Criminal complaint, U.S. District Court W.D. Washington, re impersonating D.B. Cooper (Murphy, Fleming)
Title revised to match the document’s own text.
Original title: Criminal complaint, U.S. District Court W.D. Washington, re conspiracy to impersonate D.B. Cooper (Murphy, Fleming)
Document date 2 May 1972
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Id: Cooper-Part-108:233-240
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-108:233-240 Document: Criminal complaint, U.S. District Court W.D. Washington, re impersonating D.B. Cooper (Murphy, Fleming) Id: Cooper-Part-108:233-240 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-108%3A233-240 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
A person reads every report. Corrections are made by hand, to the data — titles, dates, names, which pages belong together — never to the scans, and they can take a while to appear.
FBI 164-81, Vault Part 108 pp. 233–240 (DB Cooper-4928, DB Cooper-49280, DB Cooper-49281, DB Cooper-49282, DB Cooper-49283, DB Cooper-49284, DB Cooper-49286), Report, dated 2 May 1972 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-108%3A233-240
STAN PITKIN United States Attorney 1012 United States Courthouse Seattle, Washington 98104 (206) 442-7970
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) Plaintiff, ) COMPLAINT FOR [redacted] ) v. ) ) [redacted], also known ) DONALD SYLVESTER MURPHY ) ) Defendants. ) _________________________________)
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COUNT I
That beginning on or about the first day of February 1972, and continuing to the date of this complaint, in King County and Kitsap County in the Western District of Washington, [redacted], also known as [redacted] and Donald Sylvester Murphy, the defendants herein, did wilfully and unlawfully combine, conspire and agree together to commit offenses against the United States, to wit, to [redacted] by [redacted] [redacted] Karl Payne Fleming to travel in interstate commerce from Los Angeles County, California to King County, Washington in [redacted] Karl Payne Fleming [redacted]
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DB COOPER-49280
MANNER AND MEANS
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It [redacted] as a part of the conspira[redacted] that the defendant [redacted] also known as [redacted] to an advertisement in the Seattle Times newspaper soliciting a contact from the alleged aircraft hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper", called Karl Payne Fleming at his home in Los Angeles, California on or about February 1, 1972 and stated that he [redacted]
touch with "D. B. Cooper", knew his true identity and could arrange an interview.
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It was further a part of the conspiracy that the defendants [redacted] also known as [redacted] and Donald Sylvester Murphy arranged for Donald Sylvester Murphy to pose as the alleged aircraft hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper". [redacted] photographed Donald Murphy wearing a wig and glasses and otherwise appearing much like the widely circulated "artist's conception" of "D. B. Cooper" and delivered a print to Karl Fleming [redacted] [redacted] and Donald Murphy arranged to copy three twenty dollar bills with serial numbers taken from the ransom money list - superimposed - so as to appear to be copies of twenty dollar bills acquired by the alleged hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" as ransom for the release of passengers on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on November 24, 1971.
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[redacted]
It was further a part of the conspiracy that the defendants [redacted] also known as [redacted] and Donald Sylvester Murphy falsely represented Donald Murphy
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DB COOPER-49281
to be the alleged hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" when they met with Karl Fleming at the Swept Wing [redacted]nn in King County, Washington on or about February 16, 1972 and [REDACTED] Karl Fleming [REDACTED]
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It was further a part of [REDACTED] that the defendants [REDACTED] also known as [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy prepared Donald Murphy to pose as the alleged hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" by reading the published information about the hi-jacking of Flight 305 and the alleged hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" and otherwise developing a plausible theory of the hi-jacking which began with a "confession" of the crime. Extraordinary steps for the security of the alleged hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" such as requiring that the cameraman and audioman recording the interview do so from an extreme distance while wearing ear- plugs, added credibility to the fraudulent scheme.
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OVERT ACTS
1. On or about February 1, 1972 the defendant [REDACTED], also known as [REDACTED] Karl Payne Fleming in Los Angeles, California from his residence at Seavue Estates, Seabeck, Washington.
2. On or about February 13, 1972 the defendant [REDACTED] also known as [REDACTED]
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DB COOPER-49282
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b6 b7C
Swept Wing Inn near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and made [redacted]servations for Karl Flemi[redacted] for February 16, 1972, requesting a ground floor room.
3. On or about February 16, 1972 the defendant [redacted] also known as [redacted] Karl Fleming at the Swept Wing Inn in King County, Washington, [redacted]
4. On or about February 16, 1972 the defendant Donald Sylvester Murphy met with Karl Fleming at the Swept Wing Inn in King County, Washington and used the fictitious name "D. B. Cooper".
