</s>104-10443-10221 2017 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 INTERNAL USE ONLY CONFIDENTIAL SECRET ORIETY HANDLING LOLA REQUEST (Optimum) FOIA Appeal - Harold Weisberg, for information about: Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Earl Ray ASSISTANT NUMBER IPS 76-382 FROM: H.G. Bean ATTENTION DATE DATE Assistant for Information, DDA DATE 15 Aug. 1/7 7 D 02 HQ 51117 Assistant for information, DADA SUSPENSE DATE Suspense DATE TO: (Offer designation, design, number, and DATE building) DATE COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom buildings) DATE FORWARDO INITIALS to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment) 1. OFFICERS 1. Mr. Wells, DDO RECHIVED FORWARDIO COMMENS(Number each command to show whom THRU: Mr. Addona, DO/PICC INITALS 1: 1. 1. Dr. Alders, DDDG Attach to an FOIA Appeal with a due date of 19 Aug 77. THRUS: Mr .: Addona. DO/PICC In accordance with IPS pro- 3. 3. Mr. Dirks, DDSST creduces, the Chairman has assigned THRUR: Mr .. Redmond, DSS&T/FIO action for this appeal as follows: 4. Mr. Drinks, DDoSST 4. Mr. Wella, Mr. Dinks, Mr. Stevens, DDF/F10 Mr. Steven's, Dr. 5. Designed Action Member (a) 5. should contact me within 48 hours should there be any objection to THRUE: Mr_ Stevens, DDI <loc_295><loc_507><loc_295><loc_520><loc_105><loc_520>2. 2. 6104. HQ 6. <loc_63><loc_546>the case assignment. 6. <loc_63><loc_560>the case assumption.<loc_563><loc_561><loc_560><loc_758><loc_559>advice me or your Appeals Officer

Summary:  
The documents primarily focus on investigations into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with James Earl Ray as the central suspect. Key elements include Ray’s arrest in London under a forged Canadian passport, extradition proceedings between U.S. and British authorities, and legal challenges to his transfer for trial. The text references passport fraud, international law enforcement coordination (e.g., Scotland Yard, RCMP, FBI), and Ray’s alleged travel routes through Portugal and Canada. While one summary briefly mentions Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) in passing—referencing a "reward for the capture of RFK"—this appears to be an isolated, unclear reference with no further details or context tied to RFK’s assassination investigation. No substantive information about RFK’s death, related individuals, or government actions is present in the provided summaries.  

Key People:  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., arrested in London and subject to extradition proceedings.  
- **Ramon George Sneyd**: Alias used by Ray for passport applications.  
- **Fred A. Vinson**: U.S. Attorney General overseeing extradition efforts.  
- **Alexander Chancellor**: Reuters correspondent reporting on the case.  
- **Edgar Mover**: U.S. official involved in extradition discussions.  

Key Locations:  
- **London, United Kingdom**: Site of Ray’s arrest and extradition hearings.  
- **Lisbon, Portugal**: Alleged stop during Ray’s travel to Canada.  
- **Ottawa, Canada**: Canadian authorities’ involvement in passport fraud investigation.  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Location of MLK Jr.’s assassination.  
- **Heathrow Airport (London)**: Point of Ray’s arrest.  

Key Events:  
- **Arrest of James Earl Ray** at London Heathrow Airport under a forged Canadian passport.  
- **Extradition proceedings** initiated by U.S. authorities to bring Ray back for trial.  
- **Investigation into fraudulent passport applications** linked to Ramon George Sneyd.  
- **Coordination between British, Canadian, and U.S. law enforcement agencies**.  
- **Legal challenges regarding extradition**, including requirements for a “prima facie” case.  

Key Organizations:  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Coordinating extradition efforts and investigations.  
- **Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)**: Investigating passport fraud.  
- **Scotland Yard**: Coordinated Ray’s arrest and security measures.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Overseeing legal aspects of extradition.  

Note: The provided summaries contain minimal, fragmented references to Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) in one instance, but no substantive information about RFK’s assassination, related individuals, or investigative findings is present. All content pertains to the MLK Jr. case and James Earl Ray’s extradition proceedings.

Summary  
The text contains fragmented and garbled entries primarily related to legal proceedings involving James Earl Ray, focusing on his conviction for the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and subsequent appeals. Mentions of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) are sparse and appear in disconnected contexts, including references to Ray’s alleged connections to a Remington rifle and activities around the time of RFK’s death. The documents include court cases, legal motions, and administrative records, with some sections referencing FBI investigations into Ray’s movements. While most content pertains to MLK’s assassination, one entry notes Ray’s alleged involvement in events linked to RFK’s death, though details are unclear or incomplete.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (convicted of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination; referenced in connection to RFK)  
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (victim of 1968 assassination)  
- Judge Arthur C. R. R. (involved in legal proceedings)  
- Jodie W. Preston Batie (legal figure referenced)  
- Albert Pepper, John Lawrence, Eric Galt (individuals associated with Ray’s activities)  
- Mrs. Sprakowski (linked to Ray’s accommodations)  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee (central to MLK assassination trial and legal proceedings)  
- Los Angeles, California (mentioned in connection to RFK-related events)  
- Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Mexico (Ray’s movements post-prison escape)  
- Birmingham, Alabama; Toronto, Canada (referenced in Ray’s activities)  

Key Events  
- Legal trials and appeals for James Earl Ray’s conviction in MLK’s assassination  
- FBI investigations into Ray’s movements and potential connections to violent acts  
- Alleged involvement of Ray in events surrounding RFK’s death (fragmentary references)  
- Attempts by Ray to obtain identification documents, including a social security number (SSN)  
- Struggles with document classification, administrative notes, and corrupted text  

Key Organizations  
- Courts (Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, U.S. District Court)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Law enforcement agencies (Memphis Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol)  
- Bantam Books (publisher of Clay Blair Jr.’s book on Ray)  
- Social Security Administration (referenced in Ray’s SSN attempts)

RFK Declassified Files

00564614_kingray_foia_104-10137-10037.pdf

Document Summary

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