</s>AL 44-493 NORFOLK Navy Exchange SN 32131 Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia SN 32144 SN 32332 Navy Exchange SN 32233 Naval Amphibious Base Little Lake SN 32223 Norfolk. Virginia SN 32232 PHILADELPHIA Navy EXchange Naval Station SN 32920 Bath, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania SN 32931 N 33703 RICHMOND Building Stock Acct Building Corps Schools SN 32665 32669 Marine Corps Quartic, Virginia SAN FRANCISCO 3443/1 Navy Exercise Naval Art Station SN 32900 3x433 1 woffett Field, California Freight Terminal Naval Supply Center Oakland, California SN 32236 2032 always Sin Joseph Combs 301-247-8.6/17 gron Field md 5 23 Ravoskin 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations from April 1968 involving potential suspects linked to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Key elements include:  
- FBI directives to regional offices to index locations for future cases, including references to laundry marks on garments connected to MLK’s assassination. Urgent directives were issued to Memphis and Richmond offices regarding an unknown subject described as "armed and dangerous."  
- James Short claimed knowledge of a person involved in MLK’s assassination, met with Dick Collins in Memphis around April 4, 1968, and allegedly participated in planning a disturbance at the Lorraine Hotel. James Love, a guest at the hotel, is noted as a potential witness to the event. Reverends Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, and Jesse Jackson were present during the assassination.  
- Investigations into Eric Stano Gail (various aliases) linked to dance schools in Birmingham, Memphis, and California, with conflicting physical descriptions from witnesses. A 30.06 rifle with a telescopic sight, purchased in Birmingham on March 30, 1968, was found near the Lorraine Hotel and linked to Eric Starvo Galt, who was charged with conspiring to violate MLK’s civil rights under Title 18, Section 241.  
- Coordination between FBI offices to verify leads, including interviews with witnesses at the Lorraine Hotel and other locations. A composite drawing of the killer was shared with Mrs. Wayne Wilson, who noted a person resembling the suspect near a brick wall during MLK’s funeral coverage. "Chuck" Dolan in Alexandria, Virginia, was reported to have joked about shooting King, but no evidence confirmed this.  
- Clarence Shackford reported a man on a Greyhound bus matching a suspect profile, identified as Fremond Sylvester Burris Jr., who had been fired from a job in April 1968. John A. Gault, associated with Associated Pipeline Contractors, was tracked through hotel stays and phone records in Danville, Virginia, and Houston, Texas. Jesse Fivir Forsythe was linked to Savannah, Georgia, but no further action was taken due to lack of location details.  

Key People  
- **James Short**: Claimed knowledge of MLK’s killer, met with Dick Collins in Memphis, allegedly involved in planning a disturbance at the Lorraine Hotel.  
- **James Love**: Guest at the Lorraine Hotel on April 4, 1968; potential witness to MLK’s assassination.  
- **Reverends Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson**: Present during MLK’s assassination.  
- **Eric Stano Gail (various aliases)**: Suspect under investigation for possible connections to the case, with conflicting physical descriptions from witnesses.  
- **Fremond Sylvester Burris Jr.**: Identified as a suspect based on a Greyhound bus report; fired from a job in April 1968.  
- **John A. Gault**: Associated with Associated Pipeline Contractors; tracked through hotel stays and phone records in Danville, Virginia, and Houston, Texas.  
- **"Chuck" Dolan**: Reported to have joked about shooting MLK in Alexandria, Virginia; no evidence confirmed.  
- **Jesse Fivir Forsythe**: Linked to Savannah, Georgia, but no further action taken due to lack of location details.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover**: FBI Director who authorized the investigation and press release.  
- **Ramsey Clark**: U.S. Attorney General who announced Eric Starvo Galt’s fugitive status.  

Key Locations  
- **Lorraine Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination; Room 308 on the balcony where he was shot.  
- **Downtowner Motel, Memphis**: Mentioned in context of planned disturbance.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Where Eric Starvo Galt allegedly purchased a rifle and was charged with conspiracy.  
- **Richmond, Virginia**: Investigation hub; referenced in FBI administrative directives.  
- **Danville, Virginia**: Hotel and phone records for John A. Gault.  
- **Alexandria, Virginia**: Location of "Chuck" Dolan’s reported joke about shooting MLK.  
- **Savannah, Georgia**: Linked to Jesse Fivir Forsythe.  
- **Jacksonville, Florida**; **Walterboro, South Carolina**: Locations referenced in FBI administrative directives and logistics.  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of MLK at the Lorraine Hotel.  
- **March 30, 1968**: Purchase of a 30.06 rifle with telescopic sight in Birmingham, Alabama, linked to Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **April 12–16, 1968**: FBI investigations into suspects, including Fremond Sylvester Burris Jr., John A. Gault, and Jesse Fivir Forsythe, through witness interviews, phone records, and employment history.  
- **April 15, 1968**: Mrs. Wayne Wilson shared a composite drawing of the killer and noted a person resembling the suspect near a brick wall during MLK’s funeral coverage.  
- **April 16, 1968**: FBI investigated "Chuck" Dolan in Alexandria, Virginia, regarding alleged comments about shooting MLK.  
- **April 17, 1968**: FBI press release announced Eric Starvo Galt’s fugitive status and details of his alleged conspiracy.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central authority overseeing the investigation, issuing directives to regional offices and coordinating with local law enforcement.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Involved in coordinating with FBI on civil rights-related inquiries; through Attorney General Ramsey Clark, authorized charges against Eric Starvo Galt.  
- **Local law enforcement agencies (e.g., Memphis, Richmond)**: Collaborated with FBI for witness interviews and evidence collection.  
- **Associated Pipeline Contractors**: Mentioned in relation to John A. Gault’s activities.  
- **C & C Telephone Company (Danville, Virginia)**: Provided phone records for John A. Gault.  
- **Holiday Inn Motel (Danville, Virginia)**: Registered John A. Gault’s hotel stay.

MLK Declassified Files

44-rh-657_sec_002_ser_43-128-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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