</s>FD-302 (Rev. 1-25-60) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 1 Date 4-29-68 JOHN DE LEONARDO, Credit Manager, General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), 8961 Pais Boulevard, furnished the following information to SA EARL II BROWN: Contract number 32939 was s/s/ed by JOHN RAY, 1982 Arseneal, St. Louis, Missouri, as seen byipal mortgage on February 7, 1968, for an Ideal Draftpriprier Cooler for a cash sale date, for a loan of $1,000,000.00 per month of the chattel mortgage provide that payments for $38 and one payment of $34, 94 are to be made. $1,500 per day in the meter. The cooler is to be that a Sales and Grape Vine, the meter, The cooler to be is to the a Sales & S&S and Grapevine, lith. 75959 Olive Boulevard, St ., ais, and signer's co-mortgagor was CAROL PEPPER, 2025 Bellevue, st. apleton, Missouri. and savings account of Manufacturers' Bank, St, Louis. Missouri. GMAC records reflect at carol. PEPPEPPER has a checking Since JOHN RAY is fst signer of the mortgage, GMAC looks to him as being legally. Table for payments on this cooler, which was sold by MIKE BURK, Frigid Sales, and who is said to be well acquainted with JOH JAY. GMAC reports far or reflect that CAROL PEPPER's husband is a plumber empl. / a by New Market Hardware, Sarah and Lacode, A Xerox copy of the chattell mortgage in question is attached. 4-26-68 of f/Louis, Missouri File # SL 44-775 SA EARL E. BRY /ral Date dictated 4-28-68 by 3/2 This document contains nell: // recommendations nor conclusion of the PBI. It is the property of the FBI and is licensed to your agency; it and its cont'n' not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail extensive FBI investigations into potential suspects, look-alikes, and associates linked to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on Missouri, Illinois, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, and other regions. Key figures include James Earl Ray, whose familial connections (Bill Ray, Vesta Meadors) were scrutinized, and individuals like Delano Elmer Walker and Benny K. Pinkston, who made threats against Dr. King and were investigated for potential involvement in assassination plots. The Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis, Missouri, is referenced through lease agreements, liquor licensing inquiries, and financial records tied to Carol Pepper and Albert Pepper. Investigations also examined Robert Boshers (possibly a misspelling of James Earl Ray), Thomas Robert Henderson (a suspect claiming contact with Dr. King), and Robert Dean James, described as a look-alike to Jesse James Jr. Military service records for individuals like David Ernest Hawkins, Aaron Isaac Lofton, and others were reviewed, though no direct ties to the assassination were established. Redacted social security numbers appear in administrative notes, but specific numbers are not included. The FBI conducted background checks, transportation log reviews, and photographic comparisons of suspects, including a Greyhound bus passenger in Columbus, Ohio, and look-alike inquiries at motels in Tennessee.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspected assassin; familial connections to Bill Ray and Vesta Meadors)  
- **Delano Elmer Walker** (alleged threatener against Dr. King; incarcerated in Missouri)  
- **Benny K. Pinkston** (individual with ties to threats against Dr. King, listed under multiple aliases)  
- **Carol Pepper** (leaseholder for the Grapevine Tavern, married to Albert Pepper)  
- **Reverend Floyd Brower** (Poplar Bluff, Missouri; made statements about the assassin’s origin)  
- **Thomas Robert Henderson** (suspected link to MLK’s assassination; claimed meeting King in Atlanta, possession of counterfeit checks)  
- **Robert Dean James** (look-alike suspect; described as 5'6" tall with reddish-brown hair)  
- **David Ernest Hawkins** (U.S. Army veteran, convicted of absence without authority)  
- **Bill Ray** (alleged father of James Earl Ray, associated with Alton, Illinois)  
- **Vesta Meadors** (claimed mother of James Earl Ray, married to Bill Ray)  

Key Locations  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** (Grapevine Tavern, FBI investigations, lease records)  
- **Poplar Bluff, Missouri** (Reverend Floyd Brower’s statements about the assassin)  
- **Columbus, Ohio** (Greyhound bus passenger inquiry linked to a suspect resembling James Earl Ray)  
- **Nashville, Tennessee** (look-alike investigations at the Meramec Motel)  
- **Evergreen, Alabama** (employment and military records for Marlon Wilkins and others)  
- **Houston, Texas** (residences of individuals like Marlon Wilkins)  
- **Oakland Park, Florida** (address of David Ernest Hawkins)  
- **Hayti, Missouri** (residence of Robert Dean James)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigations into threats against Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including statements from Delano Elmer Walker and Benny K. Pinkston  
- Background checks on James Earl Ray, including familial connections and alleged ties to Missouri and Illinois  
- Examination of Robert Boshers’ alleged thefts and connection to the assassination (possibly a misspelling of James Earl Ray)  
- Look-alike inquiries involving MYRILE HAGGERTT and others at motels in Tennessee  
- Review of transportation records at St. Louis Lambert Airport (no international flights noted)  
- Military service records for David Ernest Hawkins, Aaron Isaac Lofton, and others  
- Investigation into Thomas Robert Henderson’s claims about meeting Dr. King and possessing counterfeit checks  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **U.S. Army** (military records for David Ernest Hawkins, Aaron Isaac Lofton)  
- **U.S. Navy** (service records for Joseph M. Pritchett)  
- **U.S. Air Force** (Robert L. Plunk’s service history)  
- **Veterans Administration Hospital** (medical records for Robert L. Plunk)  
- **Selective Service System** (records for individuals like Joseph M. Pritchett and others)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_010_ser_529_only-part_8_of_9.pdf

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