</s>SCT. BALDRIOGE ADVISED THIS DATE AS FOLLOWS: WIFE, SHELBY JEAN, WAS IN EL PASO FROM MAY THREE TO MAY SIX LAST AND THEN DEPARTED FOR HOME OF PARENTS OF DANIEL C. COLLEY, AIRMAN THIRD CLASS, USAF, IN BRISTOL, TENN, WHERE SHE PLANNED TO RESIDE. COLLEY IS MAN SHELBYJEAN LIVED WITH WHILE BALDRIDGE WAS IN VIETNAM AND SHELLEY JEANS NOW FOUR MONTHS PEGRANT BY COLLEX. SHELBLY JEANE PLANS TO SEND BALDBRIDGE EXACT ADDRESS IN BRISTO. SO HE CAN SEND DIVORCE PAPERS TO HER. COLLET CURRENTLY STATIONED POPE AFB, PAYETEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, TELEPHONE THREE NINE FOUR DASH TWO SIX ONE, BALDDRIDGE HAD FEW WORDS WITH SHELRY JEANN AND DIDN'T QUESTION HERE ERIC RAY. KNOXVILLE, AT BRISTOLD, LOCATE SHELBAY JEN AT SUBJECT RESIDENCE AND INTERVIEW HER IN EFFORT TO ASCENTTAIN IF SUBJECT JAMES EARL RAY POSSIBLEY IDENTICAL WITH ERIC RAY, AKA EARL, WHO SHELBIY JEAAN AND PASSY OWEN ALLLEGEDLY HAD CONTACT WITH IN FLORIDA IN MINTEEN FIFTYSEVEN. IF POSSIBLY IDENTICIAL, DEVELOP ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION RE SHELBEY JEYAN'S ASSOCIATION WITH HIM. IF SHELBY JEUAN NOT LOCATED, ASCENTAIN EXACT WHEREABOUTS THROUGH COLLEY AND SET OUT LEAD TO HAVE HER INTERVIEWED. SHELLBY JEANS, BORN NINETEEN FORTY, TRAVELING WITH TWO CHILDREN, KIMBERLY JEAAN, ACE FOUR, AND THOMAS ELBERT, AGE THREE. TRAVELLING IN SIXTYSIX FORD, TWO DOOR, BROWNISH RED WITH WHITE TOP, NINTEEN SIXTEEN VIRGINIA LICENSE PLATES ONE FIVE TWO 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential connections between Shelby Jean Baldrige (wife of Albert Baldrige) and Eric Ray (also known as Earl Ray), a suspect linked to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Baldrige’s movements were tracked, including her stays in El Paso, Texas; Bristol, Tennessee; and Spring Lake, North Carolina, where she resided with Daniel Colley, an Airman Third Class stationed at Pope AFB, North Carolina. The FBI sought to verify if Baldridge had contact with Ray or others in Florida during 1957, as part of efforts to determine Ray’s identity. Baldridge denied prior trips to Tampa, Florida, and claimed she knew only one person named Earl (Earl Wilkerson). She learned of King’s assassination via television on May 4, 1968, while in Spring Lake, North Carolina. The FBI also investigated Ronnie O’Neil, a neighbor who confirmed Baldridge’s location in North Carolina and her subsequent travels to Alabama and Texas. Baldridge’s husband allegedly claimed she was involved in King’s murder, though she denied any knowledge of the crime, attributing the allegations to marital disputes. Lab reports compared laundry tags from different locations, indicating they were not produced by the same machine. Additional entries reference FBI efforts to identify James Earl Ray through fingerprint comparisons and records checks, including inquiries into William Walton’s criminal history (forgery, check fraud) and potential connections to Ray. The Bureau also documented Ray’s activities in Los Angeles, where he took a bartending course in early 1968 and contacted country clubs for employment opportunities.  

Separate investigations focused on Charles W. Clark’s employment history and arrests in Virginia (1952–1960), including his work with Bogse Construction Company, Perrin & Esposito Construction Company, and self-employment in construction. His wife, Dorothy Giliam, worked at Allied Chemical’s Fibers Division. Credit bureau records noted his residence shifts, including 305 Brown Avenue, Hopewell, Virginia (1966). Clark was arrested multiple times for traffic violations between 1951–1959. A separate investigation centered on James Earl Ray and Warren R. Mason, who allegedly provided information about Ray’s activities. FBI records mention Ray’s alleged connections to un-identified deceased persons, with checks conducted by Virginia’s Medical Examiner’s Office (1968). A 1968 gas station encounter in Alexandria, Virginia, involved an individual resembling Ray driving a 1960 green Mustang convertible, though photographic comparisons confirmed no match. The FBI also sought to identify un-identified deceased individuals potentially linked to Ray, contacting state bureaus of vital statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. A $175,000 check drawn on Suburban Trust Company (Hyattsville, PA) was examined for potential connections to Ray or other suspects.  

