SA Himmelsbach to SAC Portland re Marion County lead on pre-hijack plan

SAC, PORTLAND (164-41) (P)

10/6/78

SA RALPH P. HIMMELSBACH

NORJAK (A) (OO: Seattle)

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On 9/14/78, Detective [REDACTED], Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), Salem, Oregon, furnished the follow- ing information:

[REDACTED] has advised him [REDACTED] that he has a man in mind who may have been involved in captioned violation. [REDACTED] agreed to make [REDACTED] available for interview, and on the same date accompanied the Agent to [REDACTED] residence for the following interview:

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[REDACTED] Portland, Oregon, telephone no. [REDACTED], furnished the following information:

In early 1971, [REDACTED] in the Portland area. During that period, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] an old bootlegger, long since deceased, and they were living in North Portland. [REDACTED] by the name of [REDACTED] told him that a mutual acquaintance, one [REDACTED] was interested in talking to him. The next time [REDACTED] came to Portland, he [REDACTED] rode back to Salem with [REDACTED] in the latter's new Japanese car. On the way, [REDACTED] told him that he had a plan to hijack an airliner. He said that the hijacker would board an airliner and bail out in a parachute somewhere over southwest Washington state. He seemed to remember that the Longview and Kelso area was a possible area of the hijacker involved in the plan. [REDACTED] wanted someone

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(3) - Portland

164-41-1722

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DB Cooper-43119

PD 164-41

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else to make the jump, and he [REDACTED] would pick up the hi- jacker, and they would make use of a small airstrip located somewhere in the area. In this connection, [REDACTED] said that there were a lot of small airstrips all over southwest Washington state. They would then take the ransom to either Canada, or to Switzerland, to exchange the money, if it were marked, or possibly go to South America. Mexico was not ever mentioned. [REDACTED] mentioned that he thought they could ask for either one or two million dollars, but he also mentioned the figure of two hundred thousand dollars.

[REDACTED] felt that the reason [REDACTED] was asking him was because [REDACTED] however, he [REDACTED] did not want any part of a parachute jump, thought the plan was wild, and told [REDACTED] of his views. He said that [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

[REDACTED] continued that [REDACTED] now lives in [REDACTED], Oregon, and is living [REDACTED]. He is now either in [REDACTED] or is working in [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. He recalled that [REDACTED] said at the time that it would be necessary that once they got the ransom money, they would have to sit on it for a year or so, before touching it.

[REDACTED] said that he ran across [REDACTED] one time in Salem since the incident, and this was in about [REDACTED]. At that time he told [REDACTED] he never thought he would go through with the plan, and [REDACTED] just grinned and did not confirm or deny involvement in captioned matter.

[REDACTED] advised that he had no idea as to the possible identities of any associates of [REDACTED] during that period of time. He said he thought that [REDACTED] kept the airplane at Salem, but that [REDACTED].

Upon conclusion of the above interview, Detective [REDACTED] advised that he has identified [REDACTED] as [REDACTED],

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b6 b7C

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-2-

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DB Cooper-43120

PD 164-41

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[REDACTED]. His present residence is [REDACTED], [REDACTED], Oregon [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. He has Oregon driver's license no. [REDACTED]. DOB of [REDACTED] On 11/3/70, [REDACTED] was [REDACTED]

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Salem, Oregon, on [REDACTED] whose last name was [REDACTED]. At the time of [REDACTED]

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LEAD

PORTLAND

AT [REDACTED] AND SALEM, OREGON. Will conduct discreet investigation to determine the general financial background of [REDACTED] after which time he will be inter- viewed by Case Agent and Detective [REDACTED].

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ARMED AND DANGEROUS.

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-3*-

DB Cooper-43121