</s>0-9 (Rev. 5:22-64) FBI Date: May 21, 1968 Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) Airtel (Priority) To: All SACs LEGATS, Mexico City Ottawa From: Director, FBI (44-38861) MURKIN For your information and investigative assistance, subject James Earl Ray has been known to consort with prostitutes and "street bums." A photograph of subject was obtained from a prostitute in Mexico. This photograph was taken from a shooting sunglasses was forwarded to your office. This should be borne in mind in your daily contact with informants, officers of vice squads and prostitutes in covering leads in connection with this and other cases. Armed and dangerous. QEISSA MOND. 44-995-7773 SEARCHED: SENIALIZED: MAY 2.3 1968 FBI - SAINT LOUIS L Sent Via M Per 8/49 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The document details an FBI investigation into James Earl Ray’s activities linked to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on his movements and potential connections to firearms, bank transactions, and travel. It references a visit by Ray to a gun rack in Birmingham, Alabama, where he may have purchased high-powered rifles and scopes. A bank draft purchase is tied to photographic equipment, with Ray allegedly using it to photograph locations for a planned assassination. The document notes his acquisition of a Mustang car and interactions with individuals like James W. Brown, a former Missouri State Prison inmate, who was identified as a potential accomplice. Investigations included checks on hotels, motels, transportation hubs, and salacious book outlets in Alabama, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., to track Ray’s movements. A signed statement by Clyde R. Manasco, a Birmingham gun clerk, identifies Eric Starvo Galt (later confirmed as James Earl Ray) through photographs. FBI file numbers and dates (e.g., April 18, 1968) are cited alongside photographic evidence and inquiries into Ray’s alleged connections to bank robberies and other crimes.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray** – Suspected assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., linked to firearms purchases, car acquisitions, and travel.  
- **Eric Starvo Galt** – Identified as James Earl Ray through photographic evidence.  
- **Clyde R. Manasco** – Birmingham gun clerk who identified Galt as Ray.  
- **James W. Brown** – Former Missouri State Prison inmate connected to Ray’s activities.  

Key Locations:  
- **Birmingham, Alabama** – Central location for gun rack visits, bank transactions, and investigative checks.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** – Site of former inmates linked to Ray’s network.  
- **Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and Jefferson City, Missouri** – Locations associated with Ray’s movements or investigations.  

Key Events:  
- **Visit to Gun Rack (3/2/68)** – Ray allegedly purchased rifles and scopes.  
- **Bank Draft Purchase (April 1968)** – Linked to photographic equipment for assassination planning.  
- **Mustang Car Sale** – Tied to Ray’s travel and potential surveillance activities.  
- **Interviews with Former Inmates** – Including James W. Brown, who provided information on Ray’s alleged plans.  
- **Photographic Identification (April 18, 1968)** – Clyde R. Manasco confirmed Eric Starvo Galt as Ray through photographs.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** – Conducted the investigation into Ray’s activities and connections.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary** – Source of information on former inmates linked to Ray.  
- **Birmingham Police Department** – Collaborated with FBI on investigations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_05-02-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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