</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUS.CE. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please refer to WASHINGTON, D.C. 203535 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File No. April 20, 1968 JAMES EARL RAXY, also known as Eric Staryo Galk, Harvey Lawyer, John Willard, James McBride, James Walton, W. C. Herron and James O'Connor FUGITIVE CIVIL RIGHTS - CONSPIRACY, INTERSTATE FLIGHT - ARMED ROBBERY "TEN MOST WANTED FUGITIVES" PROGRAM James Earl Ray, a Missouri prison escape who has been sought under the alias Eric Starvo Galt in connection with the gunshot slaying of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ., has been added to the FBI's list of "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives." FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover ordered the special addition of Ray to the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list, which already contains ten fugi- tives, to insure the widest possible dissemination of Ray's photograph and description to help effect his earliest possible location. Ray has been the subject of a massive and intensive search since the brutal gunshot slaying by Dr. King of April 4, 1968, as he stood on the bal- cony of a Memphis, Tennessee, motel. One rifle bullet, believed fired from the window of a nearby rooming house, felled the victim. SPRIMAL, INC. INDEPENDED APR 2.5 1968 PEM MEMPHIS 44-1977-Bud.4.94 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The document details the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray as a central suspect linked to the crime. Ray was added to the FBI’s "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list on April 20, 1968, following his alleged involvement in the shooting of King on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The FBI confirmed through fingerprint analysis that Ray and Eric Starvo Galt were the same individual. Ray had a criminal history including armed robbery convictions and prison sentences in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with records of interstate flight to evade confinement. His physical description includes blue eyes, brown hair, a scar on his forehead, and a protruding left ear. FBI efforts to locate Ray included teletype communications between field offices, interviews with informants such as James Bond, who described Ray’s prison behavior, drug use (amphetamine), and alleged escape plans. The document also references interactions with Martin and Rita Stein, who provided accounts of Ray’s activities in Los Angeles and New Orleans, including a trip to retrieve Rita Stein’s children in December 1967. Other individuals mentioned include Charles Stern, Robert Gault, and Ernest H. Gault, though their direct ties to the investigation are less clear. A second document contains fragmented and partially illegible text related to an FBI investigation involving a male suspect linked to civil rights activities. It references Memphis, Indiana, Wichita, Kansas, and mentions federal custody, conditional release, and surveillance operations. Key terms such as "ARMED AND DANGEROUS," "LOOK ALIKE," and "ELIMINATED ON THIS BASIS" appear in the context of tracking a suspect associated with James Earl Ray. The text includes FBI case numbers (44-1609, 44-35351, 44-760) and references declassification under Executive Order 14176/14178. Incoherent or garbled sections include phrases like "VITA OVELLES D. MEND A. TREE HAVES" and "FON FON OF A THER TAR FEDERAL INTEGRATE FOR BATHUROPY FAID."  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (alias Eric Starvo Galt) – central fugitive linked to MLK’s assassination; criminal history includes armed robbery convictions and prison sentences.  
- James Bond – informant who described Ray’s prison activities, drug use, and alleged escape plans.  
- Martin (possibly Martin Stein) – woman who met Ray in Los Angeles and provided details about his interactions.  
- Rita Stein – associate of Ray, mentioned in connection with his New Orleans trip.  
- Charles Stern – individual associated with Ray’s activities in New Orleans.  
- Robert Gault/E Ernest H. Gault – names linked to FBI investigations but without direct ties to MLK case.  
- Raymond – possibly a co-investigated individual; referenced in fragmented text.  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee – site of Dr. King’s assassination and Ray’s alleged flight path.  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City) – Ray’s prior incarceration.  
- Los Angeles County Jail – Ray’s detention.  
- New Orleans, Louisiana – location of Ray’s alleged trip to retrieve Rita Stein’s children.  
- St. Francis Hotel (Los Angeles) – mentioned in connection with Martin’s interactions with Ray.  
- Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Richmond, Indiana; Leavenworth, Kansas – locations referenced in fragmented text.  

Key Events  
- April 4, 1968 – Dr. King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.  
- April 20, 1968 – FBI adds James Earl Ray to "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list.  
- April 17, 1968 – Federal warrant issued for Ray’s arrest on conspiracy charges.  
- December 1967 – Ray’s alleged trip to New Orleans with Rita Stein’s children.  
- Surveillance operations and conditional release from federal custody referenced in fragmented text.  
- Identification of look-alikes and designation of suspects as "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" in fragmented document.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – conducting the investigation into MLK’s assassination and Ray’s whereabouts; involved in surveillance operations and case management.  
- U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas – referenced in fragmented text related to federal custody.  
- United Fruit Co. – mentioned in connection to Robert Gault’s employment history in fragmented text.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_80-03-part_5_of_5.pdf

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