Interview of female associate of Jack Bryant Coffelt, Honolulu

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Date of transcription ________ 4/1/77

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[REDACTED] was interviewed by [REDACTED] who identified himself as a Special Agent of the FBI. She voluntarily provided the following information:

[REDACTED] stated that she was [REDACTED] JACK BRYANT COFFELT; however, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] She advised that she met COFFELT in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1961 and shortly thereafter, she and COFFELT moved to the Washington, D. C., area.

She advised that COFFELT disclosed [REDACTED] [REDACTED] sometime in the 1930s. She stated that COFFELT was a decent man, very intelligent, and not a common criminal. She further advised that COFFELT personally knew J. EDGAR HOOVER and had visited HOOVER at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D. C., [REDACTED]

She stated that while living in Washington, D. C., JACK COFFELT worked for quite some time as a chauffeur and a personal assistant to an individual known to her only as (first name unknown) BECKWITH, who was one of three living descendants of former President Abraham Lincoln. She stated that COFFELT worked for BECKWITH until approximately [REDACTED] when he subsequently took employment with a furniture business.

She advised that COFFELT suffered from severe cases phlebitis and emphysema, and eventually while in Washington, D. C., suffered a nervous breakdown and received psychiatric care for his nervous condition and alcohol affliction. She stated COFFELT received treatment in Washington, D. C., in a hospital known only to her as Melwood Hospital.

She further advised that she and COFFELT departed Washington, D. C., and moved to [REDACTED] Washington, in January, 1974, [REDACTED] until January, 1975, [REDACTED] JACK COFFELT moved to Honolulu,

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Interviewed on __3/29/77__ at __Honolulu, Hawaii__ . File # __HN 164-85__ 164-81-7462 by __SA [REDACTED]__ mes Date dictated __3/30/77__ SERIALIZED [illegible] FILED [illegible]

This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. DB Cooper-15540

HN 164-85 2

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receiving expenses for the trip from [REDACTED] [REDACTED] of Gardena, California. She advised that she and JACK COFFELT lived in Honolulu [REDACTED] until [REDACTED] June, 1975, when COFFELT passed away as a result of complica- tions arising from the aforementioned illnesses. She stated that during the last few years of his life, COFFELT was extremely ill and could only get around with great difficulty.

She advised that to the best of her recollection, during the Thanksgiving holiday period of 1971, she and COFFELT were living in the Washington, D. C., area; however, she could not specifically recall exactly what she or JACK COFFELT were doing on or about the time of the "D. B. COOPER incident" during the same time period. She stated that due to [REDACTED] physical ailments and severe phlebitis condition which required him to wear heavy nylon support stockings and his inability to move about without great deals of body pain, it would have been impossible for him to have taken on such an endeavor as attributed to D. B. COOPER.

[REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] he knew an individual by the name of [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] She further advised that [REDACTED] while they were living in the State of Washington in [REDACTED] which JACK COFFELT [REDACTED]

She further advised that since [REDACTED] death, she has had contact with [REDACTED] on several occasions during which [REDACTED] had encouraged her [REDACTED] [REDACTED] had indicated to her that he was going to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] JACK as the individual named D. B. COOPER in a story in which he, [REDACTED] was writing.

[REDACTED] further advised that [REDACTED] has come to Los Angeles and attempted to sell [REDACTED] [REDACTED] as D. B. COOPER [REDACTED] However, [REDACTED] today has been somewhat unsuccessful as far as she knows. She

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DB Cooper-15541

HN 164-85 3)

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further advised that [REDACTED] has contacted [REDACTED] [REDACTED] and the possibility that he might have been D. B. COOPER. She stated that there is no truth whatsoever to [REDACTED] allegations or inferences.

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[REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] was born in Carthage, Missouri, and that he died in June, 1975, at the age of 58 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She described him as being approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185 pounds at the time of his death. She stated he had brown hair and blue-gray eyes and wore glasses. She further advised that he had no previous military experience, to the best of her knowledge. She further advised that immediately prior to 1961 JACK BRYANT COFFELT had attended the University of Kansas, however, he had never graduated.

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[REDACTED] provided a black and white photograph of her husband for comparison to the FBI's artist conception of D. B. COOPER, and there appeared to be very little similarity in the two likenesses.

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She advised that she is currently employed [REDACTED] New York Life Insurance Company, Honolulu, Hawaii, telephone number [REDACTED]

She stated that if she could be of any assistance with regard to this matter, the FBI should contact her without reluctance.

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DB Cooper-15542