</s>disruption of the march caused Dr. King's aides to commander an automobile, and Dr. Dr. Kings and his party were escorted by police to the Riverfront Hotel operated by Holiday Ims of America. (HQ 157-9146-45). Dr.King left the march at 11.11.5m.a.m. and checked into the Rivermont Hotel at 11:24am. where he stayed until March 29, 1968. Dr King at his party were scheduled to return to Atlanta on March 28, 1968, at 9:05p.m ., via Eastern Airlines and were scheduled to leave Atlanta the morning of March 29. 1968, for Baltimore (HQ 157.9146.45). Thus, remaining in Memphis on the night of the 28th as a change in plans. The city ordered a 7:00pm. curfew and approximately 3,500 members of the Tennessee National Guard were called out to end the violence. During the disturbance four blacks were shot, one fatally; approximately 150 fires were set; and over. 300 persons were arrested. Approximately one percent of the marchers engaged in looting and violence and many of these were people who were criminally inclined and who had been in previous trouble. The March 29., 1968, issue of the Memphis "Commercial Appeal" reported that many of the looters and window breakers were black power advocates and that several wore jackets of the "Invaders", However, other sources, including Lieutenant E.H. Arkin of the Memphis Police Department, indicated that -18- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details the FBI’s investigation into James Earl Ray’s activities following his escape from Missouri State Penitentiary on April 23, 1967, and his alleged involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. The Bureau pursued multiple leads, including a passport search in Canada, which identified a passport issued under the name Ramon George Sneyd, later confirmed to belong to Ray through fingerprint analysis. Ray was apprehended in London, England, on June 8, 1968, after using a forged passport and traveling under false pretenses. The FBI concluded that Ray acted alone in the assassination, despite numerous conspiracy allegations, which were investigated but ultimately disproven.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray: Escaped from prison in 1967, apprehended in 1968; linked to MLK’s assassination.  
- Ramon George Sneyd: Name used on a Canadian passport found during the search.  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Conducted passport searches and provided evidence linking Ray to the passport.  
- New Scotland Yard: Assisted in tracking Ray’s movements post-apprehension.  

Key Locations  
- Missouri State Penitentiary, Jefferson City, Missouri: Site of Ray's 1967 escape.  
- Montreal, Canada: Ray resided here temporarily and obtained a Canadian passport.  
- Toronto, Canada: Kennedy Travel Agency filed the passport application linked to Ray.  
- London, England: Ray was apprehended at British immigration offices.  

Key Events  
- April 23, 1967: James Earl Ray escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary.  
- June 1, 1968: RCMP located a Canadian passport under Ramon George Sneyd matching Ray’s photograph.  
- June 8, 1968: Ray apprehended in London after using forged documents and traveling to Brussels.  
- April 4, 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which the FBI concluded was carried out by Ray alone.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Conducted the primary investigation into Ray’s activities and conspiracy allegations.  
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Assisted in passport searches and provided forensic evidence linking Ray to the passport.  
- New Scotland Yard: Traced Ray’s travel plans and confirmed his movements post-apprehension.

MLK Declassified Files

66-me-2189_sec_001_ser_1-part_2_of_6.pdf

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