</s>PAGE TWO CONTAIN ONE ON WHICH THE IDENTITY OF UNIDENTIFIED MAN IS. SET FORTH. HE ALSO STATED HE RECALLED SPEING SPECIAL AGENT OF FRI IN COMPANY OF THESE MINUTEMEN AND THAT THIS SPECIAL AGENT MIGHT POSSIBLY KNOW IDENTITLY OF MAN IN PHOTOGRAPHICS. HE STATED HE COULD NOT REMEMBER THE SPECIAL AGENTS-S NAME BUT THAT HE DEFINITELY SPECALS HIM AS BEING AN AGENT FROM HAVING SEEN HIM ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION DURING THE COORS KIONAPING CASE IN COLORADO. OCCASON DURINING THE COOAS HE RECOGNIZED HIM, HE WAS CARFUL NOT TO PHOTOGRAFH HIM. IT IS NOTED THAT IN RE NEW YORK AIRTEL. THE NAME OF SA JACK ROBERTS WAS MENTIONED BY CHIFF REESE DORSON, ST. CLAIR COUNTY. ILLINOIS. AS A MAN HE BELIEVED TO BE WORKING UNDER COVER AMONG THE MINUTEMENT. SAME LEADS AS SET OUT IN RE AIRTELF SHOULD BE COVERED. BY APRINGFIELD AND NEW YORK. MEMPHIS AND FIRMINGHAM ADVISED AIRMAIL. END GR PRI SPRINGFIELD X 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and associations following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Key elements include inquiries into Ray’s alleged connections to relatives in Missouri and Illinois, such as his uncle John Ray and cousin James Orlan Ray. The FBI sought information on stolen vehicles from Georgia (post-4/4/68) potentially linked to Ray’s transportation. A pre-sentence report from 1955 outlines Ray’s criminal history, including theft of money orders in March 1955. The documents reference FBI offices in Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City, emphasizing checks on car recoveries and transportation records. Multiple entries note Ray’s alleged ties to the Alton Box Board Company and his separation from wife Margaret Ray. Additional files reference James Earl Ray’s fugitive status by 1967, including incarceration at Joliet State Penitentiary (1952–1953), probation violations, and fingerprint records linked to robbery and escape charges in April 1968. An FBI informant, Lawrence Eugene Wray (number 968105B), a former prison mate of Ray at Missouri State Penitentiary, offered assistance in locating Ray but was described as armed and dangerous.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of investigation)  
- John Ray (Ray’s uncle, Alton Box Board Company employee)  
- James Orlan Ray (Ray’s cousin, Missouri resident)  
- Margaret Ray (John Ray’s estranged wife, Bunker Hill, Illinois)  
- Sam Ratliff (Ray’s brother, farm owner in Elsberry, Missouri)  
- Lawrence Eugene Wray (FBI informant, former prison mate of Ray)  
- Paul Stanley Boothby (fingerprint investigation reference)  
- John Edgar Hoover (FBI Director mentioned in annotations)  

Key Locations  
- Atlanta, Georgia (Ray’s last known location prior to 1968)  
- St. Louis, Missouri  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Kansas City, Missouri  
- Alton, Illinois  
- Bunker Hill, Illinois  
- Springfield, Missouri  
- Joliet State Penitentiary, Illinois  
- Menard State Penitentiary, Illinois  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into Ray’s transportation methods post-4/5/68  
- Search for stolen vehicles in Georgia (post-4/4/68) potentially linked to Ray  
- Review of pre-sentence report from 1955 detailing Ray’s theft and money order fraud  
- Efforts to locate Ray’s relatives for potential assistance in tracking him  
- James Earl Ray’s arrests and convictions for burglary, robbery, and probation violations (1946–1967)  
- FBI fingerprint records and fugitive alerts (April 1968)  
- Search of Menard State Penitentiary records for Raymond Lewis Curtis and James Earl Ray (April 1968)  
- Wray’s offer to assist the Bureau in locating “the subject” and scheduled contact with Missouri State Parole Officer  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri  
- Illinois Department of Public Safety  
- Alton Box Board Company (John Ray’s employer)  
- Missouri State Parole Office  
- Springfield SAC (Special Agent in Charge, FBI)  
- Menard State Penitentiary, Illinois

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_004_ser_218-278-part_5_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search