</s>NO 187-10673 PAGE TWO HIN. IN ADVISED BILLINGS WAS DRIVING A MAROON VEHICLE, MAKE AND MORL UERCALLED. BILLINGS' COMPANION, MAME UNREALLED, WAS DESCRIBED AS A WHITE MALE, SHOITER THAN BILLDGS AND FAIRLY GOOD LOOKING. HE DESCRICIED BLLINGS' COMPANION AS A TROUBLMAKER VED WAS PROM TO VOLENCE VEN DRINKING. IN DESCRED BULLINGS IN HIS COMPANIO AS "BRITERS" AND STATED THE EASON IS RECALLES BELLINGS IS THAT BILLIINGS GAVE HIN A GUE MURDED SENT-FIVE DOLLAR WORTHLASE CHUCK, DRAW OF THE GRABANT BANK AND TWIST OF VESTEO, WHICH VAS RETURNED TO HEM MAKED "TO ACCOUNT." CARRIERES ADVISID THAT IS WOULD SAACH HIS RENTAL RECORDS AND ATTENT TO FIND THE BOGS CUCK GIVEN TO HIM BY MILLINGS IN ODER TO PIMPOOT THE EXACT DATE OF M STAY IN VESTIVEO. CAMBRERILE STATED BE KEN NOTHING CONCERNING A STOLEN MACHINTH AND DID NOT CONSIDER HESHLY TO BE A FRIEND OF 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail multiple FBI investigations from 1968 involving individuals linked to Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and potential threats against him. One report notes discussions about MLK’s chauffeur carrying over $200,000 in cash, with concerns about robbery or assassination, as relayed by Robert F. Bennett to the FBI. The agency planned to contact Charlie Barr of Standard Oil Company for further details. Another investigation focused on an individual resembling James Earl Ray (JER) purchasing gas in Georgia on April 16, 1968, using a Pure Oil credit card linked to a Cadillac with a license plate starting with "1." Credit card records were incomplete, and delays occurred in retrieving documents from Pure Oil Company. An anonymous letter described a suspect resembling JER near Maluhia Hospital in Honolulu, prompting FBI interviews with bus drivers but no identification of the individual.  

Separate entries reference Shelley Jean Baldridge and her husband Earl Ray, who were investigated for alleged connections to JER during a 1957 Florida trip. Baldridge denied prior trips to Tampa or contact with JER, while her husband claimed she had been living with another man in Vietnam (1966–1967) and planned divorce proceedings. The FBI sought to verify potential ties between Baldridge and JER, though no direct evidence was found. Baldridge later resided in Bristol, Tennessee, where she alleged FBI agents were searching for her due to fabricated claims of involvement in MLK’s murder.  

Other records include FBI inquiries into Carlos Lee Billings, a man associated with New Orleans in 1965, who stayed at the Canal Bank Inn and had financial disputes, including bad checks. Billings was linked to potential criminal activities and had interactions with law enforcement in Kansas City, Memphis, and St. Louis. David Lindsey Wilson, a U.S. Army veteran (1952–1958), was noted for psychiatric evaluations indicating emotional instability and combat trauma, along with disciplinary actions for desertion. Norma June Taylor, who worked at the Starlight Lounge in Columbia, South Carolina, provided conflicting accounts about Billings’ associates.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; referenced in investigations involving Shelley Jean Baldridge and a 1968 Georgia gas purchase.  
- **Shelley Jean Baldridge**: Subject of FBI investigation; married to Earl Ray, denied prior Florida trips or contact with JER.  
- **Earl Ray (also referred to as Eric Ray)**: Husband of Baldridge; reported his wife was living with another man while stationed in Vietnam.  
- **Robert F. Bennett**: Washington representative who relayed information about MLK’s chauffeur carrying cash to the FBI.  
- **Senator Wallace Bennett**: Father of Robert Bennett, source of information about MLK’s chauffeur.  
- **Charlie Barr**: Standard Oil Company employee; contact for details on MLK-related inquiries.  
- **Clyde E. Rhodes**: Pure Oil Company accounting department staff; noted delays in retrieving credit card records.  
- **Norma June Taylor**: Worked at Starlight Lounge in Columbia, South Carolina; associated with Billings and Barber.  
- **Johnnie Blackwell**: Friend of Taylor; worked at a lounge in Columbia, South Carolina.  

Key Locations  
- **Chicago, Illinois**: Site of discussions about MLK’s chauffeur carrying cash.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI field office involved in investigations.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Location of Pure Oil Company records reviewed for credit card transactions.  
- **Honolulu, Hawaii (Maluhia Hospital)**: Site of anonymous letter describing a suspect resembling JER.  
- **Spring Lake, North Carolina**: Where Baldridge first learned of MLK’s assassination via TV.  
- **Bristol, Tennessee**: Residence of Shelley Jean Baldridge after returning from Texas.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana (Canal Bank Inn)**: Location where Carlos Lee Billings stayed in 1965.  
- **Cedar Falls, Iowa**: Address associated with David Lindsey Wilson.  

Key Events  
- **April 25, 1968**: Discussions about MLK’s chauffeur carrying $200,000 in cash; FBI planned to contact Charlie Barr for details.  
- **April 16, 1968**: Investigation into an individual resembling JER purchasing gas in Georgia using a Pure Oil credit card.  
- **1957 Florida Trip**: Alleged trip by Shelley Jean Baldridge and her cousin Patsy Owens to Tampa, Florida, where they met Eric Ray (later identified as JER).  
- **Divorce Proceedings**: Earl Ray planned legal action against Shelley Jean Baldridge after learning she had been living with another man.  
- **FBI Investigation into Pure Oil Records**: Delays in retrieving credit card slips for April 16, 1968, and incomplete transmittal numbers.  
- **Anonymous Letter (April 6, 1968)**: Described a suspect resembling JER near Maluhia Hospital; FBI interviewed bus drivers but could not identify the individual.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into MLK-related threats, Pure Oil credit card transactions, and connections to James Earl Ray.  
- **Pure Oil Company**: Involved in credit card records reviewed for April 16, 1968, purchases.  
- **Standard Oil Company**: Contacted by FBI for details on MLK-related inquiries.  
- **Honolulu Rapid Transit (IRT)**: Provided bus driver information for the Honolulu suspect investigation.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_77-01-part_2_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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