SAC Salt Lake City to SAC Seattle re Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. and evidence summary

FD-36 (Rev. 11-17-88)

FBI

TRANSMIT VIA: PRECEDENCE: CLASSIFICATION: ☐ Teletype ☐ Immediate ☐ TOP SECRET ☐ Facsimile ☐ Priority ☐ SECRET ☒ AIRTEL ☐ Routine ☐ CONFIDENTIAL ☐ UNCLAS E F T O ☐ UNCLAS

Date 8/26/92

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TO : SAC, SEATTLE (164A-SE-81)

FROM [REDACTED] SAC, SALT LAKE CITY (164A-SE-81) (RUC)

SUBJECT : NORJAK; OO:SE Sus 386

ARMED AND DANGEROUS

Reference Seattle airtel to Salt Lake City dated 6/10/92.

This airtel summarizes information contained in 164A-SE-81, (formerly 164A-36) entitled "RICHARD FLOYD MCCOY, JR., aka; CAA-AIR PIRACY; EFP; OO:SU, which relates to RICHARD FLOYD MCCOY, JR. and which does not appear to be attached to a communication indicating that the information was forwarded to Seattle Division. The following is a summary of such information:

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1. Serial 18 - Interview of [REDACTED] [REDACTED] stated that MCCOY was a skydiver, a Vietnam Veteran, and a helicopter pilot. MCCOY told [REDACTED] how it would be possible to hijack an airplane and that if he were going to do it, he would ask for $500,000. [REDACTED] told [REDACTED] that MCCOY tried to get her to help him with the hijacking. [REDACTED] expressed concern to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] on 4/7/82 that MCCOY might be involved in a hijacking. MCCOY told [REDACTED] that if the plane he hijacked was followed by chase planes, he would tell them that he planted a bomb on a second plane in order to get them to withdraw. MCCOY told [REDACTED] that if he was successful in obtaining $500,000, he would leave the country.

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ARMED AND DANGEROUS (2) - Seattle 2 - SU MSR:ttc (4) [initials]

164A-SE - 81 - 9/85 SEARCHED......... INDEXED........ SERIALIZED [REDACTED] FILED........

Approved: _______________ Transmitted _______________ (Number) (Time)

DB Cooper-20969

2. Serial 22 - Teletype from St. Louis. Review of Army records revealed that MCCOY served on active duty U.S. ARMY, 3/31/62 until 1/22/65. On 6/1/65, MCCOY enlisted in the UTAH NATIONAL GUARD. MCCOY enlisted in the regular Army on 1/22/66, and was discharged on 2/13/67 as a Specialist 5th Class. He then accepted a Warrant Officer commission. He was honorably released from active duty as Chief Warrant Officer on 3/11/70. When MCCOY was honorably released as Chief Warrant Officer, he transferred to USAR CONTROL, St. Louis, Missouri. On 6/12/70, he transferred from Army reserve to NATIONAL GUARD OF CALIFORNIA as Chief Warrant Officer. He was transferred on 10/30/70 to UTAH NATIONAL GUARD and assigned to "HHQ, 115 ENGS. GP (ARAV UTAH)" as a rotary wing pilot. In 1971, MCCOY was placed on permanent flying status with the UTAH NATIONAL GUARD. While in the Army, MCCOY received a parachutist badge.

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3. Serial 25 - Teletype from San Francisco. A photograph of MCCOY, along with six other photographs were displayed to [REDACTED] who identified MCCOY as the hijacker of UAL Flight 855.

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4. Serial 32 - Teletype to Salt Lake City Division indicating that the FBI Laboratory identified MCCOY's handwriting on a note utilized by hijacker to instruct flight crew.

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5. Serial 39 - Two latent fingerprints developed on back of "Mainliner" magazine marked "seat 20D" from envelope were identified as fingerprints of RICHARD FLOYD MCCOY, JR.

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6. Serial 94 - On 3/12/72, [REDACTED] advised that Chief Warrant Officer MCCOY was released from regular Army and joined the 115th Engineering Group of the UTAH NATIONAL GUARD in Murray, Utah on 10/30/70. [REDACTED] stated that MCCOY remained in that unit until 1/1/72, at which time he transferred to the 1457th in American Fork. [REDACTED] stated MCCOY was unknown to most members of the unit in so much as he did not attend drills at the guard armory but reported to ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AIRCRAFT HEADQUARTERS next to the SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT.

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7. Serial 96 - Memorandum to SAC, Salt Lake City from SA [REDACTED] That document indicates that the FBI Laboratory determined that a note with the hijacker's handwriting, which had been retained by flight attendants, was identical to the handwriting of MCCOY.

8. Serial 99 - Airtel to Salt Lake City from FBIHQ. Latent prints developed on a tickets were identical to prints to MCCOY.

9. Serial 256 - Interview of [REDACTED] b6 [REDACTED] On 4/9/72, [REDACTED] was shown a photo spread and he b7C identified MCCOY as the hijacker on UNITED Flight 855.

10. Serial 209 - Report of the Identification Division, from the Latent Fingerprint Section. Two latent fingerprints developed on UNITED AIRLINES ticket number 1 016 55817417 0, bearing the name "R/MCCOY", issued on 3/31/72, for travel from Salt Lake City to Denver, were identified as finger impressions of MCCOY.

11. Serial 283 - Interview of [REDACTED] b6 [REDACTED] informed [REDACTED] b7C that she was at MCCOY's residence on 4/8/72. [REDACTED] noticed that MCCOY and his wife possessed a satchel which she later learned contained money obtained during the hijacking. [REDACTED] also told [REDACTED] that MCCOY's wife asked [REDACTED] for assistance in moving a large quantity of money and that MCCOY's wife threatened [REDACTED] if she did not help.

12. Serial 261 - Airtel from Salt Lake City to Cleveland. A search of the residence of [REDACTED] revealed b6 the existence of two typewriters. One of the typewriters was b7C determined by the FBI Laboratory to be the one which prepared flight plans used in the hijacking of the UAL Flight 855.

The above information was used to convict MCCOY of hijacking UAL Flight 855. Case file 164A-SU-38005 did not appear to contain information relating to MCCOY's involvement in other hijackings. Unless Salt Lake City Division receives additional requests concerning MCCOY, this matter is considered RUC.

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3

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DB Cooper-2097