To SAC Seattle re Congressional inquiry about 'The Ballad of D.B. Cooper'

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

TO : SAC, SEATTLE (164-81) DATE: 5/13/80

FROM : SA [REDACTED] [signature: illegible]

SUBJECT: NORJAK OO: Seattle

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Re telephone call to ASAC [REDACTED] on 4/22/80, from Representative McCluskey, California.

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Referenced telephone call was made by an Aid to Congressman McCluskey of California, who requested the name, composer, and lyrics to a song referred to as "The Ballad of D. B. Cooper". This inquiry was made pursuant to a constituent's inquiry and was referred to this office, specifically ASAC [REDACTED] by the Portland Division.

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A review of Seattle files, indicate the following references: In Seattle file 164-81-SubB, Vol. 1, newspaper clipping dated 11/23/72, final edition of the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington, page A18, written by Eldon Barrett, reports that a Portland nightclub singer, Tom Bresh, wrote and recorded a short lived success record entitled "D. B. Cooper, Where Are You?". Additionally, in the same file, a Seattle Post Intelligencer article written by Dick Clever, appearing on 11/23/72, in the final edition, at page A19, there appears an article penned by Clever and copyrighted story, the copyright is held by the Seattle Post Intelligencer, dated 1972, entitled "A Ballad to the Man Called D. B.".

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That story and the words in their entirety are: "He was cool, he was calm, the man with the "bomb", who boarded flight 36 with ease. And pilot Bill Scott, not suspecting the plot, took off with the man called D. B. They were just in the air, when the stew caught the stare, of the man in the back of the plane. He passed her a paper, which he thought she'd read later, she thought him a flirt and quite vain. "Read the note," his wave told, and she thought him quite bold, to make such a pass in mid flight. But she did as he asked, and she read and she gasped, as the jet flew on into the night. The crew was quite shocked, to find this short hop, this all stop, short hop flight skyjacked.

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BAB:val (2)

[date stamp] 6-8 [illegible] SEARCHED [checkmark] INDEXED SERIALIZED [checkmark] FILED [illegible date]

Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll S[avings Plan] DB Cooper-18021

SE 164-81

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But they did as he ordered, for a pirate had boarded, and they circled the field at Sea-Tac. The runway lights went dim, the plane coasted in, and sat pale as a ghost on the field. "Give me chutes, give me money," he said, "nothing funny", he used Tina, the stew, as a shield. "Get this show on the road," offi- cials were told, and the plane thundered into the night. "Fly it slow, fly it low," he said, "onto Mexico!" and the rear door stayed open in flight. Its jump or face jail, as he stood at the tail, watching the darkness below. He took a deep breath, said, "It'll be a quick death," and leaped into space all alone. Clark County lay still, in the brisk evening chill, and the heart of the land skipped a beat. There was something not right, in the primeval night, there were thumps, bumps, and the clumping of feet. When the morning mist cleared, and the story of D. B. was known, Thanksgiving was here, and the story of D. B. was known. The hills of Clark County, swarmed with hunters for bounty, and the seeds of a legend were sown. It spread near and far. In the taverns and bars, was repeated with relish and glee. Might you ever suppose, the woods will disclose, the bones of a man called D. B.?"

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A review of Seattle file also discloses the report of a story which appeared in the 3/19/72 issue of the Los Angeles Times newspapers "West" magazine, wherein a song entitled "The Ballad of D. B. Cooper" appears along with the lyrics and its entirety. It is unknown whether the"Ballad of D. B. Cooper" and "A Ballad to the Man Called D. B. Cooper" are identical.

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DB Cooper-18022

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