</s>OFFICIAL FORME NO. 16 USA FIRM (C) (CPD) 11-11-18-18 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO : SAC (44-1242) DATE: 5/1/68 FROM : SA JOSEPH C. WEBB, JR. SUBJECT: MURKIN Re Bureau teletype dated 4/29/68. There are no police departments within the Kerrville RA which maintains latent fingerprints from unsolved crimes within their respective areas and jurisdictions. JCW/ 14-12 42-330 Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan 1961-1962-1964 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into telephone records, travel movements, and fingerprint comparisons related to James Earl Ray (JER) during December 1967 and subsequent months, focusing on potential connections to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Key activities include tracing long-distance calls made by JER from Texas locations such as San Antonio, Houston, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Pecos, and San Benito, as well as cross-referencing phone numbers with pay station records in these areas. Interviews with individuals like Juanta Hernandez and Mrs. Helen Ornels were conducted to corroborate call details. Fingerprint comparisons with latent prints from unsolved crimes were attempted but faced limitations due to classification issues. In May 1968, FBI efforts expanded to include tracking phone calls linked to JER, such as a call from Alpine, Texas, to Gatesville, Texas, and reviewing records of individuals like Earl Williams (Johnny Lee Ray), Dennis Wade Fontennot, and William Thomas Jacobs, with the latter’s mental health history noted. Investigations also examined Mexican immigration records for passengers on buses during December 1967, including Graham Robert Smith, Alan Dennison Hall, and Alwis Asheber. An informant described RAY (possibly JER) planning to flee to Mexico, citing favorable exchange rates and frugal living conditions, with potential hideouts near Campeche Bay, Campogee Bay, and Torrejon in central Mexico. The FBI coordinated with local law enforcement agencies, telephone companies, and Mexican immigration authorities to gather evidence.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (JER) – Suspect in MLK’s assassination; linked to phone calls and travel records.  
- Juanta Hernandez – Interviewed regarding phone calls on 12/17/67.  
- Mrs. Helen Ornels – Telephone company representative in Pecos, Texas.  
- Curtis Lipsey – Gatesville, Texas resident; father of Nancy Lipsey, who allegedly made a call from Alpine, Texas.  
- Nancy Lipsey – Student at Sul-Ross State College, Alpine, Texas.  
- Earl Williams (Johnny Lee Ray) – Robbery suspect in San Antonio, Texas.  
- Dennis Wade Fontennot – Alias JAMES DENNIS WADE; linked to Missouri State Prison records.  
- William Thomas Jacobs – Mental health patient with a history of sociopathic disturbance and alcoholism.  
- Angel Stickelbaul – Informant whose travel to Mexico City was documented.  
- Special Agent Thomas H. Weaver – Investigator in Jefferson City, Missouri, regarding RAY’s activities.  

Key Locations  
- San Antonio, Texas – Central hub for FBI investigations; Grande Courts hotel robbery incident.  
- Houston, Texas – Mentioned in phone call records and travel routes.  
- Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Pecos, San Benito, and San Antonio, Texas – Sites of pay station records checked.  
- Alpine, Texas – Payphone used in calls linked to JER.  
- New Orleans, Louisiana – Destination of JER’s December 1967 trip from Los Angeles.  
- Mexico City, Mexico – Destination for Stickelbaul’s group; referenced in immigration records.  
- Campeche Bay, Campogee Bay, Yucatan Peninsula, Torrejon (central Mexico) – Potential hideouts mentioned by informant.  
- Missouri State Penitentiary – Location of former inmate providing information about RAY.  

Key Events  
- December 1967: FBI tracked long-distance calls made by JER from Texas and Mexican border areas, verifying travel routes and pay station records.  
- May 2/3/5/68: FBI reviewed phone calls linked to JER, including a call from Alpine, Texas, to Gatesville; confirmed fingerprints did not match JER’s record.  
- Earl Williams robbed the Grande Courts hotel in San Antonio, threatening to avoid FBI contact.  
- Investigation into Dennis Wade Fontennot and William Thomas Jacobs’ backgrounds, including mental health records.  
- Mexican immigration records cross-referenced with U.S. suspects for bus passengers during December 1967.  
- Informant described RAY’s plans to flee to Mexico, citing hideouts near Campeche Bay and Torrejon.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Conducted phone call tracking, fingerprint analysis, and cross-agency investigations.  
- Local police departments in Texas (e.g., San Antonio, Houston, Fredericksburg, Pecos).  
- Telephone companies (e.g., West Texas Telephone Company, Rocksprings-Nucces Telephone Company).  
- Mexican Immigration Authorities – Provided records on passengers traveling through Nuevo Laredo and Mexico City.  
- Missouri State Penitentiary – Source of information about RAY’s activities.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sa-1242_742152_02-05-part_4_of_5.pdf

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