SA Robert S. Travatte to SAC Seattle re NORJAK suspect Russell Coombs

SAC, SEATTLE (164-81) (P) 11/6/75

SA ROBERT S. TRAVATTE

NORJAK

[handwritten: Sub 178]

Remymemo dated 9/5/75.

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On 10/30/75, [REDACTED] white male, date of birth [REDACTED] place of birth [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Washington, [REDACTED] was interviewed at the [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Bellingham, Washington, where he has worked for nine years and is currently a [REDACTED]

[REDACTED] advised that while he doesn't know for a fact who D. B. COOPER is, he does know an individual he feels is capable of doing the feat that D. B. COOPER did. He stated that in [REDACTED] a man named RUSSELL COOMBS, a white male, and stated he met this individual through a friend [REDACTED] [REDACTED] in Seattle. He stated [REDACTED]

[REDACTED] He stated that COOMBS had been in jail on numer- ous occasions and he would often brag about his arrests, claiming he had been arrested in Alaska, Portland, Maine, Seattle, Everett, Washington, and all over the country. He stated that from what he could determine most of his offenses were associated with bad checks and/or con games. He stated that because of COOMBS' numerous arrests, he would be mad at the system and is the type of fellow to hold a grudge. He stated that COOMBS' mother lived in the area where D. B. COOPER was supposed to have jumped out of the airplane and it is a small town and he cannot remember the name for sure, but believes it is something like Alma. He stated that COOMBS knew the area from having hunted it. He further advised that COOMBS, in the late 50s, put on sky- diving exhibitions at state fairs throughout Washington and hung out at the Arlington, Washington, airport with sky- divers from that area. He stated he does not know if COOMBS was a member of any official organization as he was in to

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RST/tcs (3)

SEARCHED............INDEXED............ SERIALIZED............FILED............ NOV 7 1975 FBI - SEATTLE

[handwritten: Sub 178] 164-81-[illegible, guess: 6724] DB COOPER-54554

SE 164-81

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jumping during the early stages of skydiving when it was just getting off the ground. He stated that actually COOMBS was scared silly of jumping out of airplanes, but would do it anyway, just to prove to himself that he could do it. He stated he has no idea how many actual jumps COOMBS has made, but would guess at 30 to 40 and these would have been primarily around the Arlington airport. He stated that as he recalls, COOMBS actually only spent one or maybe two seasons on the state fair circuit when skydiving was just getting off the ground. He stated that during the time he lived with him, COOMBS had given up skydiving, but would certainly be capable of it because of his experience.

[REDACTED] further advised that it is his opinion that it would just be like COOMBS to do something like this prior to going to prison for some other crime. He stated that money meant nothing to him, yet he wanted it and spent it like a drunken sailor. He stated he is of the opinion that COOMBS would need to be desperate before he did something like D. B. COOPER, but feels he is perfectly capable of doing this type of deed.

[REDACTED] stated that during the whole time he [REDACTED] COOMBS he never made any kind of remark or indicated he ever planned to commit a hijack- ing.

[REDACTED] stated that COOMBS used to brag about the names he would use and he had about 20 different aliases. [REDACTED] stated that one of them was COOPER. He stated that as a general rule, COOMBS would use a variation of his own name and as a general rule would use a first name starting with the letter of his real first name. He stated that COOMBS also liked to use the first name of RAY and the last name of CAMPBELL.

He further advised that COOMBS did not own or possess any firearms, but if he had need for one he would borrow one from someone.

With regards to the composite sketch, [REDACTED] advised that the two features that certainly are similar or identical to COOMBS are the high forehead and the jaw-

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DB COOPER-54555

[two solid black circular marks, no text]

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SE 164-81

line is just right for COOMBS.

He advised that COOMBS was approximately 6' to 6'1", prone to go heavy in weight, served in the U. S. Navy in the early 50's and was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station, and apparently spent a great deal of time in Naval Prison as he ended up with a dishonorable discharge. He stated that COOMBS' hair was a dark color and thinning and that he came from Portland, Maine, ori- ginally, and was born in about 1930 or 1931, exact town unknown. He further advised that another trait of COOMBS was that he would "womanize", that is to say he would stay with three or four different women in one night.

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[REDACTED] stated that the last time he saw COOMBS was in [REDACTED] and at that time he was running from the law on an embezzlement charge; however, he had decided to turn himself in [REDACTED] let him off in front of the Seattle PD so he could turn himself in on the charge. [REDACTED] stated he has no idea where COOMBS is at the pre- sent time and the last he heard was in 1964 when [REDACTED] had told him the FBI had informed her that he had been arrested in Los Angeles and hauled back to Everett, Washington, on some kind of a charge. [REDACTED] stated that he has not come forth with this information for the reason stated in his letter of June 10, 1975, to the FBI.

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LEADS:

SEATTLE DIVISION

At Seattle, Washington

Will review the records of the Seattle Police Department to obtain background and descriptive data of a RUSSELL COOMBS as described above.

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DB COOPER-54556