</s>KC 44-760 WOM:LAC 1 The following investigation was conducted by IC WILLIAM C. DONALD at Jefferson City, Missouri: On May 6, 1966, Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) records were checked for IVAN UNDERWOOD. The following information was obtained: IVAN UNDERWOOD, MSP # 12297, was discharged on September 22, 1967. In October 1967, MVP # 12927, was receiving or had applied Aid for Dependent Children in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Sheriff, Greene County, Missouri, placed a detainer regarding UNDERWOOD on June 26, 1967, he was dis- charged on September 22, 1965, without any indication that the detainee had been honored. The following was taken from UNDERWOOD'S mailing list: Wife: KITTY UNDERWOOD, 301 School Street, Sikeston, Missouri; Mother: ETHEL UNDERWOOD; 30 South Frederick, Cape Girardau, Missouri Brother- in-law: PAUL SCOWDEN, Rural Route 2, Box 127, Waterloo, Illinois; Sister: MILDRED SCOWDEN (Same Address) DARRELL UNDERWOOD), 200 South Frederick. Cape Girardau. Missouri 87 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents primarily consist of inmate records from the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) and related administrative files detailing the incarceration, parole history, and institutional activities of multiple individuals, including James Earl Ray. These records include medical evaluations, prison transfers, disciplinary actions, and FBI-related investigations spanning 1955 to 1968. Key figures such as William C. McDonald (FBI agent), Leonard L. Ayres (investigative clerk), and Carl F. Zartner (administrative assistant) are noted in the context of managing Ray’s institutional records. The files reference FBI numbers, social security numbers (noted but redacted), and administrative releases under Executive Order 14176. James Earl Ray is documented as a repeat offender with convictions for burglary, robbery, and forgery, including a 1955 case involving stolen postal money orders. His incarceration at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary (1955–1958) and subsequent transfers to state facilities are detailed, along with escape attempts, psychiatric evaluations, and conditional release dates.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure in the records; incarcerated for armed robbery, burglary, and forgery; documented as a repeat offender with multiple convictions.  
- **William C. McDonald**: FBI agent involved in investigations related to Ray’s institutional history.  
- **Leonard L. Ayres**: Investigative clerk who reviewed Ray’s prison records in 1968.  
- **Carl F. Zartner**: Administrative assistant at USP Leavenworth, provided details on Ray’s institutional history.  
- **Dorothy Shandorf**: U.S. Marshall's Office employee in Kansas City, Missouri.  
- **Elmer E. Rogers**: Assistant Business Representative for Union Local 218.  
- **Dennis Wade Fontennot**: Individual with arrest records and employment details referenced in the files.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, Missouri)**: Primary facility for inmate records.  
- **Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary (Kansas)**: Site of Ray’s incarceration from 1955–1958.  
- **Fulton State Hospice (Missouri)**: Mentioned in connection to Ray’s escape attempt in 1966.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Noted as a residence and location for family ties.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Site of arrests and legal proceedings involving Ray.  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Location of a burglary charge against Ray.  
- **Leavenworth, Kansas**: Mentioned in prison classification forms.  

Key Events  
- **March 7, 1955**: Burglary at the Kellerville, Illinois Post Office resulting in stolen money orders.  
- **March 23, 1955**: Arrest of James Earl Ray and Walter Terry Rife in Missouri with recovered stolen money orders.  
- **July 1955**: Ray admitted to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary for armed robbery.  
- **April 1, 1955**: Ray entered a guilty plea to forgery charges related to stolen money orders.  
- **March 1966**: Escape attempt by Ray leading to transfer to Fulton State Hospice.  
- **Parole hearings scheduled for November 1963, June 1967, and January 1967**.  
- **Psychiatric evaluations in December 1966 noting obsessive-compulsive tendencies and physical health concerns**.  
- **Disciplinary actions including solitary confinement for smuggling contraband**.  

Key Organizations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Central institution for inmate records.  
- **Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)**: Mentioned in classification forms related to prison records.  
- **U.S. Postal Service**: Involved in the investigation of forged money orders.  
- **Illinois State Penitentiary**: Where Ray was incarcerated for prior offenses.  
- **United States Marshall's Office (Kansas City, Missouri)**: Noted in administrative records.  
- **Bakery and Confidentiality Workers Union Local 218**: Mentioned in union employment verification processes.  
- **Hotel Employees Union Local 655 (AFL-CIO)**: Referenced in labor organization contexts.  
- **Bendix Corporation**: Involved in security clearance checks for Larry C. Simpson.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_81-03-part_8_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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