</s>F.C. 245 (REV. 4:13:40) H. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILED CLUSTRATION NO. FEDERAL BUREAU FEDERAL BUREAU ENTIRE FILE REVIEWED OF ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED OR HISTORICAL HEREIN IS INCLABBET S.I. CUCKY DECLASSIFICATION DATE 1/5/19/18/19 S.1.CUCKY INVESTIGATION Bureau File Number 44.38/61 Volume Number Sencils DO NOT DESTROY HISTORIAL VALUE NATIONAL ARCHIVES See also Nos. SV8A DO NOT DESTROY - - HISTorical VALUE NATIONALARCHIVES - - - - Claud Bertin DOBSON 4-5/8 - - - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and local law enforcement investigations into individuals linked to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on James Earl Ray’s prison escape in 1967 and subsequent movements. Key figures include John Larry Ray (a former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary, alleged to have planned violence against MLK based on inmate accounts) and his brother, John Larry Ray (AKA Jack), whose visits to the prison were verified through handwriting analysis. FBI efforts tracked Ray’s escape via a bread delivery truck to a remote prison farm, later corrected to Rennz Farm. Financial transactions involving Ray at Missouri State Penitentiary (1963–1968) are noted, including senders like Jerry Ray and Philip Baker. Investigations also explored connections between James Earl Ray and the National Socialist White People's Party (NSWPP), with John Medizer identified as a member who made anti-MLK threats and planned trips to Dallas and Washington, D.C. FBI records mention Ray’s last known location in Atlanta on April 5, 1968, prompting checks of stolen vehicles. Witness accounts from April 1968 describe individuals resembling suspects, including Lee Harvey Oswald, while complaints referenced an unidentified man at Kay’s Parking Lot with a photograph of Dr. King’s slayer.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Subject of investigation; linked to prison escape, financial transactions, and alleged threats against MLK.  
- **John Larry Ray** (former inmate): Alleged to have planned violence against MLK based on inmate accounts; brother John Larry Ray (AKA Jack) visited him at Missouri State Penitentiary between 1959–1967.  
- **John Medizer**: NSWPP member; made anti-MLK threats, worked at Roto Print Company, planned trips to Dallas and Washington, D.C.  
- **Leo Holden Parker**: Arrested for kidnapping and robbery; conflicting victim statements about his appearance.  
- **John R. Willard** (FBI #92-094): Fingerprint record linked to MLK assassination inquiries.  
- **Lee Harvey Oswald**: Resemblance noted by witness Lee Osborn in April 1968.  
- **Carl Belken** (age 17): Reported present at school on specific dates; mentioned in witness accounts.  
- **Mark Tallalla**: Orpheum Hotel resident not matching suspect description.  
- **Lee Osborn**: Witness describing a man resembling the killer.  
- **Joe Tolson**: Reported Carl Belken’s presence in school.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** (Jefferson City): Site of Ray’s incarceration and escape; Rennz Farm (corrected from Church Farm) as prison facility.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: FBI SAC office, SLPD records, Kay’s Parking Lot (14th & Locust), Marlborough Lanes.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Ray’s last known location per FBI records; stolen vehicle checks conducted.  
- **Chicago, Illinois**: Medizer’s residence and NSWPP activities; Diplomat Hotel.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Medizer’s planned visit; connection to Nazi-related activities.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Reference to assassination inquiry.  

Key Events  
- **April 1967**: Ray escaped Missouri State Penitentiary via bread delivery truck to Rennz Farm; FBI coordinated with local authorities for tracking.  
- **May–June 1967**: Leo Holden Parker arrested for kidnapping and robbery; conflicting victim accounts of his appearance.  
- **March 1968**: John Medizer terminated from Roto Print Company; made anti-MLK threats.  
- **April 5, 1968**: FBI records note Ray’s last known location in Atlanta; stolen Georgia vehicles checked.  
- **April 26, 1966**: St. Louis Police confirmed no resemblance between Leo Holden Parker and James Earl Ray.  
- **April 10–11, 1968**: Complaint form references an unidentified man at Kay’s Parking Lot with a photograph of Dr. King’s slayer.  
- **April 12, 1968**: Lee Osborn described a suspect resembling Lee Harvey Oswald.  
- **April 20, 1968**: James Grunoi reported a man on a Kansas City bus matching James Earl Ray’s photo.  
- **April 22–23, 1968**: FBI investigated radio interference claims linked to broadcasting studios in California.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted investigations into Ray, Medizer, and related activities; coordinated with local law enforcement.  
- **National Socialist White People's Party (NSWPP)**: Medizer’s affiliation; linked to anti-MLK threats.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary**: Site of Ray’s incarceration and escape.  
- **St. Louis Police Department (SLPD)**: Provided records on Parker, Willard, and witness accounts.  
- **Local law enforcement agencies** (e.g., Union Station, Orpheum Hotel): Involved in tracking suspects and verifying witness statements.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_02-02-part_1_of_5.pdf

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