</s>JN 157-9586 5 PAT H. THOMPSON P. O. Box 682 Magee, Mississippi ED WALTON State College, Mississippi LLOYD L. FRITCH 1500 GlenDrive Amory, Mississippi (Valley Tractor and Equipment Corporation) MARIA INGRAM Route 2 Seminary, Mississippi THOMAS J. HOBBER YMCA Jackson, Mississippi (1007 Jackson (Corinth, Mississippi) LAY HINDMAN Harper Road Corinth. Mississippi JENNINGS DAVIS 709 Magnolia Hattiesburg, Mississippi PHILIP D. BAILEY P. 0. Box 71 Plantersville, Mississippi (Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company) Mississippi license 73-5006 AARON GUTHRIE Route 1 Burnsville, Mississippi 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray, Burgess Audie Wilson, and other individuals linked to the case. Key elements include motel registration records from March 29–April 3, 1968, highlighting Ray’s alleged presence in Birmingham, Alabama, and Corinth, Mississippi, as well as FBI coordination across multiple offices (Birmingham, Jackson, Memphis) to trace his movements. Photographs of Ray, Walter Terry Riffe, Jesse Jackson, and others are included, alongside witness statements from Roy K. Moore, Carl Stephens, and Burgess Audie Wilson. Wilson’s claims of shooting King in Memphis on April 4, 1968, are examined through FBI checks on his employment at Richards Gebaur AFB, aircraft ownership (Bonanza and Cessna), financial records, and potential ties to Lou Crews Jewelers. Investigations also explore Wilson’s alleged 1964 arrest in Brownsville, Texas, where a rifle was reportedly found in his car, and phone call records between Wilson and Betty Lou Wade’s family during the assassination period. The FBI sought to verify discrepancies in Wilson’s accounts, including destroyed aircraft purchase records and inconsistencies in his employment history. Additional documents reference unrelated content about JFK assassination theories and Edgar Hoover’s alleged interference in civil rights matters, though these are noted as separate from MLK-related investigations.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central suspect in MLK’s assassination; registered at motels in Birmingham and Corinth during the relevant period.  
- **Burgess Audie Wilson**: Alleged shooter of MLK; claimed to have owned aircraft, worked at Richards Gebaur AFB, and purchased a Bonanza from Don Fisher.  
- **Roy K. Moore**: Attorney from Lawton, Oklahoma, who provided witness testimony about Ray’s alleged sightings.  
- **Carl Stephens**: Real estate developer who allegedly encountered a man resembling Ray near Lake Lawton in 1968.  
- **Debra Jones**: Wilson’s daughter; reported to have knowledge of his arrest.  
- **Christine Wilson**: Wilson’s sister, located in Fulton, Mississippi.  
- **Betty Lou Wade**: Memphis-area individual connected to phone call records between Wilson and her family during April 1968.  
- **Opal Hooten**: Mother of Betty Lou Wade; referenced in phone call investigations.  
- **Lou Crews**: Owner of Lou Crews Jewelers in Grandview, Missouri; linked to Wilson’s financial activities.  

Key Locations  
- **Corinth, Mississippi** (No-El Motel, Round-Town Motel)  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** (Travelodge motel)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (Site of MLK’s assassination; referenced by Wilson as his hotel location)  
- **Grandview, Missouri** (Wilson’s alleged residence; Katz Department Store connection)  
- **Richards Gebaur AFB** (Air Force Reserve base where Wilson was employed)  
- **Lawton, Oklahoma** (Location of Stephens’ property near Lake Lawton)  
- **Brownsville, Texas** (Site of Wilson’s alleged 1964 arrest; rifle reportedly found in his car)  
- **State Line Airport, Leawood, Kansas** (Linked to aircraft transactions involving Wilson)  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: MLK’s assassination in Memphis; Wilson allegedly shot him during this period.  
- **August 1976**: FBI investigation into Ray’s movements and sightings by Moore and Stephens.  
- **August 1978**: FBI interview with Burgess Audie Wilson regarding his alleged involvement in the assassination.  
- **Verification of Wilson’s claims**: Checks on aircraft records, employment history, financial transactions, and potential accomplices like Lou Crews.  
- **Investigation into Wilson’s arrest record**: Focus on Brownsville, Texas, where police reportedly found a rifle in his car after threats against his wife.  
- **Phone call records**: Search for communications between Wilson and Betty Lou Wade’s family during the assassination period.  
- **Witness interviews**: Efforts to locate and interview individuals in Memphis, Jackson, Oklahoma City, and other locations to corroborate or refute Wilson’s claims.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray, Wilson, and related individuals; coordinated across multiple field offices (Birmingham, Jackson, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Kansas City).  
- **Richards Gebaur AFB**: Military base linked to Wilson’s employment history.  
- **Johnson County Bank**: Financial institution involved in Wilson’s aircraft financing.  
- **Local law enforcement agencies** (e.g., Brownsville Police Department, Memphis and Jackson field offices)

MLK Declassified Files

44-oc-686_sec_003_ser_276-part_2_of_3.pdf

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