Post-assassination investigations tracked white males aged 30–55 in April-May 1968, likely to identify potential suspects. A key focus was Roland Chesley Talbott Jr., identified as a former Ku Klux Klan member linked to threats against Senator Robert F. Kennedy and other civil rights figures. The FBI noted Talbott’s history with the KKK, his possession of firearms, and his expressed sympathies for individuals responsible for King’s assassination. Documents detail efforts by the FBI and local agencies to monitor Talbott, including interviews and records from McGahey Chrysler-Plymouth in Miami, Florida.  

Key People  
- Shelby Jean Baldrige (wife of Albert Baldrige, married to Daniel Colley)  
- Eric Ray (also known as Earl Ray, suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- Daniel Colley (Airman Third Class, stationed at Pope AFB, North Carolina)  
- Ronnie O’Neil (neighbor who verified Baldridge’s whereabouts)  
- William Walton (individual with criminal history linked to check fraud)  
- Charles W. Clark (employment history and arrests in Virginia)  
- Dorothy Giliam (wife of Clark, employed at Allied Chemical)  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in MLK assassination; investigated for ties to un-identified deceased)  
- Warren R. Mason (alleged informant about Ray’s activities)  
- Roland Chesley Talbott Jr. (former KKK member linked to threats against civil rights figures)  
- Robert Shelton (Imperial Wizard, leader of United Klans of America, Inc.)  
- Adam Clayton Powell (civil rights leader targeted in Talbott’s alleged threats)  
- H. Rap Brown (civil rights activist mentioned in Talbott’s statements)  
- Stokely Carmichael (civil rights figure referenced in Talbott’s threats)  
- David Cooperman (subject of fingerprint and handwriting analysis)  

Key Locations  
- El Paso, Texas  
- Bristol, Tennessee  
- Spring Lake, North Carolina  
- Pope AFB, North Carolina  
- Ft. Bliss, Texas  
- Richmond, Virginia  
- Galveston, Texas  
- Chester, Virginia  
- Hopewell, Virginia (Drug Fair Pharmacy)  
- Alexandria, Virginia (gas station encounter with individual resembling Ray)  
- Miami, Florida (McGahey Chrysler-Plymouth, interview of Talbott)  
- Sacramento, California  
- Tampa, Florida  
- Kansas City, Missouri  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Shelby Jean Baldridge’s potential ties to Eric Ray and MLK’s assassination  
- Baldridge’s denial of Florida trips and contact with Ray in 1957  
- Verification of Baldridge’s location via neighbor Ronnie O’Neil  
- Lab analysis of laundry tags from different locations  
- FBI efforts to identify James Earl Ray through fingerprint comparisons and records checks  
- Inquiry into William Walton’s criminal history and potential connection to Ray  
- Documentation of Ray’s bartending course in Los Angeles and employment contacts  
- Clark’s employment history and arrests in Virginia (1952–1960)  
- FBI investigation into James Earl Ray’s potential ties to un-identified deceased persons (1968)  
- Gas station encounter in Alexandria, Virginia, involving an individual resembling Ray (May 1968)  
- Examination of a $175,000 check linked to Ray or other suspects (1968)  
- FBI efforts to identify un-identified deceased individuals via state bureaus and medical examiner records  
- Investigation into threats against Senator Robert F. Kennedy following MLK’s assassination  
- FBI tracking of white males aged 30–55 in April-May 1968 for potential connections to suspects  
- Interview of Roland Chesley Talbott Jr. at McGahey Chrysler-Plymouth, Miami, Florida (May 24, 1968)  
- Documentation of Talbott’s KKK affiliations and possession of firearms  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Richmond Police Department  
- Virginia State Police  
- U.S. Census Bureau  
- Department of Health, Education, and Welfare  
- Credit Bureau of Howell/Hopewell, Virginia  
- Allied Chemical-Agricultural Division  
- Medical Examiner’s Office, State of Virginia  
- Suburban Trust Company (Hyattsville, PA)  
- United Klans of America, Inc., Knights of the Ku Klux Klan  
- McGahey Chrysler-Plymouth  
- U.S. Secret Service

MLK Declassified Files

44-rh-657_sec_004_ser_233-294-part_2_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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