</s>7-18-68 PLAINTEKT TELSTIPE URGENT TO: DIRECTOR, TDI (44-38981) FROM: SAC, SPRINGFIELD (44-(44-5861) (P 1) MURKIN. RE SPRINGFIELD TELTIPE TO BURRAU JULY FITTEN LAFT. 81 ONE SIX ONE FOUR - C CURRENTLY AT ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, INDEAVORLING TO DEVELOP INFORMATION IS JOE BEHITE. HASEL DERE, MOTHER OF PANILA SCHIFTER, STATES JOHN MC CLINTON/ ALTON ALTON JULY TIFFERN, MISTIN SIXTEVERN TWO DAYS AFTER BANK ROBERT AT THE BANK OF ALTON; FURTHER THAT NO CLINTON RAS ALWAYE PEN CLOSE TO HAROLD RICHARD COVERING AND WILLIE LEM. PHOTOS OF JAMES BARL RAY DISPLAYED TO HAEL BREN, PANILA SCHIDIER AND PCI HILES GRALE. ALL STATE THIRY ARE CERTAIN MAY NOT AS ASSOCIATE OF MC CLINTON, COVENTOR OR LIE AND MAY UNAMILLAR TO THEM. MAIL COPIES TO CHICAGO, MEMPHIS AND ST. LOUIS. P. 1 - Springfield (44)-861) 1 - Chicago (44+1144) (Info) (AM) - Chicago (444-1144), (Into) (Am) - St. Louis (44(44-1977) (Intro) (Into) (An) SEARCHED INDEX SEARCHEO INDEX SEARCHING INDEPENDENT JUL 171968 (RCHIRA) FB-1 SAINT LOUis 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities related to James Earl Ray’s movements and associations in the Alton area during July 1968. Initial efforts to locate Ray through hotel and motel contacts yielded no identifications. Subsequent reports noted unproductive follow-ups on Ray’s associates, including Martha Fornkohl (nicknamed Marty) and Jerry Bay. A separate investigation by SA Joseph A. Dubyak in St. Louis County involved interviews with Barbara Forschee, who met Jerry Ray in June 1968 but had no contact with James Earl Ray. Additional reports mention Bennie Bushyhead as a potential associate of Ray in Mississippi and the Alton bank robbery involving Robert L. Stanton and Jackie Lee Crider, where Stanton killed Crider over loot disputes. On August 2, 1968, FBI agents pursued leads on stolen vehicles and clothing descriptions linked to the robbery. A final entry references Donald James Nissen (FBI Number 607320A), a parole violator who claimed knowledge of a $100,000 reward offered to the White Knights of Mississippi for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., though this information was not corroborated.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure in the investigation; his associates and movements were tracked in Alton and St. Louis areas.  
- **Martha Fornkohl** (nicknamed Marty): Interviewed regarding her association with Jerry Bay, who allegedly interacted with Ray.  
- **Jerry Bay**: Allegedly associated with Ray, with sightings noted in 1966.  
- **Barbara Forschee**: Met Jerry Ray in June 1968 but had no contact with James Earl Ray.  
- **Bennie Bushyhead**: Identified as a friend of James Earl Ray from Oklahoma City.  
- **Robert L. Stanton** and **Jackie Lee Crider**: Involved in the Alton bank robbery; Stanton killed Crider over loot disputes.  
- **Donald James Nissen**: FBI number 607320A, claimed knowledge of a $100,000 reward for King’s assassination.  

Key Locations  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Central to early investigations involving Ray and the bank robbery.  
- **St. Louis County, Missouri**: Site of interviews with Martha Fornkohl and Barbara Forschee.  
- **Phoenix, Arizona** and **Tampa, Florida**: Mentioned in Nissen’s case as locations for parole violations and surrenders.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Reference to a federal building incident involving Nissen and potential threats against MLK.  

Key Events  
- **July 1968**: FBI efforts to locate James Earl Ray through hotel/motel contacts in Alton.  
- **June 1968**: Barbara Forschee’s meeting with Jerry Ray in St. Louis.  
- **Alton Bank Robbery (1968)**: Involvement of Robert L. Stanton and Jackie Lee Crider, resulting in Crider’s murder by Stanton.  
- **August 2, 1968**: FBI investigation into stolen vehicles and clothing descriptions linked to the Alton robbery.  
- **August 5, 1968**: Donald James Nissen’s attempt to surrender to FBI agents in St. Louis, citing knowledge of a reward for MLK’s assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Conducted all investigative activities, including surveillance, interviews, and follow-ups on suspects.  
- **White Knights of Mississippi**: Mentioned as an organization offering a $100,000 reward for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., per Donald James Nissen’s claim.

MLK Declassified Files

44-sl-775_742351_06-03-part_2_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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