</s>FRI SPRINGFIELD WOLF FOR TWO 240 PM URGENT 5-16-4AR JDG TO: DIRECTOR: MEMPHIS AND SPRINGFIELD FROM: ST. LOUIS (AA-775) MURKIN M-5U1 THE GRAPE VINE TAVERNA, SLMO, IS OWNED BY CAROL PEPPER, SUBJECTIS SISTER. AND OPERATED BY JOHN LARRY RAYS, SURJECTIS BROTHER. FOLLOWING CALLS MAIN FROM COIN PHONE AT TAVERN: FIGHT SEVEN SEVEN DASH FIVE TWO SIX FIGHT, GRANITE CITY, FIGHT FIGHT. FIGHT SVEN SIX DASH, NINE NINF NINE SINE NINE ZERO, GANITTE CITY, FEB. FIGHT. FIGHTSEVEN FOUR DASH SIX SIX FIVE FIVE ZERO ZERO F. ST. LOIIS, FRS. TWENTYININE. FIGHT STEVEN FIVE DASH DASH SEVEN SVEN SEVEN SEVEN CFVEN ZFDN, F. St. LONIE, MARCH FIFTEEN. SPRINGFIELD INFINITY SURSCRIFERS AND DIFFERMINE IF CALLS BRAR ON WHEREABOUTS OR ACTIVITIES OF SURFJCT. COMPLETELY PROTECTING PHONE CO. ARMED AND DANGEROUS. FRI) H.S.CJ-523 MAL SEARCHING INDUSTRIES FRI I SPRINGFLD) SERIALIZED FILLED MAY 1 1968 FRI-SPRINFIELD +ESL.L. Causarto. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail an FBI investigation into potential connections between individuals associated with the Grape Vine Tavern in St. Louis (owned by Carol Pepper) and activities linked to James Earl Ray, a suspect in the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Phone calls made from coin phones at the tavern are analyzed, with numbers traced to locations like Granite City, St. Louis, and Quincy, Illinois. The investigation focuses on identifying individuals such as Jerry Raynes (father of "subject") and James L. Owens, a penitentiary inmate connected to Ray through a 1968 Kroger robbery. References to Blackie De Core, a Chicago gambler and former fighter, highlight potential associates of Ray. The FBI seeks to determine if these calls relate to the whereabouts or activities of the subject, noting that all individuals are described as "armed and dangerous." Interviews with family members (e.g., Frank and Mable Fuller, Ruby Carpenter) are conducted but not repeated to avoid revealing investigative methods.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK Jr.'s assassination; linked to the Grape Vine Tavern via his brother John Larry Ray and connections to phone calls.  
- **John Larry Ray**: Brother of James Earl Ray, operated the Grape Vine Tavern.  
- **Carol Pepper**: Owner of the Grape Vine Tavern.  
- **James L. Owens**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary; described as a "fall partner" in a 1968 Kroger robbery with Ray.  
- **Jerry Raynes**: Father of the subject (possibly James Earl Ray); associated with Quincy, Illinois.  
- **Frank and Mable Fuller**: Relatives of the subject; interviewed by FBI.  
- **Ruby Carpenter**: Former wife of the subject's father; interviewed by FBI.  
- **Blackie De Core**: Chicago gambler and former fighter linked to Ray through prison associations.  

Key Locations:  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Central location for phone calls, tavern operations, and interviews.  
- **Springfield, Illinois**: Mentioned in multiple documents as a focal point for FBI investigations.  
- **Granite City, Illinois**: Associated with phone numbers linked to the subject.  
- **Quincy, Illinois**: Home of Jerry Raynes; referenced in phone call records.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Where James L. Owens was incarcerated.  

Key Events:  
- **Phone Call Surveillance**: FBI tracked calls from coin phones at the Grape Vine Tavern and other locations to monitor potential ties to the subject.  
- **Kroger Robbery (1968)**: James Earl Ray and James L. Owens were implicated as partners in a robbery, with Blackie De Core as an associate.  
- **Interviews**: FBI interviewed family members of the subject (Fuller, Carpenter) to verify call origins but avoided re-interviewing them to protect investigative methods.  
- **Investigative Techniques**: Documents note efforts to avoid exposing surveillance methods by limiting follow-up interviews.  

Key Organizations:  
- **FBI**: Conducted the investigation, including phone tracking and inmate records reviews.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Provided records on James L. Owens.  
- **Telephone Companies**: Monitored call activity for potential links to the subject.

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_008_ser_436-528-part_8_of_8.pdf

Document Summary

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