Interview of Tave Coffelt re Jack Bryant Coffelt

FD-302 (Rev. 11-27-70)

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

[two black redaction circles; two blank/redacted boxes to the right with a magnifying-glass icon]

Date of transcription ___4/1/77___

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TAVE COFFELT. 2463 Kuhio Avenue, West II, was interviewed by [redacted] who identified himself as a Special Agent of the FBI. She voluntarily provided the following information:

Mrs. COFFELT stated that she was never legally married to JACK BRYANT COFFELT; however, she has lived with him since 1961. She advised that she met COFFELT in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1961 and shortly thereafter, she and COFFELT moved to the Washington, D. C., area.

She advised that COFFELT disclosed to her that he had spent approximately 20 years in the Georgia State Prison in Atlanta as a result of being convicted for bank burglary sometime in the 1930s. She stated that COFFELT was a decent man, very intelligent, and not a common criminal. She further advised that COFFELT personally knew J. EDGAR HOOVER and had visited HOOVER at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D. C., while they lived in that area from 1964 to 1973.

She stated that while living in Washington, D. C., JACK COFFELT worked for quite some time as a chauffeur and a personal assistant to an individual known to her only as (first name unknown) BECKWITH, who was one of three living descendants of former President Abraham Lincoln. She stated that COFFELT worked for BECKWITH until approximately 1967 or 1968 when he subsequently took employment with a furniture business.

She advised that COFFELT suffered from severe cases phlebitis and emphysema, and eventually while in Washington, D. C., suffered a nervous breakdown and received psychiatric care for his nervous condition and alcohol affliction. She stated COFFELT received treatment in Washington, D. C., in a hospital known only to her as Melwood Hospital.

She further advised that she and COFFELT departed Washington, D. C., and moved to Lynnwood, Washington, in January, 1974, where they lived on welfare until January, 1975, at which time she and JACK COFFELT moved to Hon[illegible, text cut off by redaction box]

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[handwritten partially legible number, possibly "164-81-" overwritten/redacted]

Interviewed on __3/29/77__ at __Honolulu, Hawaii__ File # __HN 164-85__

by __SA [redacted]__ :mes

[stamp, partially legible]: SEARCHED..... INDEXED..... SERIALIZED..... FILED..... Date: 3/30/77 APR 2 1977 FBI - SEATTLE

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-55445

GPO : 1975 O - 566-118

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HN 164-85 2

receiving expenses for the trip from her brother CURTIS THOMPSON of Gardena, California. She advised that she and JACK COFFELT lived in Honolulu at her current address until June, 1975, when COFFELT passed away as a result of complica- tions arising from the aforementioned illnesses. She stated that during the last few years of his life, COFFELT was extremely ill and could only get around with great difficulty.

She advised that to the best of her recollection, during the Thanksgiving holiday period of 1971, she and COFFELT were living in the Washington, D. C., area; however, she could not specifically recall exactly what she or JACK COFFELT were doing on or about the time of the "D. B. COOPER incident" during the same time period. She stated that due to her husband's physical ailments and severe phlebitis condition which required him to wear heavy nylon support stockings and his inability to move about without great deals of body pain, it would have been impossible for him to have taken on such an endeavor as attributed to D. B. COOPER.

Mrs. COFFELT advised that her husband had related to her that while he was in prison, he knew an individual by the name of JAMES BROWN who was a frustrated writer, and BROWN had taken on himself to edit a book which her husband had written while he was also in prison. She further advised that BROWN had visited her and her husband while they were living in the State of Washington in 1974, and BROWN and her husband had discussed the possibility of publishing the book which JACK COFFELT had written.

She further advised that since her husband's death, she has had contact with BROWN on several occasions during which BROWN had encouraged her to authorize the publishing of the book which her husband had written and that BROWN had indicated to her that he was going to feature her former husband JACK as the individual named D. B. COOPER in a story in which he, BROWN, was writing.

Mrs. COFFELT further advised that BROWN has come to Los Angeles and attempted to sell a story featuring her former husband as D. B. COOPER to movie producers. However, BROWN today has been somewhat unsuccessful as far as she knows. She

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DB COOPER-55446

HN 164-85 3

further advised that BROWN has contacted members of her family concerning her former husband's prior life and the possibility that he might have been D. B. COOPER. She stated that there is no truth whatsoever to BROWN's allegations or inferences.

Mrs. COFFELT advised that her former husband was born in Carthage, Missouri, and that he died in June, 1975, at the age of 58 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She described him as being approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185 pounds at the time of his death. She stated he had brown hair and blue-gray eyes and wore glasses. She further advised that he had no previous military experience, to the best of her knowledge. She further advised that immediately prior to 1961 JACK BRYANT COFFELT had attended the University of Kansas, however, he had never graduated.

Mrs. COFFELT provided a black and white photograph of her husband for comparison to the FBI's artist conception of D. B. COOPER, and there appeared to be very little similarity in the two likenesses.

She advised that she is currently employed as a secretary and receptionist for [REDACTED] New York Life Insurance Company, Honolulu, Hawaii, telephone number [REDACTED].

She stated that if she could be of any assistance with regard to this matter, the FBI should contact her without reluctance.

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DB COOPER-55447