Seattle to Director re CBS inquiry and Coffelt as NORJAK suspect (sections 1 and 2)
Document date 19 May 1978
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Id: Cooper-Part-41:445-455
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-41:445-455 Document: Teletype Seattle to Director re CBS inquiry and Coffelt as NORJAK suspect (sections 1 and 2) Id: Cooper-Part-41:445-455 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-41%3A445-455 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 41 pp. 445–455 (DB Cooper-16560, DB Cooper-16561, DB Cooper-16562, DB Cooper-16563, DB Cooper-16564, DB Cooper-16565, DB Cooper-16566, DB Cooper-16567, DB Cooper-16568, DB Cooper-16570), Teletype, dated 19 May 1978, serial SE 164-81-7896 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-41%3A445-455
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SEO 027 13901052 OO HI DE SE 0 190057Z MAY 78 FM SEATTLE (164-81)(P) TO DIRECTOR (164-2111) IMMEDIATE BT UNCLAS SECTION I OF 2 ATTENTION: PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; GENERAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION. NORJAK (A). QO; SEATTLE. RE SEATTLE AIRTEL TO BUREAU, MAY 15, 1978; SEATTLE TEL TO BUREAU, JULY 22, 1977; LITTLE ROCK TEL TO BUREAU, JULY 20, 1977; DENVER TEL TO BUREAU, JULY 20, 1977; SEATTLE TEL TO BUREAU, JULY 19, 1977; ATLANTA AIRTEL TO BUREAU, MAY 13, 1977; WFO AIRTEL TO BUREAU, MARCH 2, 1977; LOS ANGELES AIRTEL TO BUREAU, JANUARY 24, 1977. IT IS NOTED ABOVE REFERENCES ARE PERTINENT TO THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY [REDACTED] OF CBS "60 MINUTES" TO BUREAU OFFICIALS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO PRINCIPALS INVOLVED.
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164-81-7896
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DB.Cooper-16560
PAGE TWO SE 164-81 UNCLAS
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CONCERNING [REDACTED] CLAIM THAT BRYANT COFFELT'S PHOTOGRAPH WAS SHOWN TO AN UNKNOWN STEWARDESS, BUREAU REFER TO LITTLE ROCK TELETYPE TO BUREAU, JULY 20, 1977, WHICH CONTAINS AN INTERVIEW THAT STEWARDESS [REDACTED] [REDACTED] HAD WITH LITTLE ROCK AGENTS CONCERNING HER CONTACT WITH [REDACTED] [REDACTED] THIS TELETYPE PARTIALLY STATES:
[REDACTED] SHOWED HER SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF A MAN HE CLAIMED WAS COFFELT. HE WANTED HER TO IDENTIFY THE PHOTOS, AND SHE LOOKED CLOSELY AT THEM, RECALLING THAT THE HIJACKER HAD DARKER SKIN, A RECEDING HAIRLINE WITH THIN BLACK HAIR, AND, AFTER LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS, SHE COULD NOT TELL IF THE MAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS REALLY D.B. COOPER. THE MAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH HAD THE HAIRLINE, THE THINNING HAIR, THE EARS, NOSE, AND LONG FACE, BUT IN THE PHOTOGRAPH THE MAN HAD FATTER CHEEKS. SHE MENTIONED [REDACTED] ABOUT THE CHEEKS BEING TOO FAT, AND HE EXPLAINED THAT COFFELT HAD A DARK COMPLEXION AND USED MAKEUP IN ORDER FOR HIS COMPLEXION TO APPEAR LIGHTER AND THAT HE HAD BEEN RECEIVING CANCER TREATMENTS AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR HIS
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DB Cooper-16561
PAGE THREE SE 164-81 UNCLAS
HAVING GAINED WEIGHT. SHE STATED THE PHOTOGRAPHS APPEARED TO BE A COUPLE FROM [REDACTED] [REDACTED] AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IN WASHINGTON, D. C., IN SUMMER, 1974."
