</s>TO-245 (ORV 4:13:60) A. S. Department of Justice (MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILED) 44-103 ENTIRE FLE REVIEWED FOR HISTORICAL WMFO DECLASSIFICATION FEDERAL BUREAU of

Summary:  
The document details the FBI’s investigation into James Earl Ray’s involvement in the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including his arrest in London on April 11, 1968, under a fraudulent Canadian passport. Fingerprint evidence and a Remington Gamemaker revolver purchased in Atlanta were linked to the crime scene in Memphis, Tennessee. The FBI coordinated with British and Canadian authorities to track Ray’s movements post-assassination, including his alleged connections to Portugal, Belgium, and Rhodesia (then Southern Rhodesia). Extradition proceedings under the 1981 U.S.-British treaty were initiated, with legal challenges addressed by the U.S. State Department and Justice Department. The case also references John Acord, a U.S. diplomat, and Eric Starvo Galt, a suspect linked to Mexico, Canada, and New Orleans, though no definitive connections to the assassination were confirmed. The FBI’s investigation involved over 6,700 agents, focusing on Ray’s financial records and movements.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin of MLK Jr., arrested in London)  
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (victim of assassination)  
- John Acord (U.S. diplomat mentioned in communications)  
- Eric Starvo Galt (suspect linked to Mexico, Canada, and New Orleans)  
- Frederick John Schwartz (passport applicant with ties to Los Angeles, referenced in unrelated documents)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (crime scene of MLK’s assassination)  
- London, United Kingdom (Ray’s arrest and extradition proceedings)  
- Toronto, Canada (mentioned in Ray’s alleged movements)  
- Lisbon, Portugal (referenced in Ray’s travel history)  
- Los Angeles, California (Schwartz’s residence and passport application)  

Key Events:  
- James Earl Ray’s arrest in London on April 11, 1968, under a fraudulent Canadian passport  
- Fingerprint analysis linking Ray to the Memphis crime scene  
- FBI coordination with British and Canadian authorities for extradition  
- Legal proceedings under the U.S.-British extradition treaty (1981)  
- Investigation into Ray’s financial records and movements post-assassination  
- Mention of Eric Starvo Galt’s alleged ties to Mexico, Canada, and New Orleans  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- U.S. Department of State (extradition coordination)  
- U.S. Justice Department (legal proceedings)  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  
- Metropolitan Police (British authorities involved in Ray’s capture)

MLK Declassified Files

44-wfo-703_742153_10-03-part_1_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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