</s>4/30/68 TO BESISTOR AND SHANE (44-1864) TREETER TO SHARE (44-(64-64) (P) IN MAKE THE TO BUREA, ATLANTA, BERITIMAL, BEMITIMAN, MEMTIES, BRANK AND BEW YONK, FOUR RITENT EMBART, TO ARRIVE JFT, INC. E MIG STANTO GALF, FLAES CEN CEN SING OF ATLANA, GEORGIA, ABIRIL FIVE TIVE TARE SIX LAST. MAGE AND TOUE TOURE IN THE SET OUT LEAD IS FLASHE ATTEMBANT CUTERIA LOUIS MOOCH, TOUNGT TOUGHT THED-HEST SIX OE OE HEDDED OR HEO SIX. AL, JT. JTE AIRBOR, INC, ADVENS MOOON IOW WOW TO HEAR ABA AND PONT MR, TO BEAST HANK OF FLASHT TWO TO TWO SEEO C, AN PONNT MR, TOUR THENT HANE, TO ABIVE JFT. INC, -AN PORENTE (4(4-6-0) (HOTO) 44-1912-LLEE SEARCHED ... INDEXED. O. SERIALIZED ... FILLED. APR 2.2 1968 FB1 - MEMPHIS 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., with a focus on James Earl Ray as a suspect in his assassination. Ray, incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary from 1960 until his escape in April 1967, was identified as the assassin through media broadcasts in April 1968. The FBI tracked his movements and potential hideouts, including properties near Kansas City, Missouri, and vehicles linked to suspects like David S. Stepson in Savannah, Georgia, and Leonard Spears in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Investigations also explored connections between Ray and individuals such as Sterling Tucker, Charles R. Recher, and Peter Verdino in Chicago, with ties to drug activities and possible involvement in the assassination plot. The FBI coordinated with local law enforcement in Memphis, Kansas City, and New Orleans to verify leads and monitor Ray’s movements. Separate investigations referenced a memorandum dated April 11, 1968, noting Allen Welch as a suspect linked to the American Nazi Party (ANP) and alleged threats against King. Howard McKney of Knoxville, Tennessee, provided information about Welch in 1966, describing him as a white male with specific physical traits. Sightings of a man matching Welch’s description were reported in Memphis, including near Waldren Street with a medium-sized black-and-white dog. A separate report from April 21, 1968, mentioned John Climp providing information about a $100,000 bounty on an individual (possibly Parham) connected to Shelby County Jail and Arkansas State Penitentiary.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin of MLK Jr.)  
- Penny Gillian (Maryland resident who reported TV coverage linking Ray to the crime)  
- Sterling Tucker, Charles R. Recher, Peter Verdino (individuals investigated for potential connections to Ray and drug activities in Chicago)  
- David S. Stepson (Savannah, Georgia, connected to Ray via vehicle sightings)  
- Leonard Spears (Baton Rouge observer of suspicious Volkswagen matching Ray’s description)  
- Howard McKney (Knoxville, Tennessee: provided information about MLK’s assassination, linked to ANP)  
- Allen Welch (suspect in MLK’s assassination, associated with ANP; described by McKney)  
- John Climp (reported bounty information on individual possibly named Parham)  
- Parham (mentioned as having ties to Shelby County Jail and Arkansas State Penitentiary)  

Key Locations:  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (Ray’s incarceration 1960–1967; escape April 1967)  
- Kansas City, Missouri (lake associated with Jim Ray; vehicle sightings linked to Stepson)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (central hub for FBI investigations; Waldren Street sightings of Welch)  
- Savannah, Georgia (Stepson’s residence linked to Ray)  
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Spears’ observation location)  
- Knoxville, Tennessee (McKney’s initial contact with federal agents)  
- Washington, D.C. (linked to Welch’s ANP activities)  
- Shelby County Jail, Memphis (mentioned in relation to Parham’s incarceration)  
- Arkansas State Penitentiary (reference to Parham’s prior imprisonment)  

Key Events:  
- April 1968: Identification of James Earl Ray as the assassin via media broadcasts; FBI efforts to track his movements and potential hideouts.  
- April 10, 1966: Howard McKney contacted federal agents about MLK’s assassination, identifying Allen Welch as a suspect linked to the ANP.  
- April 11, 1968: SAC Knoxville submitted a report to SAC Memphis regarding Welch’s alleged ties to the ANP and threats against civil rights figures.  
- April 21, 1968: Reports of a man matching Welch’s description in Memphis, including sightings near Waldren Street with a dog.  
- September [year unspecified]: John Climp reported a $100,000 bounty on an individual (possibly Parham) linked to Shelby County Jail and Arkansas State Penitentiary.  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Conducted investigations into threats against civil rights figures, including MLK’s assassination; coordinated with local law enforcement agencies.  
- American Nazi Party (ANP): Associated with Allen Welch and his alleged activities in Washington, D.C.  
- U.S. Department of Labor: Mentioned in context of Peter Donovan’s background (not directly related to MLK case).  
- Local law enforcement agencies (Memphis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shelby County Jail, Arkansas State Penitentiary)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_76-06-part_3_of_3.pdf

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