SEATTLE FILE DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INSTANCE WHERE COFFELT'S PHOTOGRAPH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ANY PASSENGERS BY THE FBI, BECAUSE OF PASSAGE OF OVER SIX YEARS SINCE INCIDENT OCCURRED, LACK OF PHYSICAL RESEMBLANCE TO UNSUB AND BECAUSE OF OTHER REASONS SET FORTH HEREINAFTER.
CONCERNING THE "DROP IN CABIN PRESSURE", SEE SEATTLE REPORT OF SA CHARLES E. FARRELL, FEBRUARY 16, 1972, EXPERIMENT WITH AIRSTAIRS, PAGES 280-285. THE CREW DID NOT NOTICE A DROP IN PRESSURE WHEN THE DOOR TO AIRSTAIRS WAS OPENED BUT NOTED AN INCREASE IN PRESSURE WHEN AIRSTAIRS CLOSED, DUE TO AIR PRESSURE AGAINST THEM WHEN UNSUB JUMPED FROM THE STAIRS. THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH [REDACTED] OF CBS DURING RECENT INTERVIEW AT SEATTLE.
SEATTLE FILE REFLECTS THAT COFFELT HAS MADE NUMEROUS CLAIMS THAT HE KNEW PROMINENT PERSONS INCLUDING FORMER FBI DIRECTOR J. EDGAR HOOVER. THE CURRENT INDICATION THAT HE ALSO KNEW
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DB Cooper-16562
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PAGE FOUR SE 164-81 UNCLAS
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FORMER SEN. HUBERT HUMPHREY IS BRAND NEW. COFFELT'S ARREST RECORD AND BACKGROUND WOULD TEND TO DISCREDIT SUCH GRANDIOSE CLAIMS. THERE IS ALSO NO INDICATION IN SEATTLE FILE OF WHO VISITED COFFELT WHEN HE WAS IN PRISON IN ATLANTA AND [REDACTED] ALLEGATION THAT SAC, ATLANTA WAS COFFELT'S ONLY VISITOR IS HIGHLY DOUBTFUL AND BORDERS ON THE LUDICROUS.
SEATTLE FILE DOES NOT REFLECT ANY FACTS THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE CLAIM THAT COFFELT WAS AN [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] HOWEVER, INFORMATION CONTAINED IN WFO AIRTEL TO BUREAU, MARCH 2, 1977, DOES INDICATE THAT THE LAWRENCE, KANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT [REDACTED] [REDACTED] AND COFFELT WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THIS AIRTEL SHOWS COFFELT INTERVIEWED BY WFO AT WHICH TIME HE DENIED POSING AS A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE OR THAT [REDACTED]
COFFELT HAS BEEN PRINCIPALLY ELIMINATED AS A SUSPECT BECAUSE OF A NUMBER OF FACTORS: (1) DOCTORS' STATEMENTS INDICATING HIS HEALTH WOULD PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVITY SUCH AS NORJAK. [REDACTED] NORTHERN VIRGINIA DOCTORS HOSPITAL DIAGNOSED COFFELT AS HAVING SEVERE
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DB Cooper-16563
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PAGE FIVE SE 164-81 UNCLAS THROM3OPLEBITIS OF LEGS IN 1973. SEE WFO AIRTEL TO BUREA, JUNE 21, 1977. [REDACTED] SEATTLE, D.C., ADVISED COFFELT COULD ONLY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS STUNT IN HIS EARLIER YEARS, 25-30 YEARS OF AGE, BECAUSE HIS PHYSICAL CONDITION HAD DETERIORATED SUBSTANTIALLY IN HIS LATER YEARS. (2) [REDACTED] HAS STATED COFFELT SUFFERED FROM SEVERE ALCOHOLISM AND WAS ON VERSE OF NERVOUS BREAKDOWN DURING APPROXIMATE PERIOD. SHE FURTHER ADVISES HE HAD PLEBITIS AND EMPHYSEMA WHICH CAUSED HIM TO WEAR HEAVY NYLON SUPPORT STOCKINGS AND CAUSED HIM PAIN WHEN HE MOVED. BUREAU CAN OBTAIN COPY OF HER INTERVIEW FROM WFO FILE 164-169 IN HONOLULU AIRTEL TO SEATTLE, CC WFO, DATED APRIL 13, 1977. BUREAU NOTE [REDACTED] STILL RESIDES IN HAWAII AND DOES NOT WISH TO BE INTERVIEWED BY CBS BUT CONTINUES TO COOPERATE WITH FBI. (3) ON DECEMBER 6, 1971, APPROXIMATELY 12 DAYS AFTER NORJAK, COFFELT HAD A PRE-EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW AT NORTHERN VIRGINIA DOCTORS HOSPITAL. THIS IN SPITE OF [REDACTED] [REDACTED] OWN ACCOUNT THAT COFFELT WAS SO SEVERELY INJURED IN
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DB Cooper-16564
PAGE SIX SE 164-81 UNCLAS THE PARACHUTE FALL THAT HE WAS PRACTICALLY BEDRIDDEN FOR 18 MONTHS.
