SAC Atlanta to SAC Seattle re Hell's Canyon cache and elk hunting party lead
This copy: Part 73 pp. 291–293Also filed at Part 27 pp. 392–394 (primary) · Part 65 pp. 251–253
This copy’s own title
SAC Atlanta to SAC Seattle re Lilburn, Georgia informant and Hell's Canyon cache
Document date 31 August 1972
Another copy of this document is the primary, most legible copy: Part 27 pp. 392–394.
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-73:291-293
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-73:291-293 Document: Memo SAC Atlanta to SAC Seattle re Lilburn, Georgia informant and Hell's Canyon cache Id: Cooper-Part-73:291-293 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-73%3A291-293 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
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FBI 164-81, Vault Part 73 pp. 291–293 (DB Cooper-31648–31650), Memo, dated 31 Aug 1972 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-73%3A291-293
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 MAY 1962 EDITION GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum
TO: SEATTLE (164-81) FROM: ATLANTA (164-254) (P)
SUBJECT: NORJAK OO: SEATTLE BUFILE 164-2111
DATE: 8/31/72 SUC E Sub R
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On 8/17/72, [REDACTED], residing at [REDACTED], Lilburn, Georgia, furnished the following information.
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During the first week of November 1971, he was on an elk hunting trip in the northeastern portion of the state of Oregon. During this hunt he ran across a log shelter cabin and a cache of survival gear located in a remote place in this area. He is unware of the significance of this cache but furnished this information after hearing about captioned case. He advised that a short time after the hijacking he was transferred by his company from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, and only recently received his furniture and personal effects. Since some of the data contained herein was with his personal effects he was unable to furnish this information prior to this time.
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He produced a United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service map of the Joseph Ranger District, Wallowa Whitman National Forest, dated in 1965. He stated that this map is available through the headquarters of the Forest Service in Portland, Oregon. He stated that the area that he is relating to is located within sections 1, 12, or 13 of Range 49 east in Township 1 north as set out on the above described map.
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He states that he was off hunting by himself on this one particular occasion, when he stumbled into an area of heavy brush, he discovered a log shelter constructed entirely of logs five to six inches in diameter. The building being approximately four feet long by five feet wide and four feet high, the opening to the shelter was covered by logs propped in place and staked in position in the ground. At the time he was there, there was approximately 12 to 18 inches of snow on the ground and this amount of snow had been in the area for four to six weeks prior
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(2) - Seattle 1 - Portland (Info) 2 - Detroit 2 - Atlanta (7)
SEARCHED.......... INDEXED.......... SERIALIZED [illegible] LE SEP 5 197[illegible] FBI--SEATTLE
[handwritten] 1 6 [illegible] - 8/- 3865
Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan
DB Cooper-31648
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[guess: Sulpece] [guess: b = 1.7] H100[illegible] CRCHE
AT 164-254
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to this time. He noticed no fresh tracks near the shelter or cache at the time.
He was unable to look into the shelter to see what was contained therein and he did not remove any of the logs to examine it. He did notice a duffel bag hanging from a tree near by. This duffel bag had the name [REDACTED] or the last name could be [REDACTED] with Air Force number [REDACTED] imprinted on the duffel bag. The bag appeared to be old and contained numerous tears and wear holes. He examined the contents of the duffel bag and discovered that it contained rifle bullets, long-handled men's underwear, shoe grease, candles, a jacket, vitamin pills, and some hippie-type smoking pipes, which appeared to handmade. He noticed no food, no socks, or shoes in the bag. He noted that several of these items still had price tags on them reflecting that they were purchased either at GI Joe's or Andy and Box both of which are Army sur- plus stores located in Portland, Oregon. He did not recall any dates of purchase.
He also noted that there was a left-handed bow, as used by archers, hanging from a tree nearby. He removed this bow and took it with him, the bow bears the name Baer Archery Company, Grayling, Michigan, registration number [REDACTED]
He stated that the area of the cache is located in what is known as Hell's Canyon, near the boundary between east- ern Oregon and Idaho. It is located generally in a gully be- tween Windy Ridge and the next ridge located to the southwest. He states that the nearest community is in Imnaha, Oregon, located on the Imnaha River. To get to the area you take the Hat Point Road out of Imnaha and follow it to the end of the pavement, at this point you follow the wide trail that goes out on Windy Ridge and finally comes to a dead end. The road ends at a small draw and the area of the cache is located about 200 or so yards from the end of the road.
He stated that this general area has the appearance of being used during the summer months by packtrain trips com- ing from various dude ranches in the area and located nearby is a camping area which might be an overnight stopping point on these packtrain trips. He stated that from this camping area the site of the cache is perhaps 100 to 150 yards away up the side of a hill in heavy brush. The cache could not be seen from the camping area but the area could probably be point- ed out by one of the rangers from the nearby ranger station at Hat Point.
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- 2
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DB Cooper-31649
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b6 b7C
AT 164-254
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[REDACTED] stated that with him on this trip was an individual named [REDACTED] who goes by the name [REDACTED] who is a builder in Portland, Oregon, but who resides in Aurora, Oregon, having home telephone number [REDACTED] thinks that probably [REDACTED] could point out the area where the party camped during this elk hunt and might possibly be able to assist in locating the area of the cache. Other members of the hunting party were a young relative of [REDACTED] last name unrecalled, who is possibly a student at one of the community colleges in the Portland, Oregon, area. The third member of the trip is [REDACTED] who is employed as [REDACTED] in the Portland area. [REDACTED] states that no one was with him when he found the cache and the others would know of his find based only on the infor- mation he furnished them.
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Due to the fact that the Hell's Canyon area is located a considerable distance from the possible flight path of the aircraft in captioned case, flying from Seattle to Reno, the significance of this information is not known to the Atlanta office, accordingly, no leads are being set out in the Portland area at this time. Leads are being designated for the Detroit office to determine if the bow found by [REDACTED] is registered.
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DETROIT DIVISION
AT GRAYLING, MICHIGAN
Will contact Baer Archery Company to determine if left handed bow number [REDACTED] has been registered by its owner with that company. If information is found will furnish the same to office of origin for appropriate additional investiga- tion.
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DB Cooper-31650
Serials: 164-2111, AT 164-254, SE 164-81