Interview of female witness re conversation overheard at Smokey Joe's, North Hollywood

FD-302 (Rev. 11-27-70)

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

1 Date of transcription 10/7/76

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[REDACTED] California, telephone [REDACTED] was interviewed concerning a conversation she reportedly overheard at a restaurant in North Hollywood, California. She advised as follows:

About noon, August 3, 1976, she stopped to eat lunch at Smokey Joe's restaurant located at the intersection of Coldwater Canyon Boulevard and Riverside Drive in the North Hollywood area. She was accompanied by two old and senile persons, [REDACTED] whom she had taken out for a ride and to lunch. While sitting in a booth at the restaurant, a couple came in and occupied an adjacent booth. She stated the couple appeared to be between 30 and 35 years of age, white, and the female was slender and blond. She was unable to further identify either the male or female as to clothing or other descriptive data.

Shortly after the couple seated themselves, they were joined by a lone white male whom she described as being between 27 and 30 years old, slender build, about 5'10" tall, with neat cut brown hair. She had not noticed the type of clothing this individual was wearing, but stated that he was not dressed in a shirt and tie nor was he dressed in work clothes as she would have taken notice in either instance. She stated she did not believe she could identify these persons if she saw them again.

She continued that upon arrival of the lone male they shook hands and talked as though they were old friends who had not seen each other for several years, and the man sitting with the blond female had inquired abou[REDACTED] This led to a discussion by the single male of [REDACTED] wherein he stated he believed [REDACTED] was responsible for the hijacking about five years ago. He also stated that [REDACTED] had talked to him about hijacking an airplane prior to the actual hijacking. He had spoken of requesting several parachutes and holding numerous hostages while demanding the ransom. The single male had indicated that he had worked with [REDACTED] in a local "shop" and about four days before the hijacking, [REDACTED]

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Interviewed on 9/27/76 at [REDACTED] California File # Los Angeles 164-497-8646

by SA [REDACTED] /aml Date dictated 10/1/76

This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. DB Cooper-25442 GPO : 1975 O - 566-118

2 LA 164-497

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had left his job and taken his "Land Rover" vehicle. [REDACTED] could not recall any specifics concerning any type of business that may have been mentioned; however, stated she definitely recalls the single male making a statement that the Statute of Limitations would soon run and [REDACTED] would be home free.

She added that the conversation she overheard was not whispered, and she was very definite about the name of [REDACTED] and the name of "Land Rover" as the vehicle which [REDACTED] had allegedly taken with him upon departing his job. She also recalled the single male having mentioned that [REDACTED] was now in a business for himself.

She added that she had gotten the specific impression that the "shop" referred to in the conversation was in the general area of the restaurant where she overheard the conversation. She could recall no details as to why she was led to believe this.

[REDACTED] stated the single male had referred to [REDACTED] as a sky diver who "could land on a dime."

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DB Cooper-25443