</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) F B1 Date: 4/20/68 Transmit the following in (Type in planiantex or code) TELETYPE IMMEDIATE (Priority) Via TELETYPE TO: KANSAS CITY FROM: ST. LOUIS (44-775) MURKIN; 00:ME RE MY TELEPHONE CALL TO KANSAS CITY, THIS DATE. RE MY ELEPHONE CALLL TO KANAS CITY, ALL STATE INSURANCE ON APR. EIGHTEEN, LAST, ONE JAMES RAY, ALL STATE INSURANCER CO ., COLUMBIA, MO ., REGISTERED AT CONGRESS AIRPORT INN, ST. LOUSIS MO ., PAYING CASH IN ADVANCE. RAY GAVE LICENSE NUMBER SE OR GE MO . , PAYING EIGHT SIX ONE FOR SIXTY SEVEN PLYMOUNTAIN WHEN REGISTER- ING ., WITNESSES STATED CAR WAS FOR DARK GREEN, FOUR DOOR, SINTY SEVEN PLLYM WITH NO. LICENSE. ABOVE NUMBERS ARE NOT MO. ISSUE. RAV NOT SEEN AT MOTEL AFTER NOON, APR. NINTEEN, NINETEKEN, Sixty EIGHT. WITNESSESS AT MOTELS BELIEVE THIS PERSON IDENTICAL WITH SUBJECT RAY. INQUIRY AT ALL STATE INSUANCE CO ., ST ., LOUISA, MO . ., NEGATIVE AND REFLECTS ALL STATEINSURANCE CO. ST. COLUMBA, MO .- OPERATED BY INDEPENDENT AGENT AT SEARS ROEBUCK STORE. 14-775-198 1-1- ST. louIS SEARCHED SEARCHER INDEPED. SEARCHALIZED. SERIALIZED, SIRIAUZED. HELO JJB :jmb SERIALIZEZED INCLUDED FILED SAINT LOUISS (1) ymb Dibson Approved: Sent Kc 4/2M Per Special Agent in Charge Sent KC 4/7M Per dg. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray’s movements and activities in April 1968, focusing on his alleged connection to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray registered a car at Congress Airport Inn in St. Louis, Missouri, under the name James Ray, paying cash. Witnesses identified him as a subject of interest, noting his presence at motels in St. Louis and Memphis. The FBI tracked his alleged possession of a white Mustang linked to a 30-06 Remington rifle found near the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where King was shot on April 4, 1968. Ray’s military service records from Germany (Nuremberg) are referenced, including assignments at U.S. Army depots and units. The FBI sought to verify his background, identify potential associates, and locate him, noting he was considered armed and dangerous. Additional investigations included passenger checks on a Greyhound Bus (No. 4472) from Columbus, Ohio, to Los Angeles, where no suspect match was found. Laundry and dry cleaning establishments in St. Louis and other locations were contacted regarding thermodynamic marking machines for tracking garments, though no confirmed use was identified. The FBI also sought information on James Eugene Gault, linked to Kansas City police investigations, and Eric Galt, whose physical description (including an out-turned ear) was noted by Clara Pringley Neel at St. Louis Airport. A composite sketch of a suspect in MLK’s assassination was referenced, with individuals Oscar Wheeler and Orwell Chester incarcerated in St. Louis Jail. The FBI coordinated with Memphis, Springfield, and Kansas City offices to track personnel assignments and potential suspects, including Ray Ratliff’s relatives in Elsbury, Missouri, and James Earl Ray’s post office box rental in St. Louis. Teletype messages from April 1968 reference Ray’s aliases (Eric Starvo Galt, Harvey Horron, W.C. McBride, etc.), his military service in Germany (assigned to Nuremberg, August 18–December 1946), and efforts to locate him. A federal warrant was issued on April 17, 1968, charging Ray with interstate flight to avoid confinement. The FBI requested checks on stolen vehicles from Georgia linked to Ray’s movements and interviewed family members like his sister Melba Marie Ryan, who suggested he might return to Germany. Birth records for James Eugene Gault (born July 2081, St. Louis, Missouri) and driver’s license information were noted.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspect in MLK assassination; aliases include Eric Starvo Galt, Harvey Horron, W.C. McBride, James O'Connor, James W. Walton, James Wollard, John Willard)  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.** (assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee)  
- **Melba Marie Ryan** (Ray’s sister; provided information about his military service and potential return to Germany)  
- **William Williams** (laundry informant)  
- **Oscar Wheeler, Orwell Chester** (St. Louis Jail inmates referenced in composite sketch)  
- **Clara Pringley Neel** (noted Eric Galt observation at St. Louis Airport)  
- **James Eugene Gault** (individual with birth records linked to St. Louis, Missouri; driver’s license details noted)  
- **Ray Ratliff** (cousins in Elsbury, Missouri)  
- **CAROL PEPPER** (alleged owner of a grapevine tavern where Ray’s brother was reportedly operating)  
- **IDA F. GAULT** and **LEADS** (mother of James H. Gault; no driver’s license issued to them)  

Key Locations  
- **St. Louis, Missouri** (Congress Airport Inn, post office, FBI offices, Portageville, Wardell)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (Lorraine Motel, Canipe Assessed Co., 42 South Main Street)  
- **Columbus, Ohio** (Greyhound Bus origin)  
- **Los Angeles, California** (Greyhound Bus destination)  
- **Kansas City, Missouri** (police investigations, FBI SAC office)  
- **Elsbury, Missouri** (Ratliff relatives)  
- **Nuremberg, Germany** (Ray’s military service locations)  
- **Atlanta, Georgia** (Ray’s last known location prior to MLK’s assassination; car theft investigations)  

Key Events  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.  
- **April 1968**: FBI investigation into Ray’s movements, including car registration and rifle recovery near the Lorraine Motel.  
- **Passenger checks on Greyhound Bus No. 4472** (Columbus to Los Angeles) with no suspect match identified.  
- **Laundry marking machine inquiries** in St. Louis, Columbia, Missouri, and other locations.  
- **Eric Galt’s physical description noted at St. Louis Airport** (out-turned ear).  
- **Composite sketch of MLK assassination suspect referenced**, including Oscar Wheeler and Orwell Chester incarcerated in St. Louis Jail.  
- **Coordination between FBI offices** (Memphis, Springfield, Kansas City) for personnel tracking and suspect identification.  
- **April 17–22, 1968**: FBI issued a federal warrant against James Earl Ray for interstate flight to avoid confinement.  
- **Military records review**: Confirmation of Ray’s Army service in Germany (Quartermaster Base Depot, Nuremberg).  
- **Car theft investigations**: Requests for checks on stolen vehicles from Georgia linked to Ray’s movements.  
- **Family interviews**: Melba Marie Ryan and others provided details about Ray’s life, including his military history and potential connections to Germany.  
- **Birth records review**: Examination of Missouri vital statistics for James H. Gault (born July 2081) and JAMES EUGENE GAULT (certificate number 9442).  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **Greyhound Bus Lines**  
- **St. Louis Post Office**  
- **Kansas City Police Department**  
- **Special Agent in Charge (SAC)** (KANSAS CITY, MO; MEMPHIS, TN; ATLANTA, GA; ST. LOUIS, MO)  
- **Local police departments** (e.g., St. Louis Police Department, SLPD; referenced in car theft investigations and witness interviews)

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_02-01-part_3_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search