</s>-FBI ST LOUIS FBI KAN CITY 3-01 PM URGENT 5-16-68 MRH TO DIRECTOR 44-38861 MEMPHIS ST. LOUis BIRMINGHAM FRON KANSAS CITY 44-760 2P MURKIN. RE ST. louis TELETELETE MAY FOURTEEN LAST AND BIRMINGHAM TELETYPE MAY NINELAST. MAJ. POKLY, SECURITY OFFICER, MO STATE PENITENTIARY (MSP), ADVISED HE KNEW BOTH JOHN VELANZAND AND SUBJECT. HE KNOWS OF NO ASSOCIATION WITH EACH OTHER AND KNOWS NO NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN. THE TWO IN MSP. INMATE MSP: ERNEST BAGUEL, NM, ONE OF THE OLDER INMATES AT THE PENITIENTIARY, ADVISED THAT HE KNEV JOHN VVELANTI AT THE PRISON BUT DID NOT KNOW SUBJECT AND KNOWS OF NO RELATISHIP BETHEEN THE TWO INDIVIDUALS. MARIAN JANSPAN, FORMER INNATE, MSP, RELEASED FEB NINETEEN LAST REPORTEDLY RESIDING NINE THREE ZERO FIVE STATE, KANSANS CITY, KANSAS, WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY THE KANSASC CITY OFFICE. END PAGE ONE AA-775-623 SEARCHED INDEXED SEARCHER SENALIZED ALLED MAY 16 1968 FB-ST. LOUS Kiddewell 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail FBI investigative activities related to James Earl Ray, a suspect in Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, focusing on tracking his movements, associates, and potential connections to criminal activity. Communications between FBI offices in St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, and Springfield are recorded, including phone call monitoring, interviews with former inmates, parole officers, and individuals linked to Ray. The Grape Vine Tavern in St. Louis is noted as owned by Carol Pepper (Ray's sister) and operated by John Larry Ray (Ray's brother). Phone numbers associated with the tavern and other locations are flagged for investigation. References include inquiries into Ernest Baguel, Marian Janspan, Carl Mills, Tom Britton, Ivan Dale Underwood, Chester Spratt, Charles Walters, and others. The FBI seeks to determine if these individuals had contact with Ray or knowledge of his activities.  

The documents also reference FBI investigations into Jerry Ray (a convicted robber) following his escape from Menard Prison in 1967. Ray is suspected of involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., though no direct evidence is presented. The Bureau interviewed individuals like James David Daily, who allegedly harbored Ray after his escape, and John Larry Ray (Ray's brother), who denied knowledge of Ray's whereabouts. Owens, a fellow inmate, claimed Ray had connections to drug trafficking and robberies but not to the King assassination. FBI agents tracked phone calls linked to Ray's associates, including Carmen Patton and Walter Pemberton, while verifying alibis and locations. The documents also reference unrelated inquiries into other inmates and potential harboring activities, with repeated emphasis on Ray being "armed and dangerous."  

A separate document contains fragmented entries related to FBI activities in Missouri during the mid-1960s. It references surveillance conducted on Jerry Raynes' residence in Center, Missouri, between May 15–16, 1965, noting no unusual activity or visitors observed. A spot surveillance by SA James A. Duffty was maintained at Raynes’ home during this period. The document also includes a memorandum dated May 16, 1968, from SA James A. Duffeys to SAC, addressing an investigation into a "look-alike" individual in Elmer, Missouri, and the elimination of James Cross as a suspect. The text references FBI-St. Louis operations and mentions form numbers, including Optional Form No. 18 and SMC-10-18. A redacted social security number (144.775-6480) is noted in the document.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK Jr., subject of investigation; convicted robber, escaped from Menard Prison in 1967.  
- **Carol Pepper**: Sister of James Earl Ray; owner of the Grape Vine Tavern in St. Louis.  
- **John Larry Ray**: Brother of James Earl Ray; operator of the Grape Vine Tavern.  
- **James David Daily**: Alleged to have harbored Jerry Ray post-escape; denied knowledge of Ray's activities.  
- **Owens (James Wallace)**: Inmate who claimed Ray engaged in robberies but not the King assassination.  
- **Ernest Baguel**: Former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP); reported no association with John Velan and subject.  
- **Marian Janspan**: Former inmate at MSP, released in 1968; to be interviewed by Kansas City office.  
- **Carl Mills**: Manager of RENZ Farm (attached to MSP); interviewed regarding contact with Tom Britton.  
- **Tom Britton**: Individual with whom Carl Mills had prior friendship; reported no significant communication.  
- **Ivan Dale Underwood**: Former inmate at MSP, released in 1968; reported to have sent a money order to Greene County parole officer.  
- **Chester Spratt**: Fellow prisoner; interviewed and stated no knowledge of subject but noted Charles Walters (aka "Fifty") may have had contact with Ray.  
- **Charles Walters**: Alleged associate of Ray, possibly still incarcerated at Jefferson City.  
- **Jerry Raynes**: Subject of surveillance in Center, Missouri, May 15–16, 1965; referenced as a potential suspect in unrelated investigations.  
- **James Cross**: Eliminated as a suspect in an investigation related to a "look-alike" individual in Elmer, Missouri.  

Key Locations  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Headquarters for FBI operations; location of the Grape Vine Tavern.  
- **Jefferson City, Missouri**: Site of RENZ Farm (MSP facility); home to former inmates and parole officers.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: FBI office conducting interviews and monitoring communications.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Subject of investigative interest; referenced in telegrams.  
- **Springfield, Missouri**: FBI office involved in tracking phone numbers and subscribers.  
- **California (e.g., Chula Vista)**: Location where James Earl Ray was allegedly seen purchasing a car.  
- **Center, Missouri**: Residence of Jerry Raynes under surveillance May 15–16, 1965.  
- **Elmer, Missouri**: Location referenced in an investigation into a "look-alike" individual.  

Key Events  
- **Phone call monitoring**: FBI tracked communications linked to the Grape Vine Tavern and other locations, including disconnected numbers.  
- **Interviews with former inmates**: Inmates like Ernest Baguel, Marian Janspan, and Ivan Dale Underwood were questioned about ties to Ray.  
- **Investigation into Charles Walters**: Spratt noted Walters may have had contact with Ray; FBI sought to locate him.  
- **Tracking James Earl Ray's movements**: Efforts included monitoring phone numbers, car purchases (e.g., Plymouth Fury III), and potential associates in Chicago and Missouri.  
- **Discreet investigative techniques**: Interviews were conducted without disclosing methods to avoid compromising the investigation.  
- **Surveillance of Jerry Raynes' residence**: Conducted May 15–16, 1965, noting no unusual activity or visitors observed.  
- **Investigation into a "look-alike" individual**: Addressed in a memorandum dated May 16, 1968; James Cross eliminated as a suspect.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance, interviews, and tracking operations across multiple offices.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Site of former inmates interviewed for potential connections to Ray.  
- **Pacific Telephone Company**: Provided records on disconnected numbers linked to Ray's alleged activities in California.  
- **FBI-St. Louis**: Conducted operations and referenced in multiple documents.  
- **Jefferson Gravois Bank**: Linked to Owens’ financial activities.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_03-02-part_6_of_7.pdf

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