</s>SI 44-561 CHG:53s 1 The following agencies at Harrisburg, Illinois, were checked with negative results concerning possible location of MONAN LEE CRAYFORD and DARLEN CRAWFORD, sister of niece, respectively, of WALTER TERRY RIFE (associate of subject JAMES EARL RAY). Postmaster Postmaster, Harrisburg, IL Sheriff CLIFTON JONES Saline County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff DAT ATKINSON, Harrisburg. Illinois, Police Department; ROY LANE, Former trooper, Former Trooper, Illinois State Police; DAY JOHNSON, Operator, Operator's Bay's Bar-B-Que Route 45) VERNA STINSON Saline Country Credit Bureau It is to be noted that all of the above persons remembered the CRAWFORDS but all-advised the CRAYFORDS moved away during 1955 and 1956 and they have no knowledge of forwarding address or their present location. -..- 92- - - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI investigative records from May 1968 detailing inquiries into individuals potentially linked to JAMES EARL RAY, a suspect in the assassination of DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Key details include interviews with MELVINA TYLER ("Tuggy"), who denied any knowledge of Ray and described her associations with taverns in PEORIA, ILLINOIS, previously owned by MILLIE AND MAC BURDIN. Tyler provided a physical description of Ray (red hair, fair complexion, 40 inches tall) but noted conflicting birthplace details (Norfolk, Virginia vs. Georgia). The file also references JAMES LAOMA OWENS, an incarcerated individual with records from ILLINOIS and MISSOURI prisons, and ANDREW WILSON DE CORE ("Blackie"), a parolee linked to the BAPTIST RESCUE MISSION in EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS. Other entries include administrative notes on unrelated individuals like PAUL ALVIN LAIL, JR., and JOHN EUGENE GAWRON, but these are not directly tied to Ray or the investigation.  

Key People  
- **JAMES EARL RAY** (central suspect in MLK’s assassination; no direct connection to the case in this document)  
- **MELVINA TYLER ("Tuggy")** (interviewed regarding Ray; described his physical traits and associations with Peoria taverns)  
- **JAMES LAOMA OWENS** (incarcerated individual with records from Illinois and Missouri prisons)  
- **ANDREW WILSON DE CORE ("Blackie")** (parolee linked to the Baptist Rescue Mission in East St. Louis, Illinois)  
- **REVEREND DAVID BLISS** (Baptist Rescue Mission, East St. Louis; verified De Core’s association with the facility)  

Key Locations  
- **PEORIA, ILLINOIS** (taverns operated by Melvina Tyler and previously owned by Millie and Mac Burdin)  
- **QUINCY, ILLINOIS** (home to the Virginia Hotel and Walter Terry Rife’s restaurant; referenced in earlier FBI records)  
- **MENARD STATE PENITENTIARY, ILLINOIS** (prison records for Owens and De Core)  
- **EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS** (Baptist Rescue Mission linked to Andrew Wilson De Core)  
- **SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS** (FBI investigation location; referenced in May 1968 inquiries)  

Key Events  
- Interview of Melvina Tyler regarding James Earl Ray on **May 16, 1968**  
- FBI inquiry into **James Laoma Owens’ incarceration and parole status**  
- Parole records for **Andrew Wilson De Core**, including discharge from Menard Prison in **1965**  
- Contact with Reverend David Bliss to verify De Core’s association with the Baptist Rescue Mission  

Key Organizations  
- **FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)** (conducted interviews and investigations; agents included SA ELYON H. DAVIS)  
- **ILLINOIS STATE PENITENTIARY (MENARD BRANCH)** (prison records for Owens and De Core)  
- **MISSOURI STATE PENITENTIARY** (incarceration records for James Laoma Owens)  
- **BAPTIST RESCUE MISSION (EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS)** (linked to Andrew Wilson De Core’s parole status)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_014_ser_576_only-part_3_of_5.pdf

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