SAC New Haven to SAC Mobile re NORJAK suspect James Hatfield of Clinton, Connecticut
Document date 3 March 1972
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Id: Cooper-Part-23:134-136
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-23:134-136 Document: Airtel SAC New Haven to SAC Mobile re NORJAK suspect James Hatfield of Clinton, Connecticut Id: Cooper-Part-23:134-136 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-23%3A134-136 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
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FBI 164-81, Vault Part 23 pp. 134–136 (DB Cooper-7281–7283), Airtel, dated 3 Mar 1972 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-23%3A134-136
3/3/72
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AIRTEL
TO: SAC, MOBILE FROM: SAC, NEW HAVEN (164-77) SUBJECT: NORJAK
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Surv 3/[illegible] James Hoffecker
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ReBuairtel 11/29/71.
On 2/14/72 [REDACTED] who resides at [REDACTED] [REDACTED] advised he had read a story in the "New York Sunday News", page 165 dated 2/13/72, which contained a composite sketch of the unknown hijacker. [REDACTED] said this sketch closely resembles JAMES MATFIELD, formerly of Clinton, Conn., who owned Highview Acres, Inc., and who built and sold two to three hundred homes in a development known as Lockwood. [REDACTED] said he formerly lived in this development. He advised that MATFIELD was in financial difficulty and left the area in 1988, at which time he reportedly went to Mexico City. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] said MATFIELD was represented by the law firm of [REDACTED] He also stated that a [REDACTED] who lived [REDACTED] was in correspondence with MATFIELD in Mobile, Alabama.
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[REDACTED] described MATFIELD as a white male, age 40 - 48, 6', black hair, brown eyes, medium-pitched voice, slight Southern accent, and usually wearing sunglasses. He said MATFIELD was "smart and calm." He also stated MATFIELD often flew a small plane, but he did not know if he was a parachutist.
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2 Mobile (2) Seattle (164-81) 2 New Haven JDM:smd (6)
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SEARCHED ......INDEXED...... SERIALIZED [REDACTED] FILED [REDACTED] MAR 0 7 1972 FBI - SEATTLE
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DB Cooper-7281
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b6 b7C
b6 b7C
NK 164-77
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On 2/18/72 [REDACTED] advised that MATFIELD, mentioned above, is deceased, having succumbed in Alabama after a six-month illness during which he was confined to bed. He did not the exact location in Alabama. He stated he would be tied up in court for the next several days and requested he be interviewed at a later date.
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On 2/25/72 attempts to contact [REDACTED] were negative.
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On 2/29/72 [REDACTED] stated he was well acquainted with JAMES HATFIELD. He said HATFIELD was former owner and building contractor of Lockwood estates, a housing develop- ment in Clinton, Conn., where he built numerous houses. He said HATFIELD had encountered financial difficulties and he [REDACTED] whose [REDACTED] recalled He said the former who now lives in the [REDACTED] area.
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[REDACTED] said sometime later, HATFIELD had made several trips to Mexico and had met a Mexican girl whom he subsequently ma[t]tied and brought back to Connecticut where they lived in the above housing development. He said HATFIELD's financial difficulties worsened and during the first part of June 1968, HATFIELD and his family left Connecticut unexpectedly and his whereabouts were unknown for a time. [REDACTED] said that when HATFIELD left Connecticut he went by plane as he was a pilot of small engine aircraft. He had no information as to whether HATFIELD was an experienced parachutist but he did state that HATFIELD and a cousin, name unknown, were in the process of building a small airport near Gulf Shores, Ala., prior to HATFIELD's death. He said HATFIELD's death on 1/6/72 at Mobile, Ala., was due to cancer. HATFIELD had had an operation in about August 1971. He was unable to a[ss]ess HATFIELD's physical capabilities following the operation.
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[REDACTED] said his information re HATFIELD's death had come from HATFIELD's [REDACTED] He added that HATFIELD's [REDACTED] name unknown, also lives in Alabama, possibly near Gulf Shores. He also believed HATFIELD
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-2-
DB Cooper-7282
NH 164-77
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Regarding the composite photograph of the hijacker in captioned matter, [REDACTED] said it bore a very close resemblance to HATFIELD. However, he could not be certain it was identical.
Additional investigation conducted in Connecticut has dis- closed that other individuals who knew HATFIELD furnished similar information regarding the photo likeness.
An obituary notice re HATFIELD's death appeared in the 1/7/72 issue of the "Middletown Press", a local newspaper published daily in Middletown, Conn. No additional informa- tion re HATFIELD's death appeared therein. It did indicate that HATFIELD had [REDACTED] who reside in [REDACTED] Additional investigation has determined that HATFIELD's [REDACTED] also resides in [REDACTED] exact address unknown.
[REDACTED] PD, Middletown, advised on 2/29/72 that HATFIELD's [REDACTED] and that this could possibly be identical with the [REDACTED] mentioned above as living in [REDACTED] as well as others contacted, had questions regarding HATFIELD's trustworthiness and it should be noted by the Mobile Office that upon HATFIELD's departure from Connecticut he took an amount of money from the corporation with him and left owing considerable in debts. These debts had not been paid at his death.
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LEADS
MOBILE At Gulf Shores, Ala.
Will contact [REDACTED] and conduct additional investigation to determine if HATFIELD was hospital- ized or confined to bed on 11/24/71.
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b6 b7C
DB Cooper-7283