ASAC McWeeney to SAC Portland re Mike Wallace / CBS claims about Coffelt

JULY 1973 EDITION GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum

: SAC, PORTLAND (164-41) DATE: 5/17/78

: ASAC SEAN M. McWEENEY

:CT: NORJAK

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On 5/17/78, Bureau Supervisor [redacted] Criminal Investigative Division, FBIHQ, Ext. 4192, advised he had a memorandum on his desk containing results of interview of Deputy Assistant Director HOMER BOYNTON, External Affairs Division, with CBS Newscaster MIKE WALLACE. Based on queries of BOYNTON by WALLACE, Supervisor [redacted] requested the Portland Division to determine answers to the following:

(1) [redacted] advised that WALLACE told BOYNTON that CBS investigation revealed that one of the stewardesses (name not known to [redacted]) apparently identified a photograph of JACK COFFELT as D. B. COOPER. This photograph was apparently not shown to the stewardess by the FBI, however, [redacted] did not know the identity of the individual who displayed the photograph to the stewardess. [redacted] requested any information in our file which would indicate that one of the stewardesses identified photograph of COFFELT as D. B. COOPER.

(2) [redacted] further advised that WALLACE told BOYNTON that their investigation indicated that one of the passengers (name not known to [redacted]) apparently identified a photograph of COFFELT as identical to D. B. COOPER and that this photograph was shown by FBI Agents. [redacted] requested confirmation of this point.

(3) [redacted] advised that CBS interviewed officials at Boeing Aircraft and they advised CBS that the plane crew on the night of the skyjacking would not have "felt" a drop in cabin pressure as has been described in the news media as occurring. According to CBS, Boeing advised that the opening of the rear door and the resultant parachuting out of D. B. COOPER would not have been apparent to the plane crew as previously described in news media accounts. [redacted] requested any data that the Bureau has in files to refute this claim.

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SHM:djl (2)

Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan

[stamp, partially illegible]: [illegible: MAR/MAY] 17 1978 [illegible smaller text below stamp, possibly office name]

DB COOPER-55619

PD 164-41

[redacted name] also advised that WALLACE told BOYNTON that CB[S] has determined that when COFFELT was in prison in Atlanta, the only visitor he had was the SAC of the Atlanta Office. Also, WALLACE told BOYNTON that COFFELT knew J. EDGAR HOOVER and HUBE[RT] HUMPHREY. WALLACE told BOYNTON that it is CBS' opinion that t[he] reason the FBI does not consider COFFELT a legitimate suspect [is] the obvious reluctance to discuss COFFELT of SA RALPH P. HIMMELSBACH and SAC REED of Seattle is because COFFELT is obvio[usl]y an informant or an asset of some sort of the FBI, and additiona[lly], was a personal friend of J. EDGAR HOOVER and HUBERT HUMPHREY. [In] effect, WALLACE is accusing the FBI of covering up the COFFELT/ COOPER relationship.

[redacted name] advised the bottom line, of course, regarding response to WALLACE's accusations is, "How did we positively eliminate COFFELT as being D. B. COOPER?"

[redacted name] would like information telephonically in this regard a.m. of 5/18/78, to be followed with airtel enclosing appropriate documentation from the file.

[redacted name] was advised that the Seattle Division is OO [O]n this matter and that some of the information concerning the COFFELT matter would be available to Seattle and not necessaril[y] in the Portland file. To this, [redacted name] requested that Portland coordinate with Seattle regarding the questions set forth above