SA Donald J. Steele to SAC Seattle re Seattle PD Chief Tielsch contact and informant photo
Document date 3 December 1971
Also filed at: Part 13 pp. 101–104
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-13:097-100
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-13:097-100 Document: Memo SA Donald J. Steele to SAC Seattle re Seattle PD Chief Tielsch contact and informant photo Id: Cooper-Part-13:097-100 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-13%3A097-100 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 13 pp. 97–100 (DB Cooper-2900–2903), Memo, dated 3 Dec 1971, serial SE 164-81-557 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-13%3A097-100
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 MAY 1962 EDITION GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum
TO : SAC, SEATTLE (164-81) DATE: 12/3/71
FROM : SA DONALD J. STEELE & SA [redacted]
SUBJECT: UNSUB, aka Dan Cooper; NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT #305, PORTLAND TO SEATTLE, 11/24/71 CAA - HIJACKING; EXTORTION OO: SEATTLE
RE: [redacted]
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On 12/1/71, at about 4:50 PM, a request from COP GEORGE TIELSCH, Seattle PD, disclosed that he desired personal contact by Agents of this office in subject matter. SAs DONALD J. STEELE and [redacted] arrived at the Seattle PD at approximately 5:00 PM. At that time, COP TIELSCH introduced himself in the presence of [redacted]. At that point TIELSCH said, [redacted] why don't you tell them about it without further formalities."
[redacted] advised that an officer in his department has an informant who has given reliable information in the past and who, according to informant, [redacted]
He then advised that the informant had said, [redacted — large block redacted, approximately 5 lines]
[redacted] and TIELSCH indicated that inasmuch as the informant had furnished the information to their officer and had indicated [redacted] [redacted] they would like to work with us in connection with resolving whether or not [redacted] was the hijacker. 164-81-557
At 5:30 PM, contact was made with [redacted] [redacted] home address [redacted]
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SEARCHED_____ INDEXED_____ SERIALIZED /M/ FILED_____ DEC [guess: 10] ...1 FBI--SEATTLE
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DJS:jsd/klb (3)
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Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan
DB Cooper-2900
SE 164-81
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[REDACTED], home phone [REDACTED] [REDACTED] advised that based on the above mentioned information from the informant. [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED] also advised that in addition to the informant mentioned above, a second informant had advised that [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED] had reviewed records of the PD and came up with the fact that [REDACTED] had been arrested on [REDACTED]
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made up a montage of 8 pictures of Seattle detectives and one of [REDACTED] The detectives were all wearing sun glasses and the glasses which [REDACTED] was wearing in the picture had been blackened in to appear to be sunglasses. In addition to this, he had prepared a montage of mug shots of various individuals and one photo of [REDACTED] these pictures being without glasses. He stated that he had been in contact with [REDACTED] Northwest Airlines, and had arranged for a noon time flight on 12/2/71 to Minneapolis, stating that [REDACTED] would make arrangements for the Stewardesses to be available [REDACTED] to display these montages. He stated that [REDACTED] intended to make this flight together and that [REDACTED] would contact him at 7:00 AM, on 12/2/71 to confirm the flight. He advised that an Agent could accompany him in place of [REDACTED] He stated during this discussion that he didn't want anything to mess up his trip.
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[REDACTED] stated that he had discussed this matter with a prosecutor and the prosecutor had advised him that if he were able to get an identification from the photos he had prepared, the prosecutor would authorize a warrant. He was asked what the charge would be to which he replied he did not know but when the identification was obtained he would advise the prosecutor who would confer with his boss (Prosecutor CHRIS BAILEY) and they would decide what the charge would be. He advised that he felt time was of the essence because [REDACTED] [REDACTED] could possibly obtain knowledge of the investigation and leave Seattle. [REDACTED] stated he could call his office from Minneapolis when the identification had been made and other officers could obtain the warrant and arrest [REDACTED] while he was returning to Seattle.
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- 2 - DB Cooper-2901
SE 164-81
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[REDACTED] made available a photo of the [REDACTED] [REDACTED] with the glasses blackened in.
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[REDACTED] stated that in his opinion, the FBI is looking in the wrong place for the hijacker, meaning Woodland, Washington, inasmuch as that area is wooded and if he were the hijacker, he would have jumped out over the Willamette Valley in Oregon, inasmuch as this area is more open and the ground would be soft as it would all be freshly tilled. He stated he felt the oscillation in the plane was probably the hijacker going on to the back stairs and that he probably sat on the stairs until he jumped over the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
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He further advised that in his opinion the hijacker kept the briefcase and other items he had with him in his possession until he landed and then burned them. It was pointed out to him that it was quite damp that night and this would be quite difficult to which he replied, if he were doing this he would have done this by using gasoline to start the fire. He also stated if this is not the case, "why have you not found the briefcase?"
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[REDACTED] was advised that it is felt that if the hijacker was wearing street shoes he quite possibly lost these during his desent to which [REDACTED] replied he had never heard anything like that [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED] stated that he is [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED - large block]
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[REDACTED] stated that he felt the photos should be displayed to the stewardesses who left the plane at Seattle and if no identification is made by them, it should then be displayed to [REDACTED] He stated that the reason for this is that [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED] advised that other witnesses are in the Seattle area to which he replied that he did not feel that the passengers would be
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- 3 -
DB Cooper-2902
SE 164-81
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good witnesses as [REDACTED] citing as an example, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] asked what was happening.
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[REDACTED] was advised that the stewardesses were not all located in Minneapolis at that time and that the photo could be shown to witnesses locally at Seattle as well as to the stewardesses. He was advised that this would be done by other Agents.
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At no time was it indicated to [REDACTED] that Agent personnel would travel with him free of charge to Minneapolis on Northwest Airlines.
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On 12/2/71, [REDACTED] was telephonically contacted at his residence inasmuch as [REDACTED] [REDACTED] and was advised that the photo of [REDACTED] had been displayed to all witnesses and none of them identified him as the hijacker. To this he replied, "he could not understand this but some times things work that way."
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DB Cooper-2903 - 4 -
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b6 b7C
Serials: SE 164-81, SE 164-81-557