</s>FD-302 Rev. 41564 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date: 11-21-68 1 Mrs. SARAH HALF, 1925 Lafayette Street, St. Louis, Missouri, advised she had resided at that address, which is a two-story, single-family, brick dwelling, for the past 22 years and that no part of the premises had ever been rented years and the part of this premises had been rented identify the names utilized by MAY or photographs of him as pertaining to any person she has ever known. No such person pertaining the person who has never known, he has been rented or address during the period of her residence. She was likewise unable to recall over having been acquired with any member of the MAY family. INDEX: 1825 LAFAYETTE ST. SEARCHED: 1875 LAFAVETTE St. SERIALIZED.C.K.M.D.C .., M.D.) (HV) 2.5 1968 FB: 44-MEMPHIS On: 11-21.68.of St.Louis, Missouri MI 44-1987 ST. 44-7775 SA HAROLD R. DOBSON:amb by SA HAROLID R. DOSSON:amb Date dictated. 11- 21-68 This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the Fbi and is loaned to your agency) I and it contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between James Earl Ray and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on automotive transactions, hotel registrations, and witness accounts. Key elements include inquiries into car purchases linked to Ray, such as a 1962 Plymouth and 1967 Chrysler models, with records from Bundy Oldsmobile in East St. Louis, Illinois. FBI agents cross-referenced license plate registrations, including Illinois licenses (e.g., L-54-2, RT-5302) tied to individuals like John Larry Rayns and Jerry W. Ryan. Hotel stays were investigated, including a guest registration at the Grandada Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, for John M. Rayns on August 20, 1967, and potential connections to Piscayune, Mississippi, where Joseph C. Meyer reported a man with a rifle near Dallas, Texas. The Flamingo Motel in Selma, Alabama, was reviewed for March 1968 guest records, noting Eric E.C. Galt’s stay and references to "M.L. MURPHY" and "JAMES EARL RAY." A card box found in California with an address tied to Leland, Mississippi, included names like John Wesley Raford and James Earl Ray. FBI efforts also involved tracking code systems potentially used by Ray, including inquiries into William Deghorn Hersey’s Massachusetts address (One Fairlee Lane, Norton). Air mail communications referenced locations such as Memphis, Chicago, Buffalo, and Sheffield, Illinois, with coded references to file numbers and investigative actions.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation; linked to MLK assassination)  
- John M. Rayns (guest at Grandada Hotel, Birmingham, August 20, 1967)  
- Joseph C. Meyer (reported sighting of a man with a rifle near Piscayune, Mississippi)  
- Eric E.C. Galt (guest at Flamingo Motel in Selma, Alabama, March 22, 1968)  
- John Larry Rayns/Ravins (associated with car purchases and license plate registrations)  
- Jerry W. Ryan (linked to vehicle sales and license records)  
- JERRY WILLIAM RAY (identified as James Earl Ray’s brother; involved in automotive transactions)  
- William Deghorn Hersey (Massachusetts; referenced code system potentially used by Ray)  
- Mrs. Bessie Barrett (owner of Flamingo Motel, Selma, Alabama)  
- Ray Russell (allegedly sought financial assistance from Mrs. Gloria Donnelly)  
- Mrs. Gloria Donnelly (contacted agents after receiving letters from Ray Russell)  

Key Locations  
- 1885 Lafayette Street, St. Louis, Missouri  
- Grandada Hotel, Birmingham, Alabama  
- Piscayune, Mississippi (site of rifle sighting near Dallas, Texas)  
- Leland, Mississippi (address on card box found in California)  
- Flamingo Motel, Selma, Alabama  
- East St. Louis, Illinois (Bundy Oldsmobile, Inc.)  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Chicago, Illinois  
- Buffalo, New York  
- Sheffield, Illinois (James Earl Ray’s residence from April 30, 1967–May/June 1967)  
- One Fairlee Lane, Norton, Massachusetts (Hersey’s address)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into automotive transactions linked to James Earl Ray, including car purchases and license plate registrations.  
- Review of hotel guest records at the Grandada Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, for John M. Rayns.  
- Joseph C. Meyer’s sighting of a man with a rifle near Piscayune, Mississippi, later linked to MLK’s assassination.  
- Examination of Flamingo Motel guest records in Selma, Alabama, including Eric E.C. Galt’s stay and references to "JAMES EARL RAY."  
- Discovery of a card box in California with an address tied to Leland, Mississippi, containing names like John Wesley Raford and James Earl Ray.  
- FBI inquiries into code systems potentially used by Ray, referencing William Deghorn Hersey.  
- Air mail communication involving locations such as Memphis, Chicago, Buffalo, and Sheffield, Illinois, with coded references to file numbers.  
- Investigation into James Earl Ray’s residence in Sheffield, Illinois, from April 30, 1967–May/June 1967.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles  
- Bundy Oldsmobile, Inc. (East St. Louis, Illinois)  
- State of Illinois Secretary of State’s Office (managed driver’s licenses and title records)  
- U.S. Government (via Executive Order 14176 release)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_86-04-part_3_of_4.pdf

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