</s>3L 44-775 RLB/ral SPINO said that frequently when this man visited the Halfway Cafe he would come into the shoe repair shop and have his shoes shined. SPINO noted that he no longer has a shoe shine boy and had no idea where his old shoe shine boy could be been quite close to DAILY as he appeared there very frequently over the entire period of time that DAILY had the restaurant. DAILY'S wife left DAILY on at least one occasion and went to the wrong time. He was at work that she was in Arkansas. SPINO said apparently they have mended their differences and are again together. 212 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s associations, financial activities, and familial connections during 1968, with particular emphasis on potential ties to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Key figures include JAMES EARL RAY, whose alleged involvement in the assassination was referenced by his sister CAROL PEPPER, who informed her father JERRY RAYNES of FBI inquiries. Raynes denied knowledge of his son’s activities but acknowledged receiving calls about the investigation. The records also reference JAMES D. DAILY, a man allegedly linked to Ray through gambling and violent incidents, including an alleged 1965 shooting of JUNIOR RAY CONAWAY (likely a relative of Ray), which left Conaway paralyzed. KERMIT SIGFRIDG, a restaurant owner in St. Louis, noted electrical wiring issues at Daily’s property and claimed Daily had been shot prior to his paralysis. The FBI investigated financial transactions involving ALBERT B. PEPPER and CAROL PEPPER, including bank accounts at Manufacturers Bank and real estate loans through Mercantile Trust Company. Some entries contain redacted social security numbers marked as [SSN REDACTED].  

Key People:  
- **JAMES EARL RAY** (subject of investigation; alleged connection to MLK assassination)  
- **CAROL PEPPER** (Ray’s sister; informed JERRY RAYNES about FBI inquiries into Ray’s activities)  
- **JERRY RAYNES** (father of James Earl Ray; denied knowledge of his son’s involvement in the assassination)  
- **JAMES D. DAILY** (allegedly associated with Ray; linked to gambling and violent incidents)  
- **JUNIOR RAY CONAWAY** (alleged victim of Daily’s violence; referenced in connection to Ray’s associates)  
- **KERMIT SIGFRIDG** (restaurant owner in St. Louis; provided details about Daily’s property and past injuries)  
- **ALBERT B. PEPPER** (financial records linked to Ray’s family; involved in real estate transactions)  

Key Locations:  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** (primary investigation site; includes South Jefferson Avenue, 712A Shenandoah Street, and locations of Manufacturers Bank and Center State Bank)  
- **Maplewood, Missouri** (residence of the PEPPER family)  
- **Hannibal, Missouri** (Franklin Ray’s death location; referenced in relation to JERRY RAYNES’s farm)  
- **Clarence, Missouri** (Raynes’ residence)  
- **Center, Missouri** (Raynes’ property)  

Key Events:  
- FBI interviews with JERRY RAYNES and CAROL PEPPER regarding James Earl Ray’s activities  
- Alleged 1965 shooting incident involving JAMES D. DAILY and JUNIOR RAY CONAWAY  
- Financial transactions and real estate records for ALBERT B. PEPPER and CAROL PEPPER (1965–1968)  
- FBI inquiries into ALBERT PEPPER’s employment history and ties to James Earl Ray  
- Claims of gambling activities involving DAILY, CEDA, and HOMER TOWNSLEY  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** (conducted investigations into Ray’s relatives and financial activities)  
- **Manufacturers Bank** (held financial records for Albert and Carol Pepper)  
- **Mercantile Trust Company** (processed real estate loans for Albert Pepper)  
- **New Market Hardware Company** (mentioned in employment history of JOHN LARRY RAY)  
- **Missouri Liquor Control Board** (referenced in documents)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_010_ser_529_only-part_6_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

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