5. On or about February 21, 1972 the defendant [redacted] also known as [redacted] [redacted] Karl Fleming [redacted]
6. On or about February 12, 1972 the defendant [redacted] also known as [redacted] [redacted] Karl Fleming [redacted] [redacted]
7. On or about February 21, 1972 the defendant [redacted] also known as [redacted] Karl Fleming around King County, Washington looking for a secure place to film the interview with "D. B. Cooper".
8. On or about February 22, 1972 and February 23, 1972 the defendant Donald Sylvester Murphy, posing as the alleged aircraft hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" submitted to inter- views with Karl Fleming and fraudulently confessed to hi-jacking Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 on November 24, 1972.
9. On or about February 23, 1972 the defendant Donald Sylvester Murphy was photographed posing as the alleged aircraft hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" and displayed
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DB COOPER-49283
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b6 b7C
a copy of three twenty dollar bills in front of the camera. [REDACTED - black circles] All in violation of [REDACTED]
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COUNT II 1. The defendants [REDACTED], also known [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Karl Payne Fleming by fraudulently representing the defendant Donald Sylvester Murphy to be the alleged aircraft hi-jacker "D. B. Cooper" as more particularly alleged in Count 1 of this complaint and all of the allegations of Count I are realleged and incorporated herein as if fully set out in Count II.
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2. On or about the 16th day and the 20th day of February, 1972 the defendants [REDACTED], also known as [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Karl Payne Fleming to travel in interstate commerce from Los Angeles County, California to King County, Washington [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Karl Payne [REDACTED] [REDACTED] All in violation of [REDACTED] [REDACTED] DB COOPER-49284
1 The complainant states that this complaint is based upon 2 [REDACTED b6/b7C] 3 [REDACTED] acquired from Karl 4 Fleming who states [REDACTED] Fleming 5 received [REDACTED] 6 [REDACTED] in support of the claim that Fleming was 7 interviewing the real "D.B. Cooper," which copy is attached 8 hereto as exhibit "A". The original copy has been examined 9 by the F.B.I. laboratory in Washington, D.C. and determined 10 [REDACTED] 11 [REDACTED] 12 13 Further, [REDACTED] 14 [REDACTED] 15 [REDACTED] 16 Karl Fleming and "D.B. Cooper". Fingerprints lifted from 17 [REDACTED] by the F.B.I. laboratory in Washington, D.C. 18 have been identified as belonging to [REDACTED] 19 Further, [REDACTED] 20 [REDACTED] Karl Fleming and Donald Murphy, posing as "D.B. Cooper", 21 which took place on the morning of February 23, 1972 on a 22 beach fronting Puget Sound in King County, Washington, have 23 [REDACTED] by agents of the F.B.I. personally 24 familiar with the defendants [REDACTED] also known 25 as [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy; Donald Murphy is 26 the person [REDACTED] as "D.B. Cooper." [REDACTED] 27 [REDACTED] 28 29 [REDACTED] from a location remote from the point of interview 30 at the request of Karl Fleming [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] are in the custody of the F.B.I.). Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, familiar with [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy [REDACTED] Karl Fleming, of interviews of "D.B. Cooper" [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Donald Sylvester Murphy.
Complainant further states that Karl Fleming has been interviewed by Special Agents of the F.B.I. and has related the following:
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[REDACTED — entire block of approximately 5 lines]
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On or about February 1, 1972 Karl Fleming received two telephone calls from [REDACTED] who in subsequent personal contacts identified himself as [REDACTED], the caller stating that he knew the identity of "D.B. Cooper" and could arrange an interview.
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In response to this information Karl Fleming flew from Los Angeles County, California to King County, Washington on or about February 16, 1972 and checked into a ground floor room at the Swept-Wing Inn [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] introduced him to "D.B. Cooper" who entered the room through a sliding patio-type door.
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[REDACTED]
[REDACTED] Karl Fleming was satisfied he was talking to the hi-jacker, [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
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DB COOPER-49286
[REDACTED]
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On or about February 20, 1972 Karl Fleming [REDACTED — large block covering lines 6 through 15]
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The complainant further states that he believes that the statements made by Karl Fleming to Special Agents of the F.B.I. are accurate in that checks of motel, airline, rental car, and telephone toll records corroborate his story and photographs of [REDACTED] also known as [REDACTED] and Donald Sylvester Murphy have been identified by Karl Fleming, and other persons, as the individuals who called [REDACTED] "D.B. Cooper" respectively.
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CHARLES E. FARRELL Special Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sworn to before me, and subscribed in my presence _________________, 1972.
United States Magistrate
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DB COOPER 4928[7]
Serials: DB COOPER 49287