</s>Clothing : dark suit white shirt no tie no hat no glasses 5 scars : no noticeable scars or marks Eberly was shown WANTED Flyer # 4422-A, dated 4/19/68, and she unhesitatantly stated that the unknown person did not resemble the photographs O the mistant WANTED flyer. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities from May 1968 related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray as a suspect. Key elements include inquiries into flight cancellations (e.g., American Airlines Flight 338 on April 6, 1968), credit card activity linked to S.G. Steiner, and tracking of license plate numbers associated with a Chevrolet Impala. The FBI sought verification of identities through Gulf Oil Corporation and telephone companies, emphasizing fingerprint analysis of purchase slips if connections to Ray were confirmed. Investigations also involved tracking long-distance calls from Interstate 10, interviews with individuals like Thomas Williams and Thomas Randall, and coordination between FBI field offices in Indianapolis, Memphis, and Philadelphia. Fingerprint comparisons were conducted involving John J. O’Donnell, a Navy veteran, whose prints matched latent fingerprints found at a gin bottle. Witness accounts included Betty Conner’s report of a Pontiac Firebird resembling Ray’s vehicle and O’Donnell’s description of meeting a couple matching Ray’s physical appearance. The FBI released new photographs of Ray for media distribution to aid in his capture.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination, subject of fingerprint comparisons, photographic releases, and travel tracking.  
- **S.G. Steiner**: Linked to credit card activity under investigation.  
- **John J. O’Donnell**: Navy veteran whose fingerprints were compared to latent prints from a gin bottle.  
- **Betty Conner**: Witness who reported seeing a Pontiac Firebird matching Ray’s vehicle description.  
- **Thomas Williams**: Individual linked to flight records and residences; mentioned in Philadelphia context.  
- **Thomas Randall**: Passenger on AAL Flight 338 (April 6, 1968); student at Southern Methodist University.  
- **Richard C. Effing**: Interviewed regarding flight details.  
- **Mary Stack**: Sister of Thomas H. Williams; mentioned in Philadelphia context.  
- **Silvio Dignazio**: Owner of the Town House Restaurant in Media, PA, who denied recognizing Ray’s photographs.  
- **Emil Scully**: Musician who played with O’Donnell at the Town House Restaurant.  

Key Locations  
- **Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**: FBI office; location of fingerprint comparisons and residences of Williams and Randall.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI field office; mentioned in administrative notes and Ray’s alleged residence.  
- **Houston, Texas**: Linked to flight records and phone numbers.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Mentioned in administrative context.  
- **Denver, Colorado**: Noted in travel tracking.  
- **Louisville, Kentucky**: Reference in administrative documents.  
- **Miami, Florida**: Mentioned in travel records.  
- **Omaha, Nebraska**: Reference in flight tracking.  
- **Media, Pennsylvania**: Site of the Town House Restaurant where O’Donnell and Scully were present.  
- **New Britain, Pennsylvania**: Location of Betty Conner’s residence and police department involvement.  

Key Events  
- **Flight Cancellation Investigation**: Inquiry into American Airlines Flight 338 (April 6, 1968) and travel records linked to Ray.  
- **Credit Card Activity**: Examination of S.G. Steiner’s credit card cancellations and associated travel.  
- **License Plate Tracking**: Monitoring of a Chevrolet Impala license plate tied to James Hammons.  
- **Fingerprint Comparisons**: FBI compared John J. O’Donnell’s Navy fingerprints to latent prints from a gin bottle.  
- **Witness Accounts**: Betty Conner reported seeing a Pontiac Firebird resembling Ray’s vehicle; O’Donnell described meeting a couple matching Ray’s physical description.  
- **Photographic Release**: FBI distributed two new photographs of Ray for media use in efforts to locate him.  
- **Stolen Vehicles**: Mentioned in Georgia, linked to Philadelphia field division.  
- **FBI Coordination**: Field offices in Dallas, Memphis, and Philadelphia collaborated on suspect tracking.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency conducting the investigation, coordinating with local law enforcement and media.  
- **Gulf Oil Corporation**: Used for identity verification through purchase records.  
- **American Airlines**: Reference to Flight 338 and travel tracking.  
- **Telephone Companies** (e.g., Bell Telephone): Involved in verifying identities via call records.  
- **Philadelphia Police Department (PPD)**: Provided information on fingerprint comparisons and suspect identification.  
- **Pennsylvania State Police**: Assisted in fingerprint analysis and latent print comparisons.

MLK Declassified Files

44-ph-1368_sec_005_ser_290-390-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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