</s>PAGE TWO FBI PHILA PH 44-1368 IF BUREAU OR MEMPHIS CAN SUPPLY PHILA WITH A SPECIFIC STATE. WHERE THE SUBJECT WAS LAST KNOWN TO BE, CADAGAN WILL HAVE IT SEARCHED. OTHERWISE THEIR SEARCH WILL DISCONTINUE AFTER CALIFORNIA. CADAGAN POINTED OUT THAT ANYONE COULD. TEAR OUT AN AD FROM A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE IN ANY HARDWARE STORE, AND THIS WOULD NOT EVEN APPEAR IN THEIR RECORDS. -END WA ... GG EXIR WA. WA.PLS ACK FOR TEL JUST SENT U BY PH NUMBER FOUR GA PLS WA ... PHI CNF ME. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document comprises a collection of FBI and U.S. Navy teletype messages and case notes from late 1967–early 1968, detailing investigations into two individuals: **Eric Starvo Galt** (linked to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and **William D. Willis** (a U.S. Navy sailor). The FBI coordinated cross-agency efforts across multiple locations, including Philadelphia, Memphis, Las Vegas, and Jacksonville Beach, Florida, to track Galt using driver’s license records, military/Veterans Administration (VA) files, and fingerprint comparisons. Galt was labeled "armed and dangerous," with potential ties to organized crime or violent threats. Separate but overlapping investigations focused on Willis, a Navy Machinist Mate First Class assigned to the *USS Saratoga (CVA-60)*, who was observed in Philadelphia with a suspected weapon and linked to Galt through shared descriptors. The documents reflect fragmented, urgent record-keeping efforts amid concerns about potential threats during the post-King assassination era.  

Key People  
- **Eric Starvo Galt**: Central suspect in MLK’s 1968 assassination; born July 20, 1931; investigated by FBI offices in Philadelphia, Memphis, and Las Vegas.  
- **William D. Willis**: U.S. Navy sailor on the *USS Saratoga*; described as white male, 5'10", with tattoos ("Vaya Con Dios" and an eagle with "USN") and a scar.  
- **Joyce Murleen Bales Willis**: Willis’s wife; children: unspecified.  
- **Williams Willians** and **Vivian Bertha Finley Hedges**: Willis’s parents.  
- **Opal Foy Willis Lackey**, **Neelda Ray Willis**, and **Damon Dean Willis**: Willis’s siblings.  
- **FBI Ident Division (ID)**: Conducted fingerprint comparisons for Galt.  
- **Veterans Administration (VA)**: Provided military records for cross-referencing.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Central to the MLK assassination investigation.  
- **Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**: Key location for tracking Galt and Willis; suspected current whereabouts of Willis.  
- **Las Vegas, Nevada**: FBI office involved in Galt’s search.  
- **Jacksonville Beach, Florida**: Willis’s last known residence before leaving the Navy.  
- **North Carolina**: Truck stop where a man matching Willis’s description was observed.  

Key Events  
- **April 15–18, 1968**: Critical period for Willis’s movements (leave from *Saratoga*, Philadelphia sightings).  
- **FBI coordination**: Cross-state checks on driver’s license records and VA/military files to identify Galt.  
- **Armed threat designation**: Both Galt and Willis were labeled "armed and dangerous" due to potential threats.  
- **Weapon sighting**: A man matching Willis’s description was seen with a "sawed-off shotgun" in North Carolina.  
- **Tattoo/scar analysis**: Willis’s physical descriptors (tattoos, scar) raised concerns about criminal associations or misconduct.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Led investigations into Galt and Willis; coordinated with local agencies.  
- **U.S. Navy**: Provided records on Willis’s service aboard the *USS Saratoga*.  
- **Veterans Administration (VA)**: Supplied military insurance and personnel records for cross-referencing.  
- **Navy SEALs (CVNA-60)**: Mentioned in fragmented text, though not directly linked to Willis’s case.  

Additional Notes  
- The documents contain typographical errors, including mixed dates (e.g., "1/18/68" vs. "April 15, 1968"), inconsistent addresses (e.g., "Gudoloupe St." instead of "Guadalupe St."), and fragmented sentences.  
- The text appears to be a mix of telegrams, internal memos, and case notes, suggesting hasty or incomplete record-keeping during an urgent investigation.  
- While no direct connection between Willis and MLK’s assassination is explicitly stated, the documents imply overlapping FBI interest in both individuals due to shared descriptors (e.g., tattoos, weapons) and potential links to organized crime or violent threats.

MLK Declassified Files

44-ph-1368_sec_003_ser_93-174-part_4_of_5.pdf

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