</s>SI 44-561 B. MELBA MARIE RYAN - 42 - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s activities and familial connections following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. Key figures include Melba Marie Ryan (Ray’s sister), Ruby Carpenter (ex-wife of Ray), Frank Fuller (a neighbor in Quincy, Illinois), and Walter Terry Riffe (an inmate with ties to Ray’s family). FBI agents conducted interviews, surveillance, and reviewed records to assess potential links between Ray and criminal activities, including his alleged imprisonment in Missouri (1959–1960), military service in Germany post-WWII, and associations with anti-Semitic individuals. The investigation also examined Ray’s family members, such as John Larry Ray (incarcerated at Mennard State Penitentiary) and Earl Everett Ray (with a criminal record involving assault and acid attacks). Ruby Carpenter denied knowledge of Ray’s whereabouts or involvement in the assassination but provided details about his post-1963 life, including his daughter Helena Marie Ray. Surveillance on Frank Fuller’s residence in Quincy yielded no activity during May 1–10, 1968, while Walter Terry Riffe’s correspondence included addresses and contacts in Peoria, Illinois, and references to his incarceration at Joliet Prison (April 16, 1959).  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (FBI #FB1 #306; alleged assassin of MLK)  
- Melba Marie Ryan (sister of James Earl Ray; interviewed in Quincy, Illinois)  
- Ruby Carpenter (ex-wife of James Earl Ray; mother of Helena Marie Ray)  
- Frank Fuller (resided at 2601 Chestnut Street, Quincy, Illinois; neighbor Elmer Beckman provided information on his family)  
- Walter Terry Riffe (inmate at Menden Prison, Illinois; listed in correspondence records)  
- John Larry Ray (brother of James Earl Ray; incarcerated at Mennard State Penitentiary)  
- Earl Everett Ray (uncle of James Earl Ray; criminal record including assault and acid attacks on his wife)  
- Frank Delano Ray (brother of James Earl Ray; drowned in Mississippi River ~1963)  
- Lucille Ray (mother of James Earl Ray and other family members; deceased)  
- Jerry RAYNES (alias for James Gerald Ray, former husband of Ruby Carpenter)  

Key Locations  
- Quincy, Illinois (Virginia Hotel, residences of Melba Marie Ryan, Frank Fuller, and Ruby Carpenter)  
- St. Louis, Missouri (alleged residence of James Earl Ray in 1959–1960; Mennard State Penitentiary)  
- Ewing, Mississippi (site of fire that killed Ryan’s older sister)  
- Peoria, Illinois (addresses and contacts associated with Walter Terry Riffe’s correspondence)  
- Jefferson City, Missouri (location of Ray’s mother, LUCILLE RAYAN; deceased)  
- Menden Prison, Illinois (Walter Terry Riffe’s incarceration)  
- Joliet Prison, Illinois (Riffe’s incarceration on April 16, 1959)  
- Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (U.S. Disciplinary Barracks mentioned in correspondence)  

Key Events  
- FBI interviews with Melba Marie Ryan (April 20–May 3, 1968) and Ruby Carpenter (May 1–3, 1968) regarding James Earl Ray’s activities.  
- Surveillance conducted at Frank Fuller’s residence in Quincy, Illinois, from May 1 to May 10, 1968, yielding no observed activity or visitors.  
- Review of Quincy Police Department records showing Melba Marie Ryan’s arrests for intoxication and disorderly conduct (1963–1967).  
- Examination of Walter Terry Riffe’s correspondence from Menden Prison, Illinois, including addresses, contacts, and parole details.  
- Documentation of Earl Everett Ray’s criminal history, including assault charges and acid attacks on his wife.  
- Mention of James Earl Ray’s alleged imprisonment in Missouri (1959–1960) and military service in Germany post-WWII.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Quincy Police Department  
- Mennard State Penitentiary (Illinois)  
- Joliet Prison, Illinois  
- U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas  
- Peoria County Bar Association (Peoria, Illinois)  
- Greenville, Illinois Circuit Court Clerk’s Office  
- Illinois State Board of Probation and Parole  
- C B & Q Railroad (mentioned in employment records for Earl Everett Ray)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_013_ser_576_only-part_2_of_5.pdf

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