</s>F.A. BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date 4/12/68 WELDON HARVEY TYNER, JR ., 770 George Street, was interviewed at his place of business, Covington & Tyner Civil Engineers, 243 West Center Street. TYNER advised that he did attend U. S. Naval Reserve Training Session at Camp Jeuney, North Carolina, in March or April of 1966. TYNER advised at that at this training session he qualified as an expert with both the M-1 rifle carbine and the 45 caliber automatic service pistol. TYNER advanced that he might have made such a statement as he would like to see MARTIN LUTHER KING killed, but TYNER advanced he could not recall for certain whether he made such a statement at the Camp LeJoune Training Session. TYNER advised he was in Canton, Mississippi, all day on April 1, 1968, and 4, was working with Canton. Mississippi city employees and his partner GEORGE COVINGTON, cleaning a drainage ditch in Cantoon, Mississippi. TYNER said he would furnish more names of the city employees if the interviewing Agent anytime in the future thought it was necessary. TYNEER advised that no one had ever called TYNER by the first name of JACK. On 4/11/68 at Canton_Mississippi File # Jackson 157-9586 44/19/12-Suit E- 4/8c SA JERRY R. PARKER/pac by Date dictated 4/1/2/68 4/12 /68 This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of my FBI and Ihanced to your agency. It and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential suspects linked to threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) during April 1968. Weldon Harvey Tyner Jr., a civil engineer from Canton, Mississippi, was interviewed regarding his attendance at a U.S. Naval Reserve training session at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in April 1966, where he qualified as an expert marksman with firearms. Tyner claimed he may have expressed hostility toward MLK during the training but could not confirm if such statements were made. He was also noted to be referred to by some as "JACK," though no one had ever called him by that name. Tyner and George Covington, a city employee in Canton, Mississippi, were working on a drainage ditch project on April 4, 1968.  

James Allen Smith, a suspect in burglary cases, was described by his roommate "JACK" (last name unknown) during a 1966 training session at Camp Lejeune. The roommate expressed hostility toward MLK, stating he should be killed for causing societal discord. Smith, employed as a surveyor and civil engineer in Canton, Mississippi, was linked to the Naval Construction Battalion, but no direct evidence of involvement in threats against MLK was found.  

Separate records mention Leonard describing interactions with two individuals (A and B) at a San Francisco bar on April 16, 1968, who had Texas/Louisiana accents and dark appearances. A barmaid’s account suggested one of them exhibited hostility toward her, prompting her to flee. The FBI sought to identify A and B through this description and other sources.  

David Camp in Mobile, Alabama, was connected to Roy Bridges (a Volkswagen dealer) and mentioned James "Big Jim" Moore, a white man described as 6-9 feet tall, stout, balding, and brown-haired, possibly linked to MLK’s assassination plot. Louis William Wilson of Florida had fingerprints compared to latent prints from the assassination scene but was ruled out as a suspect. Thomas Joseph Cox, a seaman with ties to Houston and Mobile, was interviewed after being connected to Shaw Galt, described as 5'11", dark-haired, and possibly linked to the plot. The FBI coordinated searches across Birmingham, Memphis, New York, and other locations to locate Cox and Galt, noting discrepancies in accents and backgrounds.  

Other sections reference investigations into David L. Mozingo (Mozinger) and William E. Chambers, both discharged from a U.S. Army facility in Petaluma, California, on April 15, 1968. Mozingo was noted to resemble Eric Galt, identified in local press as a suspect. A white male contacted the Memphis FBI office on April 10, 1968, claiming William Burke, associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), had threatened MLK’s life but could not confirm his involvement. Investigations into Lloyd Grady Gorum and Thomas H. Brown in Mobile, Alabama, involved credit records, phone numbers, and employment checks, yielding no direct links to MLK’s assassination.  

Key People  
- **Weldon Harvey Tyner Jr.**: Civil engineer from Canton, Mississippi; trained at Camp Lejeune (1966); possibly referred to as "JACK"; interviewed regarding potential statements about MLK.  
- **George Covington**: Partner of Tyner; worked with city employees on drainage ditch projects in Canton, Mississippi.  
- **James Allen Smith**: Suspect in burglary cases; described by roommate "JACK" (last name unknown) as expressing hostility toward MLK.  
- **Leonard**: Described interactions with A and B at a San Francisco bar on April 16, 1968.  
- **David Camp**: Mobile, Alabama; linked to Roy Bridges and James "Big Jim" Moore.  
- **James "Big Jim" Moore**: White male, 6-9 feet tall, stout, balding, brown-haired; possibly connected to MLK assassination plot.  
- **Louis William Wilson**: Florida resident; fingerprint comparison sought for MLK assassination investigation.  
- **Thomas Joseph Cox**: Seaman with ties to Houston and Mobile; linked to Shaw Galt.  
- **Shaw Galt**: Described as 5'11", dark-haired; possibly connected to MLK assassination plot.  
- **David L. Mozingo (Mozinger)**: Discharged from U.S. Army facility in Petaluma, California, on April 15, 1968; resembled Eric Galt.  
- **William E. Chambers**: Discharged from military facility in Petaluma, California; last known address in Birmingham, Alabama.  
- **Eric Galt**: Identified in local press as resembling Mozingo.  
- **William Burke**: Allegedly threatened MLK’s life while associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).  
- **Lloyd Grady Gorum** and **Thomas H. Brown**: Investigated in Mobile, Alabama; credit records, phone numbers, and employment checks conducted.  
- **Mrs. Dawn Cochrane**: Identified a sketch resembling Mozingo.  

Key Locations  
- **Canton, Mississippi**: Site of drainage ditch work; Tyner and Covington’s residence and workplace.  
- **Camp Lejeune, North Carolina**: Location of 1966 Naval Reserve training session where Tyner qualified with firearms.  
- **San Francisco, California**: Bar incident involving A and B on April 16, 1968.  
- **Petaluma, California**: U.S. Army facility where Mozingo and Chambers were discharged on April 15, 1968.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Chambers’ last known address; J.J. Redman’s hotel stay.  
- **Mobile, Alabama**: David Camp’s ties; credit records checks for Gorum and Brown.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI headquarters for case coordination.  
- **Portland, Oregon**: Jobhillis’s shooting in 1985 (unrelated to MLK).  

Key Events  
- **April 16, 1968**: Leonard described interactions with A and B at a San Francisco bar; barmaid noted hostility toward her.  
- **April 15, 1968**: Discharge of Mozingo and Chambers from military facility in Petaluma, California.  
- **April 17, 1968**: FBI investigation into Mozingo’s identity and connections.  
- **April 10, 1968**: White male contact with Memphis FBI regarding William Burke and KKK threats against MLK.  
- **Fingerprint comparison**: Louis William Wilson’s prints compared to latent prints from the assassination scene.  
- **Search for Cox and Galt**: Coordinated across Birmingham, Memphis, New York, and other locations; discrepancies in accents and backgrounds noted.  
- **Credit and phone records checks**: Conducted on Lloyd Grady Gorum and Thomas H. Brown in Mobile, Alabama.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, record checks, fingerprint comparisons, and coordinated searches.  
- **U.S. Naval Reserve**: Training facility at Camp Lejeune where Tyner qualified with firearms.  
- **U.S. Army**: Petaluma facility where Mozingo and Chambers were discharged.  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**: William Burke’s alleged association with the group.  
- **Seafarers International Union**: Linked to Thomas Joseph Cox’s employment.  
- **American Bulk Carriers**: Involved in Thomas Joseph Cox’s background check.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_76-03-part_3_of_5.pdf

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