Interview of suspect in Los Angeles re November 1971 travel (LA 164-497)

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

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

1 Date of transcription 4/15/74

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[REDACTED] Los Angeles, California, was interviewed [REDACTED] Los Angeles, the Office of Attorney [REDACTED] who was present.

SA's C. ROBERT STRANGER and [REDACTED] as Special identified themselves to [REDACTED] was furnished an Agents of the FBI and [REDACTED] "Interrogation; Advice of Rights" form by SA STRANGER. Upon reading the contents of the form [REDACTED] deferred to his attorney who advised him not to sign, however, Attorney [REDACTED] added that his client would answer questions concerning his whereabouts during the hijacking of a Northwest Orient plane in November 1971.

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[REDACTED] stated that on or about November 21, 1971, [REDACTED]. He had decided to get away from everything, having first thought he would go south, perhaps to [illegible], but then then decided to return to the [illegible] [illegible] of the "old stamping grounds" in Oregon and Washington. He added that he had no specific destination in mind but had decided to pass on through Medford, Oregon, where he was well known since [REDACTED] in that area in [REDACTED]. He had thought of driving directly to Seattle, Washington, but later decided to try to get a job [REDACTED] in the Eugene or Portland, Oregon area.

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He stated that on the day [REDACTED] [REDACTED] just south of Redondo Beach, California. he had taken [REDACTED] to the [REDACTED] located near Victory and Olive in Burbank, California. This is the dealership where he had purchased this car several days earlier. While the car was being serviced he had stayed at a motel in Burbank, name unrecalled, but believes located at the corner of [REDACTED] in Burbank. He stated he would have registered under the name of [REDACTED] at this motel the night prior to departing for the Washington- Oregon area. He believes this would have been the night of November 21, 1971.

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Interviewed on 4/10/74 at Los Angeles, California File # Los Angeles 164-497 [REDACTED] SA's [REDACTED] and by C. ROBERT STRANGER/crs/svy Date dictated 4/15/74

This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the pro[perty of] your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.

DB Cooper-43028 [handwritten: a - H' [illegible]]

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b6 b7C

2 LA 164-497

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About noon on the day of November 22, 1971, he had picked up his car at [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. He recalls the car had [REDACTED] [REDACTED] on it at the time. He traveled north on Interstate 5 to Sacramento, California, arriving in that city on the night of November 22, 1971. He stayed at a motel in Northern Sacramento, California, and recalls the motel was just a few blocks west of Interstate 5 across from a Standard Gas Station. He paid cash for one nights lodging at this motel.

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The following day, on November 23, 1971, he drove to Eugene, Oregon, where he went to a motel called the "Town" or "Townhouse" motel located on a one way street going north in Eugene. He believes this street was a numbered street, possibly 6th or 7th Street in Eugene.

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[REDACTED] recalls he spent the night of November 23, 1971, at this motel where he had consulted the yellow pages of the telephone directory and made several telephone calls

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He stated this was not too unusual as [REDACTED] often have an opening and will hire someone with experience if they know they are available in the area.

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The following date, on November 24, 1971, he proceeded into Portland, Oregon. He believes he stayed in a motel in Portland from two to five days and recalls having Thanksgiving dinner alone in a restaurant in Portland.

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He described the motel he stayed in at Portland as being about five miles south of Portland City Center on Southwest Barber Boulevard (old highway 99). He described the motel as a large two story building with a large bowling alley located on the same lot as the motel. The motel and bowling alley were located on the west side of Barber Boulevard and the bowling alley is on a corner where two streets intersect.

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DB Cooper-43029

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2

3 LA 164-497

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[REDACTED] stated he probably registered in the motel [REDACTED] but possibly as [REDACTED] He added that he probably would not have put down an accurate description of his car but would have put some variation of the car description on the motel registration form such as [REDACTED] [REDACTED] He added that for an address he would have probably used some variation of his old home address of [REDACTED] Los Angeles, California, such as [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Los Angeles."

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[REDACTED] continued stating he paid cash at all the motels, was alone at all times and remembered becoming involved in a discussion with a woman at the motel in Eugene about commercial rates. He believes he told the woman he was with [REDACTED] so he could qualify for a commercial rate.

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[guess: Attorney] [REDACTED] intervened when [REDACTED] was questioned concerning the reasons for his actions or why [REDACTED] MARGARET SILKWOOD had denied knowledge of his whereabouts or wellbeing during previous interviews. [REDACTED] stated that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] MARGARET SILKWOOD has advised she wants nothing more to do [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. Attorney [REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] responses to questions concerning reasons for his actions would be [REDACTED]

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[REDACTED] stated he had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever concerning the hijacking of a Northwest Orient Airline plane in November 1971, other than what he had learned of the incident through the media. He stated he had never parachuted in his life although once while learning to fly in Medford, Oregon, ten years ago, he had watched some sky divers perform in a local airport and he was tempted to try.

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He stated he would be willing to take a polygraph examination to establish the truthfulness of his statements concerning his knowledge of the hijacking.

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DB Cooper-43030