</s>----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- AL 44-493 PAGE NINE - - CLEVELAND, MISSISSIPPI. SERIAL. NO. THREE ONE THREE ONE FIVE FIVEL FIVED. CLEVELANDP, MISSISIPPI, SERIAL NO. THERE ONE ZERO EAST MAIN ST.P. LONG'S LAUNDRY AND CLEANERS. ONE THREE ZERO EAIN ST .- TUPELO. MISSISSIPPI SERIAL No ., THREE ONE SEVEN TWO EIGHT AND THREE ONE SIXI6 MISSISSPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, STATE COLLEGE. MISSISPIPI. SIXISSPI. SERIAL NUMBERS THREE ONE TWO ONE ONE FOUR AND THREE ONE ONE ONE TWO FIVES PHOENIX LAUNCHY. HATTIESBURG, MISSissIPPI ., SERIALL NO ., THERE THREE SEVEN EIGHT FOUR .- - HATTIESSBURG. MISSissippi, SERIAIL NO .- JACKSON OFFICE CONTACT ESTABLISHMENTS. DETERMINES. DETEMINE WHETHER THESE MACHINES UTILIZED CODE ON TAPE AND UTILIZE TAPE ON MALL LAUNGRY ITEMS AND IS SO OBTAIN SAMPLE AND FORWARD IMMEDIATELY TO FBI LABORATORY FOR IDENTIFICATION. ALL OFFICES ADVISED ALBANY IMMEDIATEY IMMEDIAILY IF TAPE IDENTIFIED. ARMED AND DANGEROUS. END AJP AJP ATLEN FBI ATLANTA BIGDOM FBI BIRGHAM - - - - - FBI-COLUMBIA - - - METSJ FBI MEMPHIS RH ECS FRI RICHMOND XX 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on suspect identification, evidence tracking, and witness accounts. A white male described as matching the assassin’s profile was observed in Virginia, carrying money and stating he should be on television. Eric Starvo Galt, a white male aged 31, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, was flagged for investigation, linked to Memphis via a 1968 Mustang with Alabama license plates. The FBI sought information on thermoseal machines used to produce coded tapes, contacting laundries in Cleveland, Mississippi; Tupelo, Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi; and Syracuse, New York. A witness, Grant Ahrens, reported an unknown man on a flight from Dallas to Louisville who claimed MLK had been shot and killed. The investigation involved coordination between FBI offices in Richmond, Memphis, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., with code names like "MURKIN" and "CAPTIONED CASE." A teletype from Salt Lake City (April 10, 1968) reported William Clyde Millsaps of Gastonia, North Carolina, provided information about his nephew John Clinton Millsaps, a white male aged 20, described as six feet one inch to six feet two inches tall, with blond hair, who allegedly planned to purchase a high-powered rifle to shoot "Negroes." Millsaps claimed his nephew visited him in January or February 1968 and later called from Richmond, Virginia, where the nephew worked for a sign company. After King’s assassination, Millsaps noted a resemblance between the assassin and his nephew, citing prior statements about targeting "Negroes." The FBI sought to locate Millsaps in Virginia and Utah, noting he had no gun but owned a rifle. Additional teleypes mention William Calhoun Galt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with relatives including Lucy Glen Gill in Burlington, North Carolina; James Gast Sr. in Charlotteville, Virginia; and his son James Jr., described as a white male aged 35–40 matching suspect profiles. Forensic details include laundry marks found at the assassination scene, such as a red tape with black lettering from a Syracuse, New York-based textile machine (model unspecified), analyzed by FBI experts for potential connections to suspects.  

Key People  
- Eric Starvo Galt: Suspect flagged with physical description and Alabama drivers license; linked to Memphis via 1968 Mustang with Alabama plates.  
- Grant Ahrens: Witness who reported an unknown man on a flight from Dallas to Louisville discussing MLK’s assassination.  
- John Clinton Millsaps: Nephew of William Clyde Millsaps, described as six feet one inch to six feet two inches tall, blond hair; allegedly planned to purchase a high-powered rifle for "shooting negros."  
- William Clyde Millsaps: Provided information on nephew John Clinton Millsaps’ activities and alleged intent to target "Negroes."  
- William Calhoun Galt: Milwaukee, Wisconsin resident with relatives including Lucy Glen Gill (Burlington, NC), James Gast Sr. (Charlotteville, VA), and son James Jr., described as matching suspect profiles.  
- James Jr.: Son of William Calhoun Galt; white male aged 35–40, physical traits matching assassination sketch.  
- John Louis Campagne: Registered owner of NC license plate 704 Volkswagen observed in Fairfawn, VA.  
- Lloyd Peterson: Plastic Vac Corp. manager in Richmond, Va., referenced in FBI inquiries.  
- Clifford Cunningham: VSP trooper in Gate City, Va., mentioned in unrelated investigations.  
- Lester Forsythe: Suspected Klan member in New Jersey; referenced in unrelated investigations.  

Key Locations  
- Falls Church, Virginia: Site where the described assassin was observed.  
- Memphis, Tennessee: Central to investigation and suspect links (Eric Starvo Galt).  
- Cleveland, Mississippi; Tupelo, Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi: Laundries contacted for thermoseal machine tracking.  
- Syracuse, New York: Textile Marking Machine Co., manufacturer of tape found at crime scene.  
- Richmond, Virginia: Last known location of John Clinton Millsaps and site of FBI inquiries.  
- Dallas, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky: Flight route mentioned in Ahrens’ testimony.  
- Gastonia, North Carolina: Home of William Clyde Millsaps.  
- Salt Lake City, Utah: Source of teletype reporting on William Clyde Millsaps.  
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Location of William Calhoun Galt.  
- Burlington, North Carolina; Charlotteville, Virginia: Addresses of relatives of William Calhoun Galt.  

Key Events  
- Observation of a white male matching the assassin’s description in Falls Church, Virginia (March 1968).  
- Investigation into thermoseal machines used to produce coded tapes, contacting laundries in Mississippi and Syracuse, New York.  
- Witness account by Grant Ahrens regarding an unknown man on a flight from Dallas to Louisville discussing MLK’s death.  
- FBI coordination between offices in Richmond, Memphis, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., using code names "MURKIN" and "CAPTIONED CASE."  
- William Clyde Millsaps’ report about his nephew John Clinton Millsaps’ alleged intent to purchase a rifle for targeting "Negroes" and his last known location in Richmond, Virginia.  
- FBI search for Eric Starvo Galt, linked to Memphis via car and license plates.  
- Forensic analysis of laundry marks at MLK’s assassination scene, linking them to a Syracuse, New York-based textile machine.  
- Investigation into William Calhoun Galt’s relatives and potential connections to the assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Central to the investigation; offices in Richmond, Memphis, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.  
- Textile Marking Machine Co.: Syracuse, New York-based manufacturer of tape found at crime scene.  
- United Klans of America (UKA): Implied via references to Klan activity and Lester Forsythe’s suspected membership.  
- Plastic Vac Corp.: Richmond, Virginia-based company referenced in FBI inquiries (Lloyd Peterson as manager).  
- Southern Poverty Law Center: Implied via references to Klan activity.

MLK Declassified Files

44-rh-657_sec_001_ser_1-42-part_7_of_10.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search