</s>FEDERAL BUREAU INVESTIGATION 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) during 1968, focusing on potential connections to James Earl Ray, the accused assassin, and other individuals linked to extremist groups or alleged plots. Fragmented telecommunication records mention Dorothy Cotton’s report that Reverend L.P. Ponder had no information about Ray. Herkley Alford of Forworth, Mississippi, claimed his sister-in-law Gussie Mingo rented an apartment to a man named Earl William Ray (possibly a pseudonym) in Columbia, Mississippi. Mrs. M.D. Schwaarzauer confirmed renting a two-room apartment to Earl William Ray in October 1967, noting the tenant left after one night. John Medicier, linked to Nazi activities and the National Socialist White People’s Party (NSWPP), allegedly threatened MLK’s life and planned visits to St. Louis, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., seeking coordination with Major Koehl. The FBI tracked Medicier’s movements, noting his last known location as Chicago, Illinois, and potential ties to Storm Trooper Alvis Gray in Dallas, Texas. Vincent Burnell, a former employer of Medicier, reported his Nazi affiliations and threats against MLK. Administrative telecommunication logs and form entries unrelated to the main investigation also appear.  

Separate records include an anonymous report from Joseph John Gaftery in Minnesota claiming involvement with an "abozone team" planning MLK’s assassination, though Gaftery denied association with any group. A threat attributed to "Tony Dexter" in Chicago was dismissed as baseless. The FBI reviewed mailing lists from the Wilshire Book Company, which included Gerald D. Ray, potentially linked to groups like the Minutemen or Patriot Party. Investigations into Donald J. Ray in Columbus, Ohio, found no match to fugitive James Earl Ray. Carlos Lee Billings, incarcerated at Springfield Medical Center in Missouri, allegedly met James and Eddie in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1965, learning of a plot to assassinate MLK using a machine gun transported to Westwego, Louisiana, for placement during a Selma, Alabama, march. Billings described James as a white male with specific physical traits and connections to Memphis, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The FBI sought individuals like Johnitz Blackwell, June Taylor, and Jerry Barber (linked to prostitution rings in Columbia, South Carolina) and confirmed Billings’ psychiatric history, including schizophrenia and anti-social personality disorder.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspected assassin of MLK)  
- **John Medicier** (Medizer; linked to Nazi groups and threats against MLK)  
- **Gussie Mingo** (sister-in-law of Herkley Alford; rented apartment to Earl William Ray)  
- **Mrs. M.D. Schwaarzauer** (rented apartment to Earl William Ray in Columbia, Mississippi)  
- **Alvis Gray** (Storm Trooper associated with Medicier)  
- **Vincent Burnell** (former employer of Medicier; reported Nazi activities)  
- **Joseph John Gaftery** (Minnesota; claimed involvement in assassination plot against MLK)  
- **Tony Dexter** (Chicago; alleged threat dismissed as baseless)  
- **Gerald D. Ray** (linked to Wilshire Book Company mailing lists)  
- **Donald J. Ray** (Columbus, Ohio; investigated but not matched to James Earl Ray)  
- **Carlos Lee Billings** (inmate at Springfield Medical Center; allegedly involved in MLK assassination plot)  
- **Eddie** (partner in plot; described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, 180 pounds)  
- **Jerry Barber** (fugitive linked to prostitution rings in Columbia, South Carolina)  
- **June Taylor** (prostitute in Columbia, South Carolina; connected to Blackwell and conspiracy)  
- **Johnitz Blackwell** (alleged associate of Billings; met with James and Eddie in Columbia)  

Key Locations  
- **Columbia, Mississippi** (apartment rentals linked to Earl William Ray)  
- **Forworth, Mississippi** (Herkley Alford and Gussie Mingo’s residence)  
- **Chicago, Illinois** (Medicier’s last known location; NSWPP ties)  
- **Dallas, Texas** (Alvis Gray’s residence; Storm Trooper connections)  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** (Medicier’s planned visit)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (Medicier’s intended destination for coordination)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (James’ residence and criminal connections)  
- **Westwego, Louisiana** (location where machine gun was to be retrieved)  
- **Selma, Alabama** (planned location for assassination during a march route)  
- **Springfield, Missouri** (Medical Center for Federal Prisoners; Billings’ incarceration)  
- **Minneapolis, Minnesota** (Gaftery’s residence)  
- **Little Rock, Arkansas** (Carlos Lee Billings’ prison record)  
- **Columbus, Ohio** (Donald J. Ray’s residence)  
- **Pacific, Washington** (Gerald D. Ray’s residence)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into threats against MLK and potential links to James Earl Ray  
- Rental records of apartments in Columbia, Mississippi, connected to Earl William Ray  
- Medicier’s alleged Nazi affiliations, threats against MLK, and planned travel to St. Louis and Washington, D.C.  
- Tracking of Medicier’s movements and associations with Storm Trooper Alvis Gray  
- Administrative telecommunication logs and form entries unrelated to the main investigation  
- FBI review of mailing lists from the Wilshire Book Company for potential connections to extremist groups  
- Investigation of Donald J. Ray in Columbus, Ohio, and comparison with fugitive James Earl Ray  
- Examination of Carlos Lee Billings’ prison record and alleged involvement in an assassination plot  
- Billings’ meeting with James and Eddie in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1965, learning of a plan to assassinate MLK using a machine gun  
- FBI efforts to locate Johnitz Blackwell, June Taylor, and Barber, who were allegedly involved in the plot  
- Verification of Billings’ psychiatric history and criminal record (theft, fraud, escape from custody)  

Key Organizations  
- **National Socialist White People’s Party (NSWPP)** (Medicier’s alleged membership)  
- **Storm Troopers** (linked to Alvis Gray and potential ties to Medicier)  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** (conducted investigations, interviews, and interagency coordination)  
- **Minutemen** (alleged paramilitary group; linked to Gerald D. Ray)  
- **Patriot Party** (alleged political arm of the Minutemen)  
- **Wilshire Book Company** (mailing list source for potential extremist connections)  
- **U.S. District Court, Montgomery, Alabama** (issued federal detainers related to Billings’ criminal history)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_77-01-part_1_of_3.pdf

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