(4) COFFELT'S FINGERPRINTS WERE COMPARED TO NORJAK PARTIALS WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS; AND (5) THERE IS NO INDICATION OF ANY PARACHUTE TRAINING IN COFFELT'S BACKGROUND.
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OBSERVATIONS: THE INQUIRY BY "60 MINUTES" IS BASED ON AN ASSOCIATION WHICH DEVELOPED BETWEEN BRYANT COFFELT AND [REDACTED] ORIGINALLY THEY WORKED TOGETHER [REDACTED] ENTITLED, "CLEAVE THE LIQUID SKY", WHICH WAS DICTATED BY COFFELT [REDACTED] THIS MANUSCRIPT HAD NO, REPEAT NO, CONNECTION WITH NORJAK BUT REPORTEDLY WAS A GLORIDIFIED AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY COFFELT. IN ABOUT 1974, AFTER THEIR RESPECTIVE [REDACTED] [REDACTED] COFFELT CLAIMED [REDACTED] THAT HE WAS "D. B. COOPER" AND CONVINCED [REDACTED] AN EXPEDITION TO NORTHERN OREGON TO LOOK FOR THE NORJAK MONEY. IT IS NOTED INSTRU- MENTATION OF THE NORJAK PLAN INDICATES UNSUB EXITED FROM PLANE OVER SOUTHERN WASHINGTON WITH NO CHANCE OF LANDING IN OREGON. IN 1976, AFTER COFFELT'S DEATH, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY UNKNOWN [REDACTED] AT THAT TIME, [REDACTED] BEGAN WORK ON A FICTIONALIZED
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DB Cooper-16565
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PAGE SEVEN SE 164-81 UNCLAS
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VERSION OF HIS EXPERIENCES WITH COFFELT WHICH HE ENTITLED, [REDACTED] IT IS THIS MANUSCRIPT WHICH [REDACTED] A FORMER CBS EMPLOYEE, [REDACTED] IS NOW APPARENTLY TRYING TO INTEREST "60 MINUTES" IN THIS STORY. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT [REDACTED] HOPES THAT "60 MINUTES" WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE BUREAU VERIFY OR DISPROVE CERTAIN INFOR- MATION IN THIS MANUSCRIPT. MORE DETAILS ARE CONTAINED IN A REPORT [REDACTED] WHICH IS REFERRED TO LATER.
BUREAU SHOULD NOTE THAT [REDACTED] STORY CONCERNING: COFFELT WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE FBI IN NOVEMBER, 1976, IN LOS ANGELES; HOWEVER, IT WAS SO COMPLETELY FILLED WITH ERRORS THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GIVE IT SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
SINCE THAT TIME, [REDACTED] HAVE INTERVIEWED, OR ATTEMPTED TO INTERVIEW, MOST NORJAK EYE WITNESSES AND OFFERED THEM MONEY TO SERVE AS "CONSULTANTS" FOR A PROPOSED FILM. AFTER THESE INTERVIEWS, [REDACTED] STORY WOULD BT
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DB Cooper-16566
FM SEATTLE (164-81)(P) TO DIRECTOR (164-2111) IMMEDIATE BT UNCLAS SECTION 2 OF 2 ATTENTION: PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; GENERAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION. NORJAK (A). OO: SEATTLE.
