</s>FD-302 (Nov. 4-15-64) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date May 9, 1968 JIMMY GARNER, 107 14th Street, Northeast, was shown a photograph of JAMES BARL RAY in which he was wearing a suit, white shirt, and fore-in-hand tie. He stated this is the best likeness he has seen to date of MAY and stated, If not him, it's his twin brother. GARNER stated he has continued to try to recall additional information concerning RAY and his brief stay at 113 14th Streeet, Northeast however, he has been unable to recall any additional information. 25 5/6/68 at Atlanta, Georgia File # Atlanta 44-2386 On SA ROBERT R. PERRY 5/7/68 by sbjc Date dictated This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FIIL. It is the property of the Fill and is loaned to your agency. It and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI investigative records from April–May 1968 detailing efforts to trace James Earl Ray’s associations with Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and his activities during incarceration at Missouri State Prison (MSP). Interviews with Lewie Raymond DOWDA, a former MSP inmate, describe Ray’s alleged racist views, drug use, and statements about willingness to kill MLK if paid. DOWDA also noted Ray’s escape attempts, prison labor, and connections to individuals like Neil Abby (drug supplier) and Leo Barnett. The FBI investigated Ray’s movements in Georgia and Missouri around the time of MLK’s assassination, including his alleged ties to St. Louis gang leaders and amphetamine use. Additional records include interviews with Carl Gene Taylor and Edith Busby in Marietta, Georgia, who described a white male named "Red" resembling Ray. Raymond Louis Curtis provided details about Ray’s incarceration in Jackson County Jail, Leavenworth, and other prisons, noting his underworld connections and discussions of a $1 million bounty on MLK’s head. The FBI also tracked two white males using names M. Davis and D. Cheilaw departing Memphis via Delta Airlines to Houston, with no reservations. Investigations involved fingerprint comparisons, travel history checks, employment verification, and inquiries into hotel records in Houston. Suspects like William Leo Beier and James Herman Silver were eliminated through forensic analysis. Other entries include efforts to locate a waitress named "Lou" and verify her identity, interviews with individuals resembling Ray, and inquiries into Shirley Carroll’s activities at the Itasca Dance Studio.  

Key People  
- **Lewie Raymond DOWDA**: Former inmate at MSP who provided information about James Earl Ray’s behavior, drug use, and associations.  
- **James Earl Ray (JER)**: Suspected assassin of MLK; described as a loner with racist views, drug use, and underworld connections.  
- **Raymond Louis Curtis**: Incarcerated with Ray in multiple prisons; reported Ray’s criminal activities, gambling, and discussions about a bounty on MLK.  
- **Carl Gene Taylor**: Marietta, Georgia; described "Red," a white male associated with DOWDA.  
- **Edith Busby**: Manager at Lane-Liggett Drugstore in Atlanta, Georgia; confirmed DOWDA’s employment history.  
- **Neil Abby**: Prisoner linked to amphetamine distribution at MSP.  
- **Leo Barnett**: Inmate connected to Ray, with family in Missouri.  
- **William Leo Beier**: Beaumont, Texas; eliminated as a suspect via fingerprint analysis.  
- **James Herman Silver**: Imprisoned at Leavenworth; described as anti-Negro and linked to Memphis visits.  
- **Donnien Leon Harden**: Confirmed working in Mississippi on April 4, 1968.  
- **Claudie Cheester Claren, JR.**: Traveled from Honduras to Texas; employed as a heavy equipment operator.  
- **John A. Gault**: Traveled between Greensboro and Atlanta; not identified with Ray.  
- **Don Turner**: Picked up in Arizona with an Army uniform; later confirmed not identical to Ray.  
- **Henry Richard Giles**: Sought travel info to Cuba in Mexico; employed by Braselton Construction Company.  
- **G.L. Gallagher**: Resembled a suspect photograph but identified as an oil company executive.  
- **Tom Rosell**: Described as resembling James Earl Ray; confirmed as a barber in Beaumont, Texas.  
- **Graham Robert Smith**: British student at Rice University; checked for travel to Mexico during the assassination.  
- **Shirley Carroll**: Former employee at Itasca Dance Studio in League City, Texas.  
- **James Stedman**: Made controversial remarks about knowing the killer of MLK, leading to antagonistic behavior.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Prison (MSP)**: Central location for Ray’s incarceration; site of drug-related activities and inmate conflicts.  
- **Marietta, Georgia**: DOWDA’s residence and employment (Bonanza Steak House).  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Lane-Liggett Drugstore (Busby’s workplace) and potential movements of suspects.  
- **Jackson County Jail, Kansas City, Missouri**: Curtis and Ray’s incarceration; linked to Ray’s criminal activities.  
- **Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary**: Ray’s imprisonment; Curtis’s time there.  
- **Houston, Texas**: Delta Airlines flight details, hotel records (Rice Hotel, Sheraton Lincoln Hotel), and laundry establishments.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination; key location for suspect movements and flight departures.  
- **Nassau Bay Hotel, League City, Texas**: Investigated during the "Lou" waitress search.  
- **NASA Highway 1 (Texas)**: Motels and establishments checked for employment histories.  
- **Seabrook, Kemah, Corpus Christi, Texas**: Locations of interviews and investigations into suspects.  

Key Events  
- **April 5–6, 1968**: FBI investigation into two white males departing Memphis via Delta Airlines to Houston with no reservations.  
- **Prison incarceration details**: Curtis’s time with Ray in Jackson County Jail (1955), Leavenworth, and state penitentiaries (Jefferson City, Missouri).  
- **Discussions about MLK’s bounty**: Curtis reported Ray’s claims of a $1 million bounty on MLK’s head, linked to criminal networks.  
- **Hotel and laundry investigations**: Efforts to identify suspects via hotel records and laundry tag markings in Houston.  
- **Suspect elimination**: Beier and Silver ruled out due to fingerprint discrepancies or lack of evidence.  
- **Fingerprint comparisons**: Eliminated SILVER as a suspect; verified employment histories of Harden, Giles, and others.  
- **Investigation into "Lou" waitress**: Interviews across Texas to verify her identity and link to Ray.  
- **Controversial remarks by James Stedman**: Antagonistic behavior following his claims about knowing the killer of MLK.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, flight tracking, suspect eliminations, and forensic analysis.  
- **Delta Airlines**: Provided flight records for individuals departing Memphis to Houston.  
- **Houston Municipal Airport**: Key location for suspect movements and limousine services.  
- **Laundry and Cleaning Establishments**: Investigated for potential evidence (e.g., Pilgrim Cleaners, Monarch Laundry).  
- **Braselton Construction Company**: Employed Henry Richard Giles.  
- **Rice University**: Graham Robert Smith’s employment; checked for travel to Mexico during the assassination.  
- **Home Entertainment, Inc.**: Business associated with Steve Geron and David Weinbrener.  
- **Galveston County Sheriff's Office** and **Seabrook Police Department**: Involved in locating "Lou" and verifying identities.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_05-01-part_5_of_6.pdf

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