</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) FBI Date: 7/17/68 Transmit the following in Type in plantex or code) TELETYPE URGENT (Priority) Via TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (44-38861) FROM: SAC, SPRINGFIELD (44 -3886) MURKIN RE SPRINGFIELD TELETYFE TO BUREAU DATED JULY SIXTEEN LAST. CANVASS OF APARTMENT AND ROOMING HOUSES VICINITY THE BANK OF ALTON INITIATED; PHOTOS OF JAMES EARL RAY DISPLAYED WITHOUT EFFECTING IDENTIFICATION. CANVASSE OF JAMAS EARL CONTINUING. ALLEN L. CALVEY, ALSO KNOW. AS BUTCH, FORMER POLICE OFFICER, ALTON PD OF KNOWN UNRELABILITY, CLAIMS HE HAS INFORMATION HAROLD RICHARD COVINGTON DEFINITELY INVOLVED IN ROBBERRY THE BANK of ALTON, AND USED MOTOR BIKE TO EFFECT ESCAPE. SAME BASIC INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY FURNISHED BY CALVEVY COULD NOT BE VERIFIED. CALVEY REFUSES TO DIVULGE SOURCE OF HIS INFORMATION. MAIL COPIES TO DULGGE SOURCE OF HIS ST. LOUIS. 1- Springfield(44-5561) - Chicago (44)-1144) (AM) 1 - Memphis (44-(44-1987) (AMI) 1 - St. Louis (44-) (AM] 1 - RCH/1p SEARCHED SERIALIZED/AJZA RCH/lp INDEXED FILED (44 -- 11-17) 44-561-17 Robert's Approved: Special Agent in Charge TCLAP Sent 44920 1:5921M Per DJM 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities in 1968 related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray’s potential ties to a 1967 Alton Bank robbery and his extradition proceedings from the UK to the US. Key efforts included canvassing neighborhoods near the Alton Bank, interviewing witnesses such as Hazel Drew, Pamela Schneider, and Helen Grable, who confirmed Ray had no association with suspects like Harold Richard Covington, John McClintock, or Willie Lee. FBI agents also pursued leads involving Allen L. Calvey’s unverified claims about Covington’s involvement in the robbery and explored connections to individuals like Bennie Bushhead (Oklahoma City) and Johnny Lee Lucas (Brooklyn, Illinois), who alleged meeting a white male and red-headed female linked to Ray. Investigations into Robert L. Stanton’s role in the 1968 Bank of Alton robbery included his physical description matching the suspect, his purchase of new cabs post-robbery, and his alleged involvement in Jackie Lee Crider’s murder. The Bureau also sought vehicle registration details for a Chevrolet Corvair tied to Samuel Mairs Dean in Wheaton, Illinois, and requested dry-cleaning mailing lists from the National Institute of Dry Cleaning. Ray’s extradition case was pending in the UK, with a trial scheduled in Memphis, Tennessee.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK Jr.; investigated for ties to Alton Bank robbery and extradition proceedings.  
- **Allen L. Calvey ("Butch")**: Former police officer; made unverified claims about Harold Richard Covington’s involvement in the 1967 bank robbery.  
- **Harold Richard Covington**: Allegedly involved in the Alton Bank robbery; linked to John McClintock and Willie Lee.  
- **John McClintock**: Associated with Covington and Willie Lee; left Alton two days after the 1967 robbery.  
- **Willie Lee**: Connected to McClintock and Covington; monitored by FBI.  
- **Hazel Drew, Pamela Schneider, Helen Grable**: Testified Ray had no connection to suspects.  
- **Bennie Bushhead**: American Indian from Oklahoma City; noted as a potential associate of Ray in Missouri State Penitentiary.  
- **Johnny Lee Lucas**: Interviewed in Brooklyn, Illinois; claimed meeting a white male (possibly Ray) and red-headed female in East St. Louis.  
- **Robert L. Stanton**: Linked to 1968 Bank of Alton robbery; purchased new cabs post-robbery and was accused of murdering Jackie Lee Crider.  
- **Jackie Lee Crider**: Murdered by Stanton, with details about the robbery and its aftermath documented.  
- **Delmer Grindstaff, Bill Dixon, George Goff**: Suspects or witnesses in the Bank of Alton case.  

Key Locations  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Site of 1967 bank robbery; center of FBI investigation into Covington, McClintock, and Lee.  
- **Springfield, Illinois**: FBI SAC office coordinating efforts.  
- **Oklahoma City**: Home of Bennie Bushhead, noted as a potential associate of Ray.  
- **Brooklyn, Illinois**: Location where Johnny Lee Lucas was interviewed.  
- **East St. Louis**: Alleged meeting place between Ray and red-headed female companion.  
- **Bank of Alton (Alton, Illinois)**: Target of 1968 robbery investigation involving Stanton and Crider’s murder.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Proposed trial location for Ray’s extradition case.  
- **Wheaton, Illinois**: Tied to vehicle registration details for Samuel Mairs Dean.  
- **United Kingdom**: Site of Ray’s extradition proceedings from the UK to the US.  

Key Events  
- **July 15–17, 1968**: FBI canvassed Alton neighborhoods and rooming houses following the 1967 bank robbery; Calvey claimed Covington was involved but could not be verified.  
- **July 19, 1968**: Continued FBI canvassing in Alton without success; interviews with witnesses confirmed Ray’s lack of connection to suspects.  
- **July 22, 1968**: Drew Pearson syndicated column prompted media and police inquiries into Ray’s activities.  
- **July 24–29, 1968**: FBI monitored Ray’s movements, interviewed informants, and reviewed vehicle records, including a Chevrolet Corvair linked to Samuel Mairs Dean.  
- **August 1–2, 1968**: FBI investigated Bennie Bushhead’s potential association with Ray, Johnny Lee Lucas’s claims about meeting Ray in East St. Louis, and Robert L. Stanton’s role in the Bank of Alton robbery and Jackie Lee Crider’s murder.  
- **Post-robbery activities**: Stanton purchased new cabs after the 1968 bank robbery; his alleged involvement in Crider’s murder was documented.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance, informant development, and coordination with local agencies.  
- **Alton Police Department**: Mentioned in context of Calvey’s past role.  
- **British High Court**: Handled Ray’s extradition proceedings from the UK to the US.  
- **National Institute of Dry Cleaning**: Sought for potential links to suspects via mailing lists and labeling operations.  
- **FBI SAC offices**: Springfield, Memphis, Chicago, and St. Louis coordinated investigative efforts.

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_018_ser_698-859-part_02_of_10.pdf

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