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DB Cooper-16567
PAGE EIGHT SE 1[REDACTED]31 UNCLAS
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APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO MORE CLOSELY FIT KNOWN NORJAK FACTS.
[REDACTED] POSSIBLY TOTALING $10,000 FOR HIS STORY AND WITH THAT MUCH MONEY INVESTED, [REDACTED] IS COMMITTED TO THIS COFFELT/COOPER RELATIONSHIP. IN THE PAST, BOTH [REDACTED] HAVE CONSULTED WITH U.S. ATTORNEYS IN LOS ANGELES AND LAS VEGAS, ASKING THEM TO INVESTIGATE AN FBI COVER UP. NOW [REDACTED] HAS INTERESTED CBS NEWS WITH HIS STORY, POSSIBLY IN THE HOPE OF OBTAINING ADDITIONAL PERTINENT OR CONFIDENTIAL FBI INFORMATION TO UPDATE HIS ALREADY ALTERED SCRIPT.
AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED, [REDACTED] HAS OFFERED MONEY TO NORJAK EYE WITNESSES TO ACT AS TECHNICAL ADVISORS AND AT LEAST ONE WITNESS, [REDACTED] HAS TRAVELLED TO LOS ANGELES TO DISCUSS HIS OFFER OF $5,000 NOW, WITH POSSIBLE RESIDUAL PROCEEDS OF $30,000. IN ADDITION, [REDACTED] HAS ADVISED NORJAK WITNESSES THAT HE HAS ACCESS TO CONFIDENTIAL FBI INFORMATION; THAT HE IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FBI ON THIS MATTER; AND, THAT THE FBI HAS VERIFIED ALL OR PART OF HIS SCRIPT.
SEATTLE CONSIDERS COFFELT A VERY POOR SUSPECT AND ALL
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DB Cooper-16568
PAGE NINE SE 164-81 UNCLAS EVIDENCE TO DATE POINTS TO THE FACT THAT COFFELT IS NOT IDENTICAL WITH UNSUB.
IN A CASE SUCH AS THIS, THE BUREAU WILL RECOGNIZE IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REFUTE CERTAIN STATEMENTS, PAR- TICULARLY CONCERNING PROMINENT DECEASED PERSONS. IT IS EQUALLY VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO POSITIVELY ELIMINATE MANY SUSPECTS AND INDEED SEATTLE HAS REOPENED SEVERAL PREVIOUSLY "ELIMINATED" SUSPECTS BECAUSE NEW EVIDENCE HAS COME TO LIGHT. AT THE PRESENT TIME WE HAVE INVESTIGATED A TOTAL OF 939 SUSPECTS WITH ONLY 18 STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION; HOWEVER, THIS FIGURE INCREASES AS THE ANNIVERSARY DATE IS APPROACHED EACH YEAR.
BY SEPARATE COMMUNICATION, SEATTLE IS FORWARDING A CONFIDENTIAL REPORT PREPARED [REDACTED] WHICH WAS PREPARED BY THEM FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, WHO ALSO CONSIDERED [REDACTED] BASED ON [REDACTED] UNIVERSAL STUDIO REFUSED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON PRODUCTION BECAUSE THE COFFELT STORY WAS NOT BELIEVABLE. INFORMATION ALSO DEVELOPED THAT OTHER MAJOR NETWORKS AND STUDIOS HAVE TURNED THIS STORY DOWN FOR THE
PAGE TEN SE 164-81 UNCLAS
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SAME REASON.
BUREAU SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY [REDACTED] ARE SOME OF [REDACTED] PREVIOUSLY RAISED [REDACTED] IT IS FELT CBS WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE MORE OF THESE SAME QUESTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO UPDATE THE SCRIPT BY OBTAINING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE BUREAU OR TO "MUDDY THE WATER" BY CLAIMING A "COVER UP" BY THE BUREAU AS TO COFFELT'S ALLEGED ASSOCIATION WITH THE FBI.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
BI
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DB Cooper-16570
Serials: 164-2111, SE 164-81, SE 164-81-7896, WF 164-169
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