</s>CG 44-1114 RJD/laj 1 Re: CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT, COOK COUNTY JAIL AND ILLINOIS STATE PENTENTIARY, JOLIET, ILLINOIS, RECORDS RE SURJECT On April 19, 1968, the records of the above listed police agencies were reviewed and the information concerning the subject which is set forth on the following pages was obtained. The records of The Chicago Police Department, Bureau of Records and Communications, under card no. 334468 revealed the following information concerning JAMES RAY: Date and Place of Birth 3/10/28 Height Alton, Illinois Weight 5/11" Complexion 155 lbs. Build Slender Bays Blue Hays Marlal Status Slinger Occupation Place of Employment Laborator Address 809 East Ohio 839 Sallerton (9 months) Date andPlace of Arrest Chicago, Illinois Arresting Officers 19 West 5/16/52 (Cleveland, Delaware Street Charge MC DONOUGH, GREEN Robbery Complaintants 6945 North Paulina (Cab driver); EAB NOCKER 1015 North Clark Chicago Police Department No. D90696 - 91 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail James Earl Ray’s criminal history, including his 1952 robbery arrest in Chicago, military service (enlisted February 19, 1942; discharged December 23, 1948), and subsequent investigations into his alleged connections to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Ray was apprehended by Captain George Green and Detective John McDonough during a robbery incident on May 9, 1952, where he sustained gunshot wounds requiring medical treatment at Cook County Jail. His trial occurred before Judge Hartigan, with release under Executive Order 14176. FBI records from the Springfield Division and St. Louis Division later investigated Ray’s residences, employment history (including Borg-Erickson Corporation payroll data), and potential ties to locations associated with MLK’s assassination. These included property leases at 853 West Fullerton Avenue, 459 S. James Place, and 61 East Cedar Street. Inmate testimony from the Illinois State Penitentiary referenced a prisoner matching Ray’s physical description (older, heavyset, waddling) who worked in the kitchen but had no known background. Later records from 1968–1969 focused on locating Ray through driver’s licenses, aliases, and motor vehicle records, though no direct connection to MLK’s assassination was confirmed. A separate investigation into a 1955 Kellerville Post Office burglary linked Ray to stolen money orders, with arrests in April 1955 for cashing them. Fragmented records also reference Louis Lomax’s incarceration history and alleged interactions with political figures in Chicago around the time of MLK’s assassination, including an alleged chauffeur named Kelly Williams described as handling cash transportation for King.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (subject of criminal records and investigations)  
- Captain George Green (Chicago Police Department officer involved in 1952 arrest)  
- Detective John McDonough (partner of Green during 1952 apprehension)  
- Judge Hartigan (presided over Ray’s 1952 trial)  
- Nicholas Landis (Deming-Clark Radio owner, reported empty lot at 459 S. James Place)  
- Lee Miller (Illinois State Penitentiary inmate who described a prisoner matching Ray’s physical description)  
- Waltr T. Rife (arrested with Ray for cashing stolen money orders in 1955)  
- Robert Reinkens, Dale Conroy (FBI agents investigating Ray’s whereabouts)  
- Louis Lomax (incarceration records and alleged connections to MLK’s assassination)  
- Kelly Williams (alleged chauffeur for Martin Luther King Jr.)  
- Wallace Bennett (Senator, Utah; attended dinner meeting with industrialists in Chicago)  
- Charles Barr (Standard Oil of Indiana executive; hosted party at La Tour Restaurant)  

Key Locations  
- Chicago, Illinois (arrest and apprehension site, residences investigated)  
- Cook County Jail (detention and medical records for Ray’s 1952 wounds)  
- Joliet State Penitentiary, Illinois (Ray’s incarceration record)  
- Kellerville, Illinois (Post Office burglary site, March 7, 1955)  
- 459 S. James Place (empty lot previously occupied by Ray’s residence)  
- 61 East Cedar Street (Ray’s alleged address in 1951–1952)  
- 2725 North Pine Grove (Andora Apartments, linked to Ray’s residency)  
- La Tour Restaurant, Chicago (attended by political figures and associates of Charles Barr)  

Key Events  
- Robbery arrest of James Earl Ray on May 9, 1952, in Chicago  
- Shooting incident during Ray’s apprehension by Captain Green and McDonough  
- Medical treatment for gunshot wounds at Cook County Jail  
- FBI investigation into Ray’s residences, employment history, and potential ties to MLK’s assassination (1968–1969)  
- Burglary of Kellerville Post Office (March 7, 1955), resulting in arrests of Ray and Waltr T. Rife for cashing stolen money orders  
- Inmate testimony at Illinois State Penitentiary describing a prisoner matching Ray’s physical description  
- Dinner meeting involving Senator Wallace Bennett and industrialists in Chicago (April 24–25, 1965)  
- Attendance list for a party hosted by Charles Barr at La Tour Restaurant (April 13, 1965)  

Key Organizations  
- Chicago Police Department (involved in 1952 arrest and post-1952 investigations)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (Springfield Division, St. Louis Division; investigated Ray’s residences and movements)  
- Illinois State Penitentiary (ISP), Joliet and Pontiac (custody records for Ray and Lomax)  
- United States Postal Inspection Service (investigated 1955 Post Office burglary)  
- Borg-Erickson Corporation (provided payroll data on Ray’s employment)  
- Standard Oil of Indiana (associated with Charles Barr’s business interests)  
- Cook County Republican Party (mentioned in context of Louis Lomax’s interactions)  
- Public Affairs Service Associates, Inc. (attended by Patricia Hutarn and associates at La Tour Restaurant)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_011_ser_530-531-part_3_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search