</s>HO 44-1509 15. Lobella School of Dancing 8409 Winkler JEAN LOBELLA 16. Emmons 1520 Foley Mrs. EMMONS The results of these interviews were negative, 1968 and advised they had no records of ERIC STARVO GAIT, HARVEY LOMMER & JOHN WILLARD as ever being students at their respective establishments: EVELYN TRETON Jane Browning Dance Studio 5145 South Braeswood Mrs. W.I. & Tina Is School Buddy & Tina is School Dance Roof Lay Road ROBERT H. CALVERT Calvert Ballroom Dance Instructors 411 Portsmouth MIKE GOMEZ Lane Conway Dance Studio 909 Marshall Street! Mrs. JAMES ALPHIN Cribo Dance Studio 1022 Brookbrook CLAIRE KOTCHY The Kotchy School of Dancing 2010 Peden RUDOLF KOELLER Rudolf Kroeller Dance Studio 3419 Graustark Mrs. PEGGY POUNDERS LeChateau DeBallet 1105 Meyer - 26 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between individuals linked to James Earl Ray (JER) and Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. These include inquiries into JER's movements in Texas (Houston, League City, Webster, Galveston), Mexico (Puerto Vallarta), and Missouri (Missouri State Penitentiary). FBI agents reviewed dance studio records, employment data, hotel stays, telephone calls, and financial transactions to trace JER’s activities. Investigations also examined alleged plots against MLK by William Thomas Jacobs in 1965, with Jacobs released from detention in 1966. Credit bureau checks, police reports, and interviews with former inmates, bar owners, and witnesses were conducted to locate suspects or corroborate claims about JER’s whereabouts and activities.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (JER) – central suspect linked to MLK assassination; investigated for travel to Mexico, purchases of photographic equipment, and financial transactions.  
- Eric Starvo Gait, Harvey Lommer, John Willard – subjects of investigation tied to dance studios and Texas locations.  
- William Thomas Jacobs – alleged plot against MLK and President Johnson in 1965; released from detention in 1966.  
- Charles Stein, Louis Lomax – individuals associated with JER’s movements or communications.  
- Neal Edgar Abey – inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary who interacted with JER; described him as "deadly" and noted escape attempts.  
- Clyde Manasco – Gun Rack employee in Birmingham, Alabama, who identified a man resembling JER.  
- SA Henry A. Snow, SA G.R. Schmickharden, SA John H. Schulite – FBI agents involved in investigations.  

Key Locations:  
- Houston, Texas (dance studios, NASA, FBI offices)  
- League City, Webster, Galveston, Texas (dance studios, apartments, hotels)  
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Hotel Rio and Hotel Tropicana; U.S. residents linked to Eric Starvo Gait)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (JER’s incarceration 1962–1967; escape attempts in 1962, 1966)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (Gun Rack, FBI headquarters for JER investigation)  
- Jefferson County, Alabama (bars, nightclubs like Riverview Night Club and Little Warrior River Cafe)  

Key Events:  
- FBI interviews with dance studio owners, employers, and police departments in Texas (1967–1968).  
- Review of NASA employment records, vehicle registrations, and hotel stays for JER.  
- Examination of telephone call records from payphones along Interstate Highway 10 (December 15–17, 1967) to track JER’s movements.  
- Credit bureau checks, airline records, and ship departure logs to trace JER’s travel.  
- Investigation into William Thomas Jacobs’ alleged 1965 plot against MLK and President Johnson.  
- FBI offered $100,000 reward for information leading to JER’s capture (May 1968).  
- Inquiry about high-powered rifles at Gun Rack in Birmingham (July 27, 1967) and purchase of bank draft by Eric S. L.Galt from Exchange Security Bank (September 28, 1967).  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – led investigations into JER, Jacobs, and other suspects.  
- Texas Department of Corrections, Houston Police Department, League City Police Department – provided records on employment, arrests, and incarceration.  
- NASA (Manned Spaceport Center, Security Division) – reviewed employment and vehicle registration data.  
- Southwest Bell Telephone Company – provided telephone call records.  
- Exchange Security Bank – processed bank drafts linked to Eric S. L.Galt.  
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta Police Department – involved in suspect identification and witness interviews.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_82-01-part_4_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search