</s>FD: 245 (REV. 4:15:60) H. S. Department of Justice. (MATERIAL MUST NOI) BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE) Garnier law law (MATEURAL MUST NO! BE REMOVE) DO NOT DESTROY FIELD OFFICE FILE HISTORICAL VALUE FOIPA PROCESSED NATIONAL ARCHIVES FEDERAL BUREAU DO NOT ESTROY DO NOT DESTROY PENDING LITIGATION DATE/OFF/SPI/GIRLIKED 2778 3.95 (p/nier 643,p/sa) -cance/9/11/55- of INVESTIGATION E/30/25 Volume Number: Bureau File Number 44-3/4/2/4 - - - - - - - - See also Nos. SEE YOU 1 FOR LITigATIONS ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICIAL DECLASSIFICATION See thet Section www.wam.10-37972 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary: The document details an FBI/Justice Department investigation into James Earl Ray's involvement in the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. It outlines Ray’s criminal history, including armed robbery convictions in Alton, Illinois (1959), and earlier offenses from 1949–1960. The file includes efforts to verify his identity through photographic identification and witness interviews in Quincy, Illinois, with individuals like Walter Lohmeyer and Thomas Lohmeyer denying prior associations. It notes Ray’s family connections, including parents James Ray and Lucie Maher, and mentions potential accomplices such as Walter Terry Rife and Lucy Ryan. The investigation also highlights contradictions, such as outdated references to the defunct International Shoe Company tannery in Hartford, Ohio, and typographical errors in case numbers.  

Key People: James Earl Ray, Walter Terry Rife, Lucy Ryan, Lucie Maher, James Ray (father), William Maher  
Key Locations: Alton, Illinois; Quincy, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Hartford, Ohio; West Quincy, Missouri  
Key Events: Armed robbery at Wagner's Foodliner in 1959, FBI/Justice Department investigation into MLK’s assassination, photographic identification efforts in Quincy, Illinois, witness interviews confirming no ties to Ray, mention of defunct International Shoe Company tannery  
Key Organizations: FBI, Justice Department, Alton Police Department

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_82-02-part_1_of_5.pdf

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