SAC Portland to Director re Rackstraw interview and written questions
Document date 16 March 1979
Also filed at: Part 42 pp. 256–258
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-40:409-411
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-40:409-411 Document: Airtel SAC Portland to Director re Rackstraw interview and written questions Id: Cooper-Part-40:409-411 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-40%3A409-411 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. 409–411 (DB Cooper-16037–16039), Airtel, dated 16 Mar 1979 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-40%3A409-411
FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-78) FBI
TRANSMIT VIA: PRECEDENCE: CLASSIFICATION: ☐ Teletype ☐ Immediate ☐ TOP SECRET ☐ Facsimile ☐ Priority ☐ SECRET XX Airtel ☐ Routine ☐ CONFIDENTIAL ☐ UNCLAS E F T O ☐ UNCLAS Date 3/16/79
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TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (164-2111)
FROM: SAC, PORTLAND (164-41) (P)
SUBJECT: NORJAK (A) (OO: Seattle)
Re ROBERT WESLEY RACKSTRAW, Sub #933
Re Sacramento airtel to the Bureau, dated 3/8/79.
For information of all recipients, on 3/15/79, AUSA [REDACTED] District of Oregon, Portland, Oregon, advised as follows:
Departmental Attorney [REDACTED] telephonically advised [REDACTED] this date that he had received a communication from one [REDACTED] Attorney, [REDACTED] Oakland, California, telephone [REDACTED] advised him that he represents a client whom he did not identify who is willing to provide information which will prove he is the UNSUB in this matter in return for immunity from federal prosecution. [REDACTED] instructed [REDACTED] to have the Portland Case Agent contact [REDACTED] by telephone in an attempt to determine the validity of this claim and to evaluate the potential for benefit to this investigation.
It is noted that during the period April, 1978 to March, 1979, investigation has been conducted to eliminate or involve one ROBERT WESLEY RACKSTRAW. RACKSTRAW is now only 35 years old, and at the time of the hijacking in this matter, would have been approximately 28 years old. UNSUB in this matter was described as late 40's or early 50's in 1971, with the median age of the description being 48 years. This
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2 - Bureau (2)- Seattle (164-81) 2 - San Francisco (164-220) 2 - Portland
RPH:cam (8)
Approved: ____________ Transmitted ____________ (Number) (Time)
SEARCHED _____ INDEXLY___ SERIALIZED [REDACTED] FILED ___ MAR 20 1979 FBI—SEATTLE Per ___________
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164-81-S[illegible] DB Cooper-16037
PD 164-41
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would indicate a disparity of approximately 20 years, and RACKSTRAW would not appear to be a very good suspect.
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RACKSTRAW has been the subject of highly publicized prosecution for major crimes in California, and is now incar- cerated in a California penitentiary. The Sacramento Office advised in May, 1978, that at that time RACKSTRAW was in custody feigning a back injury which required him to be transported in a wheelchair. Custodial personnel felt he was doing this in an attempt to effect a possible escape. It was noted that RACKSTRAW is a former U. S. Army Green Beret and Vietnam veteran highly skilled in the use of his hands and feet as weapons.
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Sacramento Office further advised that on 5/4/78, [REDACTED] Stockton, California Police Department advised he has heard that [REDACTED] is a lawyer in Oakland, California. [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] He wondered if this might indicate that RACKSTRAW's suspected involvement in the 1975 theft of explosives at the Felton Quarry, Santa Cruz, California, some of which were later acquired from the New World Liberation Front by the FBI at Richmond, California in early 1976, might mean that RACKSTRAW intentionally obtained the explosives for the radicals. He stated that [REDACTED] reportedly was formerly in partnership with [REDACTED] another reported [REDACTED] [REDACTED] reportedly [REDACTED] San Francisco Police Department. [REDACTED]
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In view of the above information, Portland SA [REDACTED] after consultation with Supervisor [REDACTED] of the Seattle Division, suggested to AUSA [REDACTED] that in furtherance of Departmental Attorney request. AUSA [REDACTED] was furnished a list of questions which could be asked anyone claiming to be UNSUB in this matter, the answers to which could only be known by the UNSUB and investigators close to the case. [REDACTED] was not provided with the answers to the questions.
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Subsequently, on the same date, [REDACTED] advised he had been in telephonic contact with [REDACTED] who requested the list
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-2-
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DB Cooper-16038
PD 164-41
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of questions be furnished him in writing. [REDACTED] stated he would provide such a written list of questions to [REDACTED] with the stipulation that [REDACTED] not release the list of questions.
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The above for information. Portland will maintain contact with AUSA [REDACTED] for any subsequent developments.
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ARMED AND DANGEROUS
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b6 b7C b6 b7C
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-3*-
DB Cooper-16039
Serials: 164-2111, PD 164-41, SE 164-81, SF 164-220