</s>4-36-68 PLAINTERT TELLETTIPE URGENT TO CLEVELAND FROM LOUISVILLE (44-947) MURKIN, CH, 001 MEMPHIS. INDIVIDUAL RESKIMBLING SUBJECT SKIN AT HARRISON'S RESTAURANT, HETROPOLIS, ILA. NIGHT OF APR. TWENTIFYIVE LAST AND LEFT RESTAURAIT ACCOMPAINED BY MAN AND WOMAN IN SIXTEIGHT WHITE-FIVE FORD GALAXIA, FOUR-DOOR, HARDY, KY. LICHER FIVE FIVE WINE-FIVS ONE NINE. REGISTERED TO TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES, THRE KERD V, MARKEET, AKRON, OHIO, ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFT INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE LEASED AT NOB, IVS. CLEVELAND AT ALRON CONTACT TRANSPORTATIOH VEHICALS, THRIKE SIVEN AERO V. MARKET, AND DETERMINE IDENTITY OF PERSON INSTANT VEHICLE LEASED TO AND SUYKL. AN COPY SENT KEMPHIS AND SPRINGFIELD. (3) Cci: (44)-1987) (AM) Memphis (44-(1987) AM) Springfield (AM] 44-1910-1912-E-1329 SEARCHED INDEXED SERIALIZED 5 FILED. APR 2 9 1968 FBJ-MEMPHISH 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts related to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, focusing on tracking individuals associated with car rentals, potential conspirators, and connections to James Earl Ray. Key activities include attempts to locate Donald Stouf, a former National Car Rentals employee in Boston, through contacts like Robert Gundey. The FBI sought information on Stouf’s ties to rental agencies, his physical description (white male, 5'10", medium build, blue eyes), and criminal records. References to James Earl Ray include his alleged appearance, potential links to car rentals, and status as an armed suspect. Investigations also involved checking prison records for inmates connected to MLK, including details about wounds from police gunfire and assignments to facilities like Pontiac Correctional Center. The FBI coordinated with offices in Memphis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Springfield, noting discrepancies in records and lack of confirmed ties to Stouf or Ray.  

Additional telegraphic communications from U.S. federal agencies, primarily the FBI, describe surveillance and tracking of individuals suspected of involvement in plots against civil rights leaders, including MLK. Key elements include investigations into phone calls and hotel stays linked to suspects such as Jack Pendleton, whose wife reported receiving calls from her father-in-law at the St. Francis Hotel in Los Angeles. Descriptions of individuals resembling James Earl Ray include a man observed at the Ramada Inn in San Antonio, Texas, described as white, approximately 38–42 years old, with grey or light blue hair and a build matching Ray’s profile. References to prior investigations into threats against MLK include a 1965 case involving a call to Jack Pendleton’s wife about potential violence against MLK. Coordination between FBI offices in Memphis, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Kansas City focused on suspect identification, tracking, and cross-referencing hospital records and informants.  

Key People  
- **Donald Stouf**: Former National Car Rentals employee in Boston; subject of FBI inquiries regarding ties to rental agencies and potential involvement in MLK-related activities.  
- **Robert Gundey**: National Car Rentals manager at JFK Airport; contact used by the FBI to locate Stouf.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Alleged assassin of MLK; described as white male, 5'10", medium build, blue eyes; referenced in multiple telegrams as a target of investigation.  
- **Jack Pendleton**: Individual whose wife reported receiving calls potentially linked to threats against MLK.  
- **Jerrie Durval/Dyrell Dennis**: Names associated with potential connections to MLK-related plots, though no direct ties were confirmed.  
- **John L. Winton**: Informant who reported a man resembling Ray at the Ramada Inn in San Antonio.  
- **Ellen Garner**: Salvation Army worker in Kansas City who provided information about James Earl Ray’s movements and associates.  

Key Locations  
- **Boston, Massachusetts**: Site of Donald Stouf’s former employment with National Car Rentals.  
- **Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Memphis, Tennessee; Springfield, Missouri**: Locations where FBI offices coordinated investigations into MLK-related threats.  
- **Pontiac Correctional Center, Michigan**: Facility mentioned in prison records for inmates connected to MLK.  
- **JFK Airport, New York City**: Location tied to Robert Gundey’s position at National Car Rentals.  
- **Los Angeles**: St. Francis Hotel where Jack Pendleton’s wife received calls linked to threats against MLK.  
- **San Antonio, Texas**: Site of the Ramada Inn where a man resembling James Earl Ray was observed.  
- **Kansas City**: Involved in tracking suspects like James Earl Ray and coordinating with other FBI offices.  

Key Events  
- FBI attempts to locate Donald Stouf through rental agency records and contacts.  
- Investigation into James Earl Ray’s potential ties to car rentals and criminal history.  
- Review of prison records for inmates connected to MLK, including descriptions of wounds from police gunfire.  
- Coordination between FBI offices in Memphis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Springfield.  
- Surveillance of individuals suspected of plotting against MLK, including phone calls and hotel stays linked to potential threats.  
- Investigation into the identity of a man seen at the Ramada Inn in San Antonio, described as matching James Earl Ray’s physical profile.  
- Coordination between FBI offices to verify suspect identities and track movements, including cross-referencing hospital records and informants.  
- Ongoing efforts to locate and interview individuals like Jack Pendleton and James Earl Ray to confirm their involvement in threats against MLK.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency conducting investigations, with offices in Memphis, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Kansas City.  
- **National Car Rentals**: Mentioned as a rental agency linked to Donald Stouf and potential connections to MLK-related activities.  
- **American Council on Education**: Organization associated with Charles L. Sell and Ben R. Walls, referenced in prison records.  
- **U.S. Secret Service**: Involved in interviewing suspects like James Earl Ray regarding potential plots against public figures.  
- **Salvation Army**: Mentioned as an organization where individuals like Ellen Garner provided information on suspect movements.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_77-03-part_3_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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