SA Manning to SAC Seattle re Royal Insurance call about Lake Merwin search proposal

OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 MAY 1962 EDITION FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum

TO : SAC, SEATTLE (164-81) (P) DATE: 6/15/76

FROM : SA THOMAS J. MANNING

SUBJECT: NORJAK OO: Seattle

---

This date [REDACTED - b6/b7C] Royal Insurance Company, 150 Williams Street, New York, New York 10038 telephonically contacted the writer at Longview RA. She advised name of writer was given to her by the company's [REDACTED - b6/b7C] in Seattle, Washington, telephone [REDACTED - b6/b7C] as a person familiar with captioned matter.

[REDACTED - b6/b7C] stated she has been contacted by [REDACTED - b6/b7C] Kirkland, Washington telephone [REDACTED - b6/b7C] (home and business) who stated he [REDACTED - b6/b7C] advised that he has a [REDACTED - b6/b7C] and stated he knows where money from this case is located, and would try to get it for the company. He gave no specific details of positively knowing where the money was located except to say it was in water near a dam where COOPER jumped from the plane. Undoubtedly he was referring to Lake Merwin and dam at that location.

She pointed out that he originally approached Northwest Airlines re this matter and was referred to an attorney who represented Northwest Airlines in litigation concerning payment by Royal Insurance to Northwest which was the insurance carrier for the airline. She stated that the company fought payment of the sum of $210,000 in court but after litigation were told to pay the amount and this has been paid. Under rights of subrogation Royal now has right, title and interest to the money COOPER received.

[REDACTED - b6/b7C] told her he would be willing to undertake a search of the lake with [REDACTED - b6/b7C] in hopes of recovery of same. She stated she knew that the FBI had serial numbers of all the bills and had in fact pictures of each bill. He stated that if the money was found it would be surrendered to Royal and his payment would be one half of all recovered monies. He did not want a down payment and had no minimum charge but would do everything at his own risk with his final objective being the 50-50 split. He stated he wanted a contract to specifically set out this 50-50 split with Royal and [REDACTED - b6/b7C] advised that based on this proposition she had their Seattle representative conduct a background check to determine whether [REDACTED - b6/b7C] was legitimate.

---

(2) TJM/

DB Cooper-14607 Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan

This check revealed very little except that his company was new and was not known to places like Better Business Bureau, was not listed in phone book etc. She stated she did not doubt the legitimacy of [REDACTED] however. She continued that she was going to bring to Roval's b6 management attention the desire for a contract with [REDACTED] and would b7C advise Seattle Division by letter if they are going under contract.

She asked that [REDACTED] not be contacted until contractual b6 matter is resolved. No statement was made by writer that we would b7C or would not contact [REDACTED] Further she was not advised that [REDACTED] has contacted SA [REDACTED] explaining his [REDACTED]

From everything she said it would appear that [REDACTED] is another b6 in a long line of individuals who have searched, on their own, for b7C the money in the general search area FBI and army personnel operated. However it is felt that an interview with [REDACTED] would be in order in the event he has not been completely candid with SA [REDACTED] and does have some definite information as to location of money. It is requested that no information re contact with [REDACTED] be revealed at time of contact.

---

DB Cooper-14608