SAC Atlanta to Director re Coffelt claim relayed via AG Griffin Bell
This copy: Part 40 pp. 7–10Also filed at Part 61 pp. 357–360 (primary)
This copy’s own title
SAC Atlanta to Director re NORJAC informant and Bryant Coffelt
Document date 13 May 1977
Another copy of this document is the primary, most legible copy: Part 61 pp. 357–360.
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-40:007-010
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-40:007-010 Document: Airtel SAC Atlanta to Director re NORJAC informant and Bryant Coffelt Id: Cooper-Part-40:007-010 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-40%3A007-010 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 40 pp. 7–10 (DB Cooper-15671–15674), Airtel, dated 13 May 1977, serial SE 164-81-7512 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-40%3A007-010
FD-36 (Rev. 2-14-74)
FBI
Date: 5/13/77
Transmit the following in _______________ (Type in plaintext or code)
Via AIRTEL (Precedence)
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TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (164-2111)
FROM: SAC, ATLANTA (164-254) (RUC)
SUBJECT: NORJAC OO:SEATTLE
Enclosed for Las Vegas is a file containing numerous letters written by [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Attorney at Law, Atlanta, Georgia.
Upon a recent visit to Atlanta, the Honorable GRIFFIN B. BELL, Attorney General of the United States, advised an agent of the FBI in Atlanta, that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Attorney at Law, Atlanta, Georgia, advised he had some information regarding instant matter, which he desired to furnish an FBI Agent.
[REDACTED] Attorneys at Law, [REDACTED] Atlanta, was contacted telephonically and he set an appointment for interview by an FBI Agent for 3:15 PM, 5/12/77.
Upon interview on 5/12/77, [REDACTED] advised that he is a long time friend of Judge BELL and related a resume of the following information to Judge BELL to see if this matter would be of interest to the Attorney General's Office and to the FBI. Upon receiving Judge BELL's affirmative response, [REDACTED] related the following information and furnished his entire file in this matter. He has contacted [REDACTED] of the material contained in this file, and has secured [REDACTED] permission to turn this material over to the FBI and has expressed his complete cooperation with the FBI in this matter.
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2 - Bureau 2 - Seattle (164-81) 2 - Las Vegas (164-60) (Enc. 1) 1 - Los Angeles (164-497) 1 - Atlanta JRMW/sr (8)
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164-81-7512
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Approved: ______________ Sent ______________ M Per ______________ Special Agent in Charge
DB Cooper-15671
GPO: 1975 O - 59[illegible]
AT 164-254
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b6 b7C b7D
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[REDACTED] related that he was first put in contact with [REDACTED] in about 1946, when [REDACTED] [REDACTED] was, at that time, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] trial and defense had been handled by another attorney, who upon leaving private practice, asked [REDACTED] to look after [REDACTED] in [REDACTED] and help him if he could. [REDACTED] after reviewing the appropriate transcripts and records, did not file appeal or attempt to open [REDACTED] but he did succeed in obtaining [REDACTED] out of gratitude, maintained contact with [REDACTED] through the years and recently began a series of letters and phone calls from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he now resides to [REDACTED] and related the following story:
While [REDACTED] was [REDACTED] he became acquainted with DAVID BRYANT COFFELT, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] During [REDACTED] [REDACTED] on a literary story, written for the purpose of sale and personal gain entitled, "Cleave The Liquid Sky". The story was written in the local of the Kansas/ Oklahoma area and according to [REDACTED] is somewhat biographical. [REDACTED] writes that after [REDACTED] [REDACTED] he had no further contact with DAVID BRYANT COFFELT until the latter part of 1961, at which time [REDACTED] COFFELT contacted [REDACTED] at that time and indicated that he was a student at the University of Kansas, and [REDACTED]
During 1973, after no further contact with COFFELT during the interim period, [REDACTED] decided to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] and as a result, he attempted and succeeded in re-establishing contact with COFFELT. In 7/73, [REDACTED] recontacted COFFELT at COFFELT's home in Virginia, and in the ensuing conversation, COFFELT indicated that he had other matters pending at the time and that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] next contact with COFFELT was in 1/74, at which time COFFELT allegedly identified himself to [REDACTED] as D.B. COOPER, the highjacker in instant matter. He relayed certain information to [REDACTED] which in
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DB Cooper-15672
AT 164-254
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[REDACTED] mind established his identity as the highjacker, and outlined a plan whereby [REDACTED] and COFFELT would return to the area in the Cascade Mountains, where together, they would conduct a search and recover the ransom money paid in this case.
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[REDACTED] writes that he and COFFELT actually did make a camping trip into the Cascade Mountains and a search was conducted without success in locating the ransom money.
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The file furnished by [REDACTED] contains information from [REDACTED] reflecting that he has been paid at least the sum of $10,000 relating to a story which he is contemplating relating to the D.B. COOPER case. It appears that [REDACTED] intends to describe COFFELT through an appropriate pseudonym as the actual highjacker in instant matter and plans to write of their trip together and the unsuccessful search that they conducted to recover the ransom money paid in this case. [REDACTED] related that COFFELT is now dead based on information furnished by [REDACTED] having died in Honolulu, approximately one year ago or more and that COFFELT's [REDACTED]
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A review of the material written by [REDACTED] contains innuendoes that the Government and particularly the FBI does not desire to solve instant matter nor to find the ransom money, which was paid. [REDACTED] alleges that COFFELT had and perhaps still has friends in the Department of Justice or the FBI.
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The files maintained at [REDACTED] [REDACTED] disclose that [REDACTED]
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Files at Atlanta Penitentiary also disclose that DAVID BRYANT COFFELT, was received at Atlanta Penitentiary, on 4/28/49, to serve a term of 10 years
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DB Cooper-15673
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AT 164-254
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upon conviction in the Western District of Tennessee, at Memphis, on charges of ITSMV and Attempted Escape. On 1/11/54, he was transferred to the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. Records, U.S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, as furnished by [REDACTED] disclose that BRYANT COFFELT, aka J.C.. Ross, John Hardy, Jr., was granted a conditional release from that institution on 7/20/55. Records relating to this incarceration have been forwarded to GSA, Kansas City, Missouri.
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[REDACTED] has been practicing law in Atlanta, Georgia, for a period in excess of 20 years and is highly regarded in the legal profession. At one time, [REDACTED] He has requested that his file be returned to him when the FBI no longer has need of this material.
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LEADS
LAS VEGAS DIVISION
AT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
1)Will consider the desirability of an interview with [REDACTED] Las Vegas, Nevada, [REDACTED] regarding disclosures made to him by BRYANT COFFELT.
2)Las Vegas is requested to return the enclosed file to the Atlanta Division when it has served its purpose.
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ARMED AND DANGEROUS
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DB Cooper-15674
Serials: 164-2111, AT 164-254, LA 164-497, LV 164-60, SE 164-81, SE 164-81-7512