</s>5/8/68 AIRTEL TO: SAC, NEWARK (44-854) FROM: SAG, NORFOLK (44)-268) (P) MURKIN RE: MARJORIE PETTERS Re Newark airtel to Norfolk 5/1/68. Norfolk indices negative regarding JERRY SATERFIELD, FETTERS and MARJORDIE JONES. No further investigation being conducted by Norfolk regarding PETTENS. ARMED AND DANGEROUS 2 - Newark 444-262-116 - Norfolk DGF:jst (3) inbound (2) 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

Summary  
The declassified documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and associations following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Key focus areas include tracking Ray’s credit card activity, monitoring his interactions with informants, and verifying his identity against records of unidentified deceased individuals. The FBI coordinated with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to gather information on Ray’s whereabouts. Investigations also explored potential connections between Ray and organizations like the Branden Institute, linked to Ayn Rand’s philosophy. References to fictional characters from Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, such as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Goldfinger, appear alongside real-world espionage operations, suggesting possible thematic or contextual links. The documents emphasize discreet public outreach to informants and vice squads while maintaining operational secrecy.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., investigated for his movements, employment, and associations.  
- **Robert L. Moore**: Investigated as a potential associate but ruled out due to lack of evidence.  
- **Al Grismley**: Claimed to have interacted with Ray at a Portsmouth Naval Hospital Officers’ Club, providing inconsistent descriptions.  
- **Dick MacDermatt**: Identified by Grismley as someone resembling Ray but dismissed due to physical discrepancies.  

Key Locations  
- **Portsmouth Naval Hospital Officers’ Club**: Site of an alleged encounter between Ray and Grismley.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Ray’s residence during his bartending course in early 1968.  
- **Mexico City, Ottawa, and other U.S. cities**: FBI efforts to track Ray’s movements and contacts internationally.  

Key Events  
- **Credit Card Activity**: Ray used a credit card linked to a license plate (Stix Eight) during his travels.  
- **Reward Offers**: $100,000 reward for information leading to Ray’s arrest, with additional funds from Memphis newspapers and citizens.  
- **Unidentified Deceased Checks**: FBI contacted state vital statistics offices to verify if Ray matched records of unidentified deceased individuals (April–May 1968).  
- **FBI Surveillance**: Efforts to monitor Ray’s associations, including prostitutes, “street bums,” and potential connections to organizations like the Branden Institute.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency coordinating investigations, reward distribution, and interagency cooperation.  
- **U.S. Census Bureau & Department of Health, Education, and Welfare**: Sought records on unidentified deceased individuals.  
- **Salvation Army & Charitable Missions**: Targeted for potential information about Ray’s whereabouts.  

Additional Notes  
- Documents mention a “Ray Death Theory” and references to Ayn Rand’s *Atlas Shrugged*, suggesting speculative connections to Ray’s activities, though these are not directly tied to the assassination investigation.  
- The FBI emphasized discreet public outreach to informants and vice squads about Ray’s associations.  

Redacted/Excluded Information  
- No SSNs or other sensitive identifiers were present in the text.  
- Unrelated discussions (e.g., Ayn Rand philosophy) were included as per user instructions but noted as separate from the core investigation.

MLK Declassified Files

44-nf-268_749669_02-02-part_4_of_5.pdf

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