</s>FBI CHICAGO FBI PITTSBGH 409PM IMMEDIATE 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Key suspects include Eric Starvo Galt and James Earl Ray, both linked to the crime through various investigative leads. Galt was charged with conspiring to interfere with constitutional rights under Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241, while Ray faced federal charges for murder under Title 18, Section 1073. FBI records indicate Galt was sought in connection with a murder involving a gunshot victim and was described as armed and dangerous. A rifle purchased under the alias Harvey Lowey/Lowymer was found near the assassination scene, and John Willard, registered in Memphis under that name, is associated with the case. Ray’s movements were tracked via aliases, including Charles Moats, with travel records showing flights from Cleveland to Washington, D.C., and subsequent trips to Clarksburg, West Virginia. Both suspects had prior criminal histories, including armed robbery and burglary convictions. The FBI coordinated efforts across multiple offices in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Memphis, and other locations to locate Ray, who had escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967.  

Key People  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.**: Assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Suspect linked to the assassination; charged with conspiring to violate federal law.  
- **Harvey Lowey/Lowymer**: Alias used to purchase a rifle in Birmingham, Alabama, associated with the case.  
- **John Willard**: Registered in Memphis under the name Harvey Lowey/Lowymer; possibly connected to Galt.  
- **James Earl Ray (J.E. Ray)**: Fugitive linked to MLK’s assassination; described as a laborer/baker with a criminal record.  
- **Walter Terry Rife**: Convicted burglar associated with Ray; both were involved in the 1955 burglary of a U.S. Post Office.  
- **William A. Kitchen**: Assistant U.S. Attorney who filed a federal complaint against Ray for MLK’s assassination.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of Dr. King’s assassination and center of the Civil Rights investigation.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Location where a rifle was purchased under the name Harvey Lowey/Lowymer.  
- **Cleveland, Ohio**: Alleged location where Ray used the alias Charles Moats.  
- **Clarksburg, West Virginia**: Final destination for Ray’s reported travel route as per witness accounts.  
- **Kearneysville, West Virginia**: Where a witness reported seeing a man matching Galt’s description driving a red car with Georgia license plates.  
- **Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania**: FBI field office involved in tracking Galt and Ray.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: FBI office conducting investigations into Ray and Rife.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Dr. King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee.  
- **April 10, 1968**: FBI contacted laundries and dance studios to investigate laundry tags potentially linked to Galt’s movements.  
- **April 17–18, 1968**: Witness reported seeing a man matching Galt’s description driving a red car with Georgia license plates near Kearneysville, West Virginia.  
- **April 18, 1968**: Ray allegedly traveled under the name Charles Moats, booking flights via Northwest Airlines and Lake Central Airlines.  
- **April 17, 1968**: Federal complaint filed by William A. Kitchen against Ray for violating Title 18, Section 1073 of U.S. Code for MLK’s assassination.  
- **April 4, 1968 (likely typo for 1968)**: Federal complaint issued against Galt in Birmingham, Alabama, charging him with conspiring to interfere with constitutional rights.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Dr. King’s assassination, Galt’s activities, and Ray’s movements.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Filed federal complaints against Ray for the murder of MLK.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Ray was incarcerated here prior to his 1967 escape.  
- **Local laundries and dance studios**: Investigated as part of efforts to trace Galt’s connections or evidence related to the case.

MLK Declassified Files

44-pg-578_763522_02-02-part_3_of_4.pdf

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