</s>4 SL: 44-775 Both automobiles were then driven to the intersection of Indiana and Potomac Streets in St. Louis. The stolen car, of the previously mentioned Ford, in St ., Louis. To the stolen car , the previously mentioned Ford was entered by both men. RAY proceeded to a small office located in the front of the store, where he pointed the automatic pistol he was carrying out the man in the office the front door where he was safe. OWENS man in this office the door where the open was as a look-out, according to OWENS, left left revolver in his coat pocket. OWNS stated that after RAY failed to get the man his officer, OWENS stated to step aside, and then reached at a woman's cashier, ordered her after asking him to get him the pistol into the open cash drawer, removing an unknown sum of currency. Both men then cash and stole the stolen Ford automobile. A switch was later removed from the scene and then released. to RAY'S home in OWENS' 1958 Plymouth. A switch with theafter made and both men then drove home where OWENS returned RAY's proceeded to the bathroom of RAY 'S Upon arrival, they proceeded to and RAY gave OWENS home where owENS returned RAY'S revolver to and RAY gave Owens $60.00 in state. of the money taken in the robbery. OWEN'S then left RAYS' residence and proceeded to this automobile where he has placed under arrest. RAY, when interviewed, refused to make any statement, but OWENS later viewed RAY and positively identified him as the man who had accomplished and Kroger Store and assisted him in the accident of the hold-up. Both individuals were thereafter charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, operating an automobile without the owner's consent. An additional charge of resisting arrest was placed against RAY. The St. Louisville Police Department, Bureau of Records, had no information on JAMES EARL RAY, but the report reflects 112 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail investigative efforts into James Earl Ray’s criminal history, residences, travel patterns, and associations between 1959 and 1969, with particular focus on his activities in St. Louis, Missouri, and Mexico. Ray was implicated in a 1959 robbery incident involving Owens, where they stole a Ford automobile, entered a store, robbed a cashier, and fled. Both were arrested for robbery with a deadly weapon and operating an unregistered vehicle. Ray’s criminal record includes prior convictions for robbery (1951) and transportation of forged documents (1955). Investigations into his residences at 2023 Park Avenue confirmed brief occupancy in 1959, while TWA flight records and hotel stays were examined to track his travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in October 1967. Fingerprint comparisons with law enforcement yielded no matches. Additional inquiries explored unrelated matters such as laundry codes, hippie rooming houses, and financial records of Walter E. Nolan, a former prisoner linked to Ray through alleged prison associations. A separate FBI investigation (1968–1969) examined Ray’s escape from the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1968, his alleged associations with inmates, and potential involvement in criminal activities. Carl Benton Drake, a fellow inmate, noted Ray’s lack of extremist views or racial animosity but suggested he might have been hired for an assassination without external guidance. The documents also mention Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of Ray’s potential involvement in an assassination plot, though no direct evidence was found. Administrative notes and redactions are present in some records.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (central suspect)  
- Owens (robbery accomplice)  
- Walter E. Nolan (former prisoner with alleged ties to Ray)  
- Carl Benton Drake (inmate who provided information on Ray)  
- Bobby Ash (armed robbery conviction, inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary)  
- Jim Bradley (killed St. Louis policeman, inmate)  
- John Edward Johnson (prisoner in Jefferson City, denied knowledge of Ray or MLK-related plots)  
- Frank Maberry (murder conviction, inmate)  
- Leon Holden Parker (kidnapping suspect, examined as a look-alike for Ray)  
- Robert Dale Porter (criminal history including theft and burglary)  

Key Locations  
- St. Louis, Missouri  
- 2023 Park Avenue (Ray’s residence, 1959)  
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (travel destination in October 1967)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, Missouri)  
- TWA Super Mansion House Center (hotel stay in Mexico)  
- Fordland Honor Camp (Missouri)  
- Kansas City, Missouri  
- Moberly, Missouri (Missouri Training School for Men)  

Key Events  
- 1959 robbery incident involving Ray and Owens in St. Louis  
- Investigation into Ray’s residences at 2023 Park Avenue  
- TWA flight records check for Ray’s travel to Mexico in October 1967  
- FBI inquiries into Ray’s escape from Missouri State Penitentiary (1968)  
- Examination of Ray’s alleged prison associations and potential involvement in criminal activities  
- Carl Benton Drake’s testimony about Ray’s lack of extremist views and possible hiring for an assassination  
- Review of inmate records, parole statuses, and criminal histories of associates like Bobby Ash, Jim Bradley, and Frank Maberry  
- Mention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of Ray’s potential involvement in an assassination plot  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Missouri State Penitentiary  
- St. Louis Police Department  
- Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department  
- Trans World Airlines (TWA)  
- Commercial Credit Rating Company (St. Louis, Missouri)  
- Missouri Training School for Men (Moberly, Missouri)  
- State Bank and Trust Company of Wellston, Missouri

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_009_ser_529_only-part_4_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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