NR014 Seattle to Director and WFO re Seattle Flag purported hijacker interview

NR014 SE PLAIN 1048 PM NITEL 5/1/72 FEE TO DIRECTOR (164-2111) WFO (164-169) FROM SEATTLE (164-81) 3P

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NORJAK.

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THE MAY TENTH EDITION OF "SEATTLE FLAG" A BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER WHICH IS OF THE "UNDERGROUND" TYPE AND HAS ONLY PUBLISHED FIVE EDITIONS, CARRIED A STORY TODAY PURPORTING TO BE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SUBJECT OF THIS CASE. THE WRITER OF THE STORY CLAIMED THE FLAG HAD PURCHASED THIS INTERVIEW ON TAPE, FROM AN UNKNOWN PERSON FOR ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS CASH. THIS STORY HAS BEEN READ AND ANALYZED AND NUMEROUS DISCREPANCIES NOTED WHICH ARE SET OUT HEREIN, BRIEFLY: ONE: THE PERSON STATES HE SAT IN SEAT FIFTEEN D, WHEREAS HIJACKER OCCUPIED EIGHTEEN-E. TWO: PERSON STATES HE LANDED OVER ONE HUNDRED MILES AWAY FROM THE SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AREA WHICH IS IN CONFLICT WITH INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED CONCERNING THE SITE WHERE THE HIJACKER PARACHUTED. END PAGE ONE

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164-81-3013 DB Cooper-8112

PAGE TWO SE (164-81)

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THREE: HE STATED HE HELD STEWARDESS HOSTAGE BEHIND GALLEY CURTAIN AND IN THE TOILET. THIS IS NOT TRUE ACCORDING TO STEWARDESS'S PRIOR ACCOUNT. FOUR: HE STATED HE KNEW RANSOM BILLS WERE XEROXED BEFORE THEY WERE DELIVERED BECAUSE HE COULD SMELL XEROX FLUID. THIS IS COMPLETELY INACCURATE. FIVE: HE SAID "BOMB CONSISTED OF FIVE GILLETTE SHAVING CREAM CANS PAINTED RED AND RIGGED WITH PRIMA CORD. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE DESCRIPTION FURNISHED BY STEWARDESS. SIX: HE STATES HE SELECTED THE NAME "D.B. COOPER" FROM TELEPHONE DIRECTORY. HIJACKER NEVER USED THIS NAME, BUT USED NAME DAN COOPER. SEVEN: HE STATED NOTE HE GAVE STEWARDESS SAID, " I'M HIJACKING THIS AIRCRAFT. RELAY INSTRUCTIONS TO THE GROUND THAT I WANT TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TWENTIES AND TWO PARACHUTES DELEIVERED TO ME WHEN THE PLANE LANDS. I HAVE A BOMB." STEWARDESS [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ADVISED FIRST NOTE ADVISED, "MISS I HAVE A BOMB HERE AND WOULD LIKE YOU TO SIT BY ME." HE LATER DICTATED OTHER NOTES CONTAINING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. EIGHT: HE STATES HE RECEIVED TWO PARACHUTES, AND THAT HE CUT THE CHEST PACK INTO STRIPS TO TIE THE MONEY TO HIS BODY. ACTUALLY THE HIJACKER RECEIVED FOUR PARACHUTES AND LEFT TWO ON THE PLANE. END PAGE TWO

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DB Cooper-8113

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b6 b7C

PAGE THREE SE (164-81)

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THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER DISCREPANCIES, BUT THE ONES SET OUT 'ABOVE ARE THE MAJOR ONES.

THE ARTICLE CARRIED ON PAGE TWO, A LARGE REPRODUCTION OF A TWENTY DOLLAR BILL, SEVERAL TIMES ACTUAL SIZE. LOOKING AT THE FACE OF THE BILL, THE NUMBER IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER IS D ONE. THE SERIAL NUMBER IS L FIVE ONE TWO SEVEN NINE SIX THREE FIVE A, THE SMALLER NUMBER IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER IS D THIRTY- FIVE AND THE SERIES YEAR IS NINETEEN SIXTY-NINE. THE NUMBER TWELVE APPEARS IN FOUR PLACES ON THE FACE OF THE BILL. IT IS NOTED THAT THE ABOVE SERIAL NUMBER IS ON THE LIST OF BILLS DELIVERED TO THE HIJACKER.

LOCAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF SECRET SERVICE ADVISED HE IS UNABLE TO STATE WHETHER THESE NUMBERS FIT THE PRESCRIBED FORMULA USED BY THE BUREAU OF ENGRAVING.

WFO REQUESTED TO IMMEDIATELY CONTACT BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND SUTEL COMMENTS OF THAT AGENCY WITH REGARD TO AUTHENTICITY OF THESE NUMBERS. COPIES OF ARTICLE CONTAINING BILL WILL BE FORWARDED TO WFO BY PILOT COURIER MAY TWO NEXT, FOR EXHIBITION TO BUREAU OF ENGRAVING, IN EVENT THEY ARE UNABLE TO MAKE DECISION ON NUMBERS SET FORTH ABOVE. FOLLOWING THIS WFO SHOULD FURNISH THIS ARTICLE TO THE BUREAU. WFO WILL BE ADVISED SUBSEQUENTLY OF FLIGHT INFORMATION.

IN VIEW OF THE STRONG PROBABILITY THAT THIS ARTICLE HAS NO FOUNDATION IN FACT, NO INVESTIGATION BEING CONDUCTED PENDING A DETERMINATION OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF THIS BILL.

END

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DB Cooper-8114