</s>FD-36 (Rev. 2-14-74) FBI Date: Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) Via (Procedence) PAGE TWO ME 44-1987 ON MAY 29, 1967, RAY ENTERED PLEA OF GUILTY IN USDC, MEMPHIS, AND WAS SENTENCED ON JUNE 1, 1967 , TO EIGHTEEN MONTHS PROBATION. MRS. BRASHEAR STATES RAY NOW RESIDING AT UNKNOWN ADDRESS IN NEW ORLEANS, LA ., WITH HIS WIFE AND FAMILY. MEMPHIS SEES NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY PURSUING THIS MATTER FURTHER AND NO LEADS BEING SET OUT FOR NEW ORLEAN. BT Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent M Per GPO: 1975 O- 590-962 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details FBI investigations into the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on potential connections between Alfred William Martinez, William Simpkins, and James Earl Ray. Martinez claimed to have written letters for Simpkins (a man with emphysema) to a person identified as James Ray or Earl Ray in Memphis, instructing him to contact Ray upon release. Martinez stated they had a "job" planned but never followed through, losing letters and personal items related to Simpkins. The FBI conducted directory checks, finding no listings for *Jimmy Wayne Ray* in New Orleans but identifying a Louisiana driver’s license record for *Jimmie W. Ray*. Photographs of Dr. Gus Prosch (using the alias "John Willard") were obtained, with potential links to Simpkins or Ray unconfirmed. A former PCI informant provided conflicting information about connections between Prosch, Simpkins, and Ray but was deemed unreliable due to past legal issues. The FBI concluded that Martinez’s claims remain unverified, with no conclusive evidence linking Simpkins or Ray to the assassination.  

Key People  
- **Alfred William Martinez**: Former Salt Lake County Jail inmate who claimed to write letters for William Simpkins to James Earl Ray.  
- **William Simpkins**: Man with emphysema transferred from a federal prison in Springfield, Missouri, to Salt Lake County Jail; described as hating Black people.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused killer of MLK Jr., central figure in Martinez’s claims.  
- **Jimmie W. Ray (Louisiana)**: Driver’s license record matching a description of a "white male, 6'1", 285 pounds" linked to Martinez’s letters.  
- **Marvin Marshall**: Witness at Gulf Service Station in Memphis who described a man resembling James Earl Ray using a payphone on April 4, 1968.  
- **John McFerron**: Witness at L & L Produce Market in Memphis who overheard a heavyset man discussing plans to "shoot the S.O.B." (Dr. King).  
- **Frank Liberto**: Owner of L & L Produce Company; linked to organized crime and alleged discussions about King’s death via John McFerron.  
- **Reverend Ralph Abernathy**: Accompanied Dr. King to the Lorraine Motel and described the shooter as a white man with a firecracker.  
- **Bernell Finley**: Witness who reported hearing gunfire and observing a white Mustang fleeing after witnessing a package dropped near a store.  
- **Julius L. Graham**: Corroborated observations of vehicles linked to the area.  
- **Frank Winskit**: Source of information for Birmingham FBI office regarding Ray and the case.  
- **J.J.E. Bunt**: Individual associated with a Memphis telephone number linked to a curfew violation arrest.  

Key Locations  
- **Salt Lake County Jail (Utah)**: Where Alfred William Martinez was incarcerated.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Sites of witness accounts (Gulf Service Station, L & L Produce Market, Lorraine Motel, Rebel Motor Hotel).  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Location of the former PCI informant and license plate records.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Observation of a white Mustang with an Alabama license plate.  
- **Cleveland, Alabama**: Mentioned in Bernell Finley’s account.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Dr. King was shot at the Lorraine Motel; witnesses reported a white man with a firecracker firing at him.  
- **Witness accounts of a white Mustang**: Observed near a store in Memphis and later linked to an Alabama license plate in Atlanta.  
- **License plate records**: Jefferson County, Alabama, associated a 1968 license plate with a 1966 Ford Mustang.  
- **FBI investigation into phone numbers**: Inquiry into a telephone number linked to J.J.E. Bunt and his curfew violation arrest.  
- **Connections to organized crime**: Frank Liberto’s alleged ties to the Mafia and discussions about King’s death via John McFerron.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Martinez’s claims, license plate records, and informants.  
- **Memphis Police Department**: Noted involvement with J.J.E. Bunt’s arrest for curfew violations.  
- **Jefferson County Department of Revenue (Alabama)**: Provided license plate records linking a 1968 license plate to a 1966 Ford Mustang.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_88-03-part_4_of_4.pdf

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