Handwritten citizen letter to FBI agent in charge offering theories on the hijacker
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Id: Cooper-Part-91:325-327
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-91:325-327 Document: Handwritten citizen letter to FBI agent in charge offering theories on the hijacker Id: Cooper-Part-91:325-327 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-91%3A325-327 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 91 pp. 325–327 (DB Cooper-40716–40718), Handwritten note — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-91%3A325-327
W. M. W. TERRELL 1928 W. [guess: BURNSIDE] (P109) Portland, ORE 97209
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FBI Agent in Charge Portland, Ore
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Sir: As a "senior citizen" I have time to think. So I've just down a few suggestions for your search of hijacker "D. B. Cooper" — that may stimulate you. 1. Obviously this man must have had a strong meed for his act. (a) possibly a gambling debt. (b) a threat from the Crime Syndicate. (c) something else that was important to him. (d) Was there [guess: suspicion] [guess: or] [illegible] on the West Coast. 2. This man's [guess: mold], because of his [guess: ideas] [guess: his] [guess: protected] by Spanish-American [guess: migrants]. (a) possibly the [guess: classy] [guess: proper] [guess: [illegible]] of [guess: help]. (b) smuggled to Mexico in a private plane? 3. The reported letters from him to local newspaper are probably phonies. Why? (a) he had iron self-control [illegible] (b) he has probably grown sideburns, mustache and worn [guess: arriving] moves. His eyeglasses probably had plain glass "lenses." (c) his planning was perfect. (d) I don't see him as [guess: violator] of his act, by throwing money around in [guess: parties]. It is inconsistent. (e) He either had an accomplice (man) who [guess: ferried] him [guess: upon] a car — or else he was a loner. (f) he probably was in a Portland [guess: hideout] [guess: before] the plane landed in Reno. He may still [guess: be] there. (1) more likely a house, not an apartment [guess: (houses)] [guess: offer] less contact with other people and it could be well stocked with food and [guess: he] [guess: goes] [guess: hair].
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DB Cooper-40716
The newspaper "composite drawing" of him tells the public little. a Profile of his face would tell more: 50 would such indications as his voice-tone (high or low register), his walk too (particularly how he walks his arms in walking), then his stance (was he erect, or slumped over) where he bought his ticket, Did he ride the airport bus, or go by private car? If the latter, he had an accomplice. I don't see the latter as a woman for women talk too much. He probably has no arrest record & is [guess: not] [guess: a] get [guess: old] convict. He might have a record in the Vets Admin[istration] from the Korean War period. With facial hair grown, he might pass for a Jew. The money could have been for buying drugs to "saturate" Portland. It is possible, though unlikely, that he is an accepted member of a business firm — or even owner of one that faces a shortage. As such, his associates might (unfortunately) protect him because they cannot conceive him as anything but respectable. Could he be a professional man? You probably have clues from those who observed him when he took his parachute training. Was this in a school? Or did he learn in the Air Force? Most people who are still in the work force, or are employed or self-employed are too busy with their own problems to make observations on people in public. We older people have the time, but few of us are trained observers. I hope you catch him,
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DB Cooper-40717
Concluding, I've a hunch that "D.B. Cooper" hijacking may be imitated possibly in the [guess: Spring], and unlikely out here on the West Coast. This suggests that all parachute [guess: drop] training schools from now on should [guess: stop] thoroughly investigate new applicants. The next "Cooper" might be younger, possibly a Vietnam veteran of the Air Force. Why? Because 1) more recent experiences and 2) tougher? (It is not many people who can dive out of a plane at anytime — even to save that lives if the plane caught on fire.)
There was [guess: possibly] something in this man's behavior that those who saw him (ticket seller, airline hostess) still know, but don't realize they do, or believe unimportant. Did "Cooper" differ from most passengers in any way at all — more friendly, more talkative, etc to etc. Could he once have been an employee of the airline he hijacked?
Many [guess: people] have creative ideas of protecting airplanes from just such an act as "Cooper's", but who can copywrite an idea? And payment for a good idea would be little if anything. So creative ideas die a-borning. I've such an idea, but wouldn't offer it don't even if [guess: perhaps] [guess: Perhopes] through a "[guess: muni] tank" like RAND. I might give my suggestion. The latter would know if worthwhile (and see payment was [guess: fitting]). But I consider this a longshot — a pipe dream!!
As a veteran, as an American whose ancestry dates in America to 1610 — I hope you catch this criminal. W. W. Jerrett
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DB Cooper-40718