SAC Seattle to Director re NORJAK Subject Number 1002, Merlin Gene Cooper
Document date 28 July 1988
Also filed separately as sections:
Report a problem
Email this to [email protected]
Id: Cooper-Part-49:110-112
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-49:110-112 Document: Airtel SAC Seattle to Director re NORJAK Subject Number 1002, Merlin Gene Cooper Id: Cooper-Part-49:110-112 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-49%3A110-112 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 49 pp. 110–112 (DB Cooper-20206–20208), Airtel, dated 28 Jul 1988, serial SE 164-81-8929 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-49%3A110-112
FD-36 (Rev. 8-29-85)
FBI
TRANSMIT VIA: PRECEDENCE: CLASSIFICATION: ☐ Teletype ☐ Immediate ☐ TOP SECRET ☐ Facsimile ☐ Priority ☐ SECRET ☒ AIRTEL ☐ Routine ☐ CONFIDENTIAL ☐ UNCLAS E F T O ☐ UNCLAS Date 7/28/88
---
[handwritten] Su[guess: b] Merlin Gene Cooper [guess: Case] [guess: #] 1002
---
TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (164-2111)
FROM: SAC, SEATTLE (164A-81) (P)
NORJAK; OO: SEATTLE
RE: MERLIN GENE COOPER, Subject Number 1002.
Re Portland teletype to FBIHQ, 4/26/88.
Referenced teletype advised MERLIN GENE COOPER has been developed as a suspect by the Portland Division. Suspect resided in Pendleton, Oregon, in 1970 through 1972. He left for two weeks during the time of the hijacking on 11/24/71. He returned injured; walking with a limp.
MERLIN GENE COOPER's description fits the general physical description of the unknown subject. In 1972, he gave a painting to a Pendleton resident signing the name "D.B. Cooper". At least two individuals who knew him personally through family associations thought he was D.B. COOPER at the time the composite sketch came out in the newspapers in 1971, but were reluctant to contact law enforcement authorities. The suspect has been assigned air traffic control duties in past military assignments. An autopsy at the time of death two years after the hijacking showed suspect had a contusion below the knee from a prior injury.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS
---
2- Bureau 2- Butte (164A-26) 1- Los Angeles (164A-497) (INFO) 1- Milwaukee (164A-36) (INFO) 1- Oklahoma City (164A-56) 2- Portland (164A-41) 1- St. Louis (164A-63) (INFO) 3- Seattle RNN/leg (12) Approved: [signature] Transmitted __________ Per __________ (Number) (Time)
---
Searched Serialized Indexed Filed
---
164-81-8929
b6 b7C
DB Cooper-20206
SE 164A-61
---
Several leads have been covered and reported to the office of origin; however, leads have been set out by the Portland Division for investigation to be conducted at Muskogee, Oklahoma; Milwaukee at Coon Valley, and for military records at St. Louis and FBIHQ. Also, a lead was set out by Milwaukee for the Los Angeles Division at Norwalk, California. Portland is requested to send to Seattle copies of all communications concerning this suspect.
It is apparent that this suspect was living in the Pendleton or Hermiston, Oregon, areas at the time of this crime (11/24/71). The suspect supposedly had a pin removed from his shoulder in 1971 or 1972. It is suggested that Portland attempt to determine if this operation was conducted in the Pendleton or Hermiston areas. If so, ascertain the date of the operation and if a contusion below the knee was in any medical records.
Portland should advise Seattle if the information that this suspect left for two weeks at the time of the hijacking is based on memory of an event that occurred seventeen years ago or on documents, such as employment or health records.
All of the investigation concerning this suspect has not been conducted and, therefore, it is too soon to make a final evaluation; however, the following facts tend to indicate the suspect may not be identical with the unknown subject:
1. At the time of this hijacking, based on photographs taken about 1971 to 1973, this suspect hardly had any hair at all on the top, front part of his head.
2. Suspect has blue or hazel eyes; the unknown subject had brown eyes.
3. Suspect's true name is COOPER. The unknown subject used the name DAN COOPER on the passenger manifest.
4. The suspect's latent fingerprints are not identical with the NORJAK partials taken from the scene of the crime.
---
DB Cooper-20207
SE 164A-61
---
The NORJAK witnesses have been shown hundreds of photographs and items of evidence in the past. The Seattle Division has not contacted these witnesses as a means of processing NORJAK suspects in more than a decade. The last known address list for witnesses is dated 7/25/77.
Before setting out leads to interview these witnesses, all remaining leads should be covered and the results forwarded to Seattle for evaluation.
---
ARMED AND DANGEROUS
---
DB Cooper-20208
Serials: 164-2111, 164-36, BT 164-26, LA 164-497, OC 164-56, PD 164-41, SE 164-61, SE 164-81, SE 164-81-8929, SL 164-63