</s>ME 44-1987 II. CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF KNOWN ACTIVITIES OF JAMES EARL RAY SINCE HIS ESCAPE AND LABORATORY EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCE ATTENDANT THERETO 7 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements from April 1967 to early 1968, including his escape from Missouri State Penitentiary, financial transactions, and associations with entities linked to the MLK assassination. Ray used aliases such as Eric S. Galt and rented apartments in Montreal, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Mexico. The FBI analyzed handwriting, signatures, and laundry tags tied to Ray’s activities, linking them to items recovered from the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, including a Remington Model 760 rifle (SN 461476) and binoculars. Financial records show purchases of money orders, film equipment, and services like laundry and dry cleaning. Ray’s prison records describe his alleged racist views, drug use, and interactions with inmates, while inmate accounts mention his plans to assassinate MLK upon release and ties to smuggling operations in Texas and Mexico. The FBI also traced Galt’s movements through hotel stays, correspondence, and financial transactions, connecting him to the assassination investigation via fingerprints on recovered items.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure; linked to MLK assassination via bullet analysis, handwriting samples, and prison records.  
- **Eric S. Galt**: Alias used by Ray; rented hotel rooms, purchased money orders, and corresponded with mail forwarding services.  
- **William D. Paisley**: Sold a 1966 white Mustang to Ray.  
- **Dr. Mark O. Freeman**: Psychologist who treated Ray.  
- **Jimmy Delton Garner**: Operator of Atlanta rooming house where Galt resided.  
- **C. M. Heidepoth**: Mail forwarding service operator associated with Galt.  
- **Harvey Lomeyer**: Purchased a Remington Model 700 rifle in Birmingham, Alabama.  
- **Jerry Raynes**: Brother of Ray; reported as common-law spouse of his mother.  
- **John Larry Ray**: Brother of Ray; mentioned in prison records and escape claims.  
- **Jerry William Ray**: Another brother; employed at a country club with no post-escape contact with Ray.  
- **Ruby Carpenter**: Step-mother of Ray, who left Quincy, Illinois, in 1961.  

Key Locations  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri**: Escape location for Ray.  
- **Montreal, Canada**: Apartment rental and money order purchases by Ray/Galt.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Car purchase (Mustang) and rifle acquisition (Lomeyer).  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Apartment rentals, dance classes, and laundry services linked to Ray.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Lorraine Motel; site of MLK’s assassination; recovered items included a Remington rifle and binoculars.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Rooming house operated by Jimmy Delton Garner where Galt stayed.  
- **Campfire, Texas**: Mentioned in smuggling operations tied to Ray.  
- **Mexico (Torreon or Central Mexico)**: Hotel registration linked to Ray’s travel.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of Ray’s incarceration; key for inmate accounts and prison records.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1967**: Ray escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary.  
- **July 18, 1967**: Galt rented an apartment in Montreal, Canada.  
- **August 30, 1967**: Ray purchased a 1966 white Mustang from William D. Paisley.  
- **October 18, 1967**: Ray received a camera order from Superior Bulk Film Company.  
- **November 19, 1967**: Galt rented an apartment in Los Angeles, California.  
- **December 14, 1967**: Ray enrolled in dance instruction at National Dance Studio.  
- **January 20, 1968**: Regular laundry service at Home Service Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company linked to Ray.  
- **February 17, 1968**: Galt sent a letter to Patricia Anderson (Schubert) via mail forwarding service.  
- **April 4–5, 1968**: Items recovered from MLK’s assassination scene included a Remington rifle and binoculars with fingerprints matching Ray/Galt.  
- **Prison records (Missouri State Penitentiary)**: Inmate accounts describe Ray’s alleged racist views, drug use, and escape planning.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI Laboratory**: Analyzed handwriting, fingerprints, laundry tags, and ballistic evidence linked to the investigation.  
- **Superior Bulk Film Company**: Handled film orders and camera purchases tied to Ray/Galt.  
- **Home Service Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company**: Provided laundry services linked to Ray’s activities.  
- **National Dance Studio**: Site of Ray’s dance instruction enrollment.  
- **Locksmithing Institute, Little Falls, New Jersey**: Received payments from Galt for services.  
- **Tiffany Enterprises**: Recipient of money orders tied to Galt’s financial transactions.  
- **Mail Forwarding Service**: Used by Galt to receive correspondence under a pseudonym.  
- **"Cooley's organization"**: Alleged organized crime group linked to Ray’s smuggling operations and bounty offers for MLK’s assassination.

MLK Declassified Files

44-mm-1854_v5-part_3_of_9.pdf

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