stafford (United States Coast Guard officer who provided physical description of Pritchett and alleged connection to MLK’s murder)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Birmingham, Alabama  
- New York, New York  
- San Francisco, California  
- Delhi, Louisiana  
- Alexander City, Alabama  
- Tupelo, Mississippi  
- Montgomery, Alabama  
- St. Louis, Missouri  
- Portland, Oregon  

Key Events  
- April 7, 1968: William Askew made a long-distance call to Memphis Police Department referencing MLK’s assassination.  
- April 4–5, 1968: FBI agents interviewed Clarence Robinson and Max Dixon in Delhi, Louisiana, regarding potential ties to MLK.  
- April 12–13, 1968: FBI coordinated telegrams and investigative reports across multiple offices to verify individuals’ movements and connections to the assassination investigation.  
- April 1968: FBI investigated Joseph M. Pritchett’s potential involvement in MLK’s assassination; cross-referenced military records, police employment, and civilian background checks.  
- April 13, 1968: Navy Personnel Records Center confirmed Pritchett’s service dates and discharge status.  
- April 12, 1968: Coast Guard officer provided description of Pritchett as a suspect linked to MLK’s murder.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Otis Elevator Company  
- Memphis Police Department  
- Alexander City, Alabama, Police Department  
- Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol  
- United States Navy  
- Montgomery Police Department  
- Alabama Highway Patrol  
- Navy Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, Missouri)  

Note: The documents contain redacted social security numbers (SSNs) and unrelated content about individuals in California, Oregon, and other locations, which are summarized as part of the broader context of the FBI’s investigative activities.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_76-02-part_1_of_5.pdf

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