Interview of Nevada source re Frank Painter as D.B. Cooper
Dictated 18 October 2000Transcribed 18 October 2000
Also filed at: Part 118 pp. 318–319
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-118:315-317
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-118:315-317 Document: FD-302 interview of Nevada source re Frank Painter as D.B. Cooper Id: Cooper-Part-118:315-317 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-118%3A315-317 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 118 pp. 315–317 (DB Cooper-54434–54436), FD-302 interview, dictated 18 Oct 2000 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-118%3A315-317
FD-302 (Rev. 10-6-95)
- 1 -
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Date of transcription 10/18/2000
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On this date, [REDACTED] date of birth [REDACTED] and Social Security Account Number (SSAN) [REDACTED] was contacted for interview at her residence, [REDACTED] Nevada [REDACTED] telephone [REDACTED] regarding possible knowledge relating to the FBI investigation of the hijacking committed allegedly by a D.B. Cooper in , from Portland, Oregon.
[REDACTED] was advised of the official identity of the interviewing Special Agent and the purpose of the interview, a follow-up to her recent telephone call to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Seattle, Washington, regarding the hijacking (NORJAK) and [REDACTED] anonymity.
[REDACTED] (Protect Identity), previously known as [REDACTED], confidentially advised that she believes that the true identity of the hijacker D.B. Cooper is that of [REDACTED] Frank Painter, who is still living and who currently resides at 1000 B Cherry Hill Court, Polson, Montana 59860, near the San Luis mountains.
[REDACTED] stated that she feels very strongly that they are identical because [REDACTED] Frank confessed [REDACTED] in the early 1970s that he was the one who did the hijacking and that shortly thereafter, Frank Painter changed his name to an alias, Nick Leuis, and disappeared for 20 years, making his family assume the new name.
She advised that she is now coming forward to expose this matter because Frank deserted [REDACTED] at this time. [REDACTED] indicated that if any reward is gained from this information, she intends to provide the proceeds to [REDACTED]. She stated that [REDACTED] Lucinda Reyes, originally told her about the confession and that each family member agreed the artist renderings published of D.B. Cooper were indeed Frank Painter.
During a three-way telephone conversation following the interview, [REDACTED] and SA Joseph A. Dushek, FBI Las Vegas, were advised by Lucinda Reyes, 320 Reyes Way, Yerrington, Nevada, that the true full name of [REDACTED] Frank is:
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Investigation on 10/17/2000 at [REDACTED] Nevada
File # SE 164A-81-[illegible]766-1
Date dictated 10/18/2000
by SA JOSEPH A. DUSHEK:jad
[handwritten illegible annotation, possibly "39832..."]
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.
DB COOPER-54434
FD-302a (Rev. 10-6-95)
SE 164A-81
Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED], On 10/17/2000, Page 2
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Franklin John Painter, born on April 27, 1937, at Bakersfield, California, who is described as a white American male, 5'11" to 6' tall, 170 to 190 pounds (presently), black receding hair, salt and pepper in color, with full beard and mustache (mountain man style), brown eyes, and is unemployed.
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[REDACTED] provided a color photograph of Frank Painter and indicated that he now drives a 2000 white Chevrolet pickup truck with a camper, Montana license plates unkown.
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[REDACTED] advised that Frank is now remarried to an American Indian woman named Bernadette, aka "Puggie," and they are living under his assumed alias as Mr. and Mrs. Nick Leuis. Frank can be contacted via the Internet at [email protected] in Montana, where they live near the Canadian border.
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[REDACTED] stated that Frank's mother and [REDACTED] Emilia R. Greefer, is now deceased and had been living at Ely, Nevada, and finally at Yerrington, Nevada, near Reno. [REDACTED] still resides in that residence with [REDACTED], Bennie Reyes, now retired, and was one of ten siblings, some of which were raised by relatives and/or foster homes.
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[REDACTED] related that [REDACTED] Emilia Greefer, had told them that the FBI came to her residence right after the hijacking asking to check on Franks' brother, Joseph Belmont Painter, born on June 26, 1937. She believes that Joseph was arrested by the FBI, who checked Joseph Painter out and released him as being non-identical. They were told that the grandmother did not tell them about Frank and he has remained in hiding for 20 years, later resurfacing and now in contact with [REDACTED] her, and [REDACTED].
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[REDACTED] stated that Greefer also advised them that Frank had hitchhiked to his mother's house after the incident and had a small black suitcase with him that was burned on one corner and looked beat up. She indicated that Frank claimed that after parachuting into the forest, he built a campfire and it was partially burned during the night. He reportedly would always keep the suitcase with him even while in the bathroom.
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DB COOPER-54435
FD-302a (Rev. 10-6-95)
SE 164A-81
Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED] , On 10/17/2000 , Page 3
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[REDACTED] stated that Frank left a gun with [REDACTED] Lucinda, in Yerrington, Nevada, and Lucinda still has it. It was described as a .22 or .25 caliber pistol and has never been touched since then. Therefore, his fingerprints are still on it. She stated Frank calls Lucinda occasionally to make sure she still has this weapon. He also wants an antique family sword.
[REDACTED] stated that Frank Painter used to live in Ely, Nevada, and knew a family named Cooper in Ely. She did not know the first names and had no idea what the D.B. could stand for. Also, [REDACTED] indicated that Frank was very familiar with the geographic areas of Oregon, Northern Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, and California, and had run away when he was 12 years old, camping for a week on the Snake River and living off the land.
[REDACTED] advised that Frank Painter was in the United States Army as a paratrooper, but received a dishonorable discharge before returning to his family.
[REDACTED] said that Frank Painter had [REDACTED] [REDACTED] the [REDACTED] [REDACTED] in Rock Springs, Idaho, 82901 at telephone [REDACTED] also thinks Frank is D.B. Cooper and can be talked to.
[REDACTED] may try to warn Frank if contacted by the FBI. She indicated that Frank has claimed that he is living close to the border to escape if confronted. Also, his new wife, "Puggie," is a nurse and an Indian from a nearby Indian reservation, and her people could try to hide him if needed.
[REDACTED] stated that Frank lives a lifestyle where he does not have to work and they have always wondered how he pays for things. In addition, [REDACTED] stated that Lucinda told her that the FBI had asked about Frankie when they confronted his brother, Joseph, who was working at a post office in Reno then.
She stated that Frank bought a ranch in Montana after this incident and later sold it. Frank showed up at his sisters wearing a suit, which was out of character because he always had worn western-style clothing, including a cowboy hat. She stated that she and [REDACTED] feel 99.9% sure that he is D.B. Cooper.
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DB COOPER-54436
Serials: SE 164-81