</s>FD-36 (Rev. .- 22-44) F B1 Date: 8-5-68 Transmit the following in PLAIN TEXT (Type in plaintext or code) TELETYPE URGENT Via (Priority) TO DIRECTOR (44-38861) AND MIAMI (44–1854) FROM MEMPHIS (44-(44-1987) MURKIN. RE MIAMI AND JACKSON TELS AUGUST TWO LAST. JACKSON DIVISION HAS ACCOUNTED FOR WHEREABOUTS BURRIS DUNN, JOE DANIEL HAWKINS (4, L. HARPER), AND KATHLEEN AINSWORT, AND JOE DIANIEL WAWKIN'S (4. L. BARPER),AND KATHELEN AINSWORTH, AND HAS STATED IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT ROBERT EARL WILSON COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THESE PRISONES THAT DAY MARTIN LUTHER KING KILLED. IN SPITE OF ABOVE, MIAMI SHOULD REINFORTH, FOR ANY AND ALL CAPOMACCHIA/MOTHER OF DECASEO AINSMORTH, TOR ANY AND ALLL INFORMATION WHICH SHE MAY HAVE IN HER POSSESSION INDICATING THAT ANYONE CONSIPRED WITH SUBJECT RAY TO MURDER KING. MIAMI SHOULD ACCOUNT WITH WHEREABOUT CAPOMACCHA ON APRIL FOUR AND ASCKTAIN FROM HER WHAT SHE MAY KNOW ABOUT HER DAUGHTER'S CONNECTION WITH THIS ALLLEGED PLOT. OFFICIERS-MIAMI-REPORTED TO MAKE SOME-SPORT-TO-RESOLUTE-INFORMA- TION-REPORTER INTERNECTS-COM-A-RING-CONS-TO A TENTAL GAST. MIAMI SHOULD ADVISSE BUREAU AND MEMPHES OF ITS ESTIMATE END PAGE ONE SHARCEL 44-1937-Lub E-100M JCH-BIN CC 1 - JACKSON (157-9856) (AM) JCH.BIN (2) Approved: Special Agent (A) Chara Sent-NDE-M Per U.M. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and related inquiries spanning 1968, focusing on individuals such as James Earl Ray, Pernell Ezzell, and others. Key figures include Doris Ebert, who reported sighting three men at Atlanta’s airport in June 1968, later linked to Ray; Walter Brumley, who claimed to have encountered an individual resembling Ray in Bisbee, Arizona, in 1966; and Pernell Ezzell, a Florida resident with a revoked driver’s license due to traffic offenses. The FBI tracked Ezzell’s movements, noting inconsistent employment claims and financial struggles, while also investigating his potential ties to MLK’s assassination. Records reference speculative discussions at Miami Beach conferences involving William J. Wilson, Arthur Irwin, and John Jensen, who allegedly mentioned threats against political figures, including MLK, though no direct evidence links these conversations to an assassination plot. FBI divisions in Memphis, Dallas, and Los Angeles conducted inquiries into Ray’s movements, vehicle tracking (e.g., a red National Trailer Rental Tractor), and interviews with suspects like Ezzell.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused of assassinating MLK; referenced in multiple documents as a suspect linked to other crimes.  
- **Doris Ebert**: Retired U.S. government employee who reported sighting individuals at Atlanta airport in 1968, later connected to Ray.  
- **Walter Brumley**: Witness in Bisbee, Arizona, who claimed to have encountered an individual resembling Ray in 1966.  
- **Pernell Ezzell**: Florida resident with a revoked driver’s license; interviewed by FBI in Shreveport, Louisiana, denied involvement in MLK’s assassination but provided details about his whereabouts.  
- **Margaret Capomacchia**: Interviewed in Hollywood, Florida, denied knowledge of MLK’s assassination or her daughter Kathlene Ainsworth’s activities on April 4, 1968.  
- **Thomas Tarrants**: Tracked by FBI for movements post-assassination; stayed with Henderson in North Carolina before moving to Alabama and Florida.  
- **Sidney Barnes**: Suspected in Mobile, Alabama, monitored for potential ties to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Robert Earl Wilson**: Denied involvement with prisoners on April 4, 1968.  
- **Lockhart**: Individual involved in delivering a contract involving Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., referenced in fragmented records.  
- **Platt**: Possibly linked to arrests or prison records (Kilby Prison).  

Key Locations  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Site of Ebert’s airport sighting and her residence; location of FBI inquiries into MLK’s assassination.  
- **Bisbee, Arizona**: Location where Walter Brumley encountered an individual resembling James Earl Ray.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI office involved in investigations related to MLK and RFK assassinations.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Center for FBI inquiries into the National Trailer Rental Tractor and potential suspects.  
- **Miami Beach, Florida**: Hub for conferences attended by Wilson, Irwin, and Jensen; referenced as a site of speculative discussions about political threats.  
- **Orlando, Florida**: Ezzell’s residence; location of administrative filings related to his driver’s license revocation.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Alleged workplace of Pernell Ezzell; referenced in FBI tracking efforts.  
- **Kilby Prison** (implied connection to arrests).  

Key Events  
- **June 3, 1968**: Doris Ebert reported sighting three men at Atlanta airport, later connected to James Earl Ray.  
- **1966**: Walter Brumley in Bisbee, Arizona, encountered an individual resembling Ray; identity disputed.  
- **May–August 1968**: FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements, vehicle tracking (National Trailer Rental Tractor), and interviews with Pernell Ezzell.  
- **April–August 1968**: Tracking of Thomas Tarrants’ movements post-assassination; monitoring of Sidney Barnes in Mobile, Alabama.  
- **August 7, 1968**: FBI interviewed Margaret Capomacchia regarding MLK’s assassination; she denied knowledge of her daughter Kathlene Ainsworth’s activities.  
- **August 30, 1968**: FBI designated Pernell Ezzell as armed and dangerous due to past firearm possession and alcohol-related instability.  
- **June 5, 1968**: Pernell Ezzell claimed unawareness of his whereabouts during MLK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations in Memphis, Dallas, and Los Angeles; tracked individuals like Tarrants, Barnes, and Ezzell; managed administrative records related to license revocations and vehicle registrations.  
- **National Trailer Rental Tractor**: Vehicle linked to an individual seen in Dallas around the time of RFK’s assassination.  
- **Secret Service**: Received FBI information about Pernell Ezzell’s movements and potential threats.  
- **Local law enforcement agencies**: Involved in monitoring suspects in Atlanta, Mobile, and Florida.  
- **National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)**: Referenced in Tarrants’ movements.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_78-05-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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