Interview re painting 'Final Resting' bearing name D.B. Cooper on reverse

FD-302 (REV. 3-10-82)

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FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

- 1 - Date of transcription 10/12/88

[REDACTED] telephonically contacted Special Agent Samuel A. McPheters, in reference to a painting which she had recently taken off one of the walls of her home which was entitled "Final Resting." The writing on the back indicated the following information:

Name of Painting Final Resting Place of Painting Mind Date of Painting 1970 Price $450.00 Artist D.B. COOPER Address Route One, Box 134, Hermiston, Oregon Label Paint Tested Genuine Canvas Panel for Artists M. Grumbacher, Incorporated, New York, New York Size 22" by 28" Catalog Number 634-18

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[REDACTED] advised that she would make this painting available for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to maintain as part of a future investigation. The painting was kept in the office in the Pendleton Resident Agency of the FBI.

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[REDACTED] advised she had received this painting by an individual known to her and her husband as GENE COOPER, also known as M.G. COOPER. She advised this individual attended the Eagles Club in Pendleton, Oregon, and worked in Pendleton, Oregon, at Eastern Oregon Motors, which is now called Pendleton Ford. He worked [REDACTED], [REDACTED] She recalled that he came to [REDACTED] home the night after the Eagles Club meeting sometime around 1970, and called his wife from their house.

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Investigation on 3/7/88 at Pendleton, Oregon File # PD 164A-41-1973

by SA SAMUEL A. MC PHETERS SAM: Date dictated 3/7/88

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-43711

FD-302a (Rev. 11-15-83)

PD 164A-41

Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED] , On 3/7/88 , Page - 2 -

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[REDACTED] advised that COOPER could be described as follows:

Name GENE COOPER Alias M.G. Cooper Race White Sex Male Height 6'0" Build Fairly slender Age Early forties Weight 165 to 170 pounds Hair Light brown, short, receding hairline Complexion Medium Characteristics Fairly good looking; good dancer, no children clean shaven, married to an elderly woman much older than him, wore dark sunglasses

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[REDACTED] advised that she knew COOPER for approximately a six month period. His wife's name was possibly Florence.

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[REDACTED] advised that she thought COOPER had given them the painting in 1970, but she was not sure. She advised she first met GENE COOPER in 1970, or 1971, at the Pendleton Eagles Lodge. She thought he and her husband, [REDACTED], stopped there after work and on one occasion, called her to come down to the club. That same night COOPER came to their house in Pendleton, and had coffee at about 2:00 a.m., probably sometime in the fall of 1970, or 1971. COOPER recited poetry to her and advised that he was an artist and a poet. She was bored and tired but he kept reciting. COOPER [REDACTED] at East Oregon Motors at the time in Pendleton, Oregon, which is now Pendleton Ford.

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[REDACTED] advised that she next saw COOPER at the Eagles Club on several occasions in Pendleton. He had his wife at the Eagles picnic which was in the summertime approximately six months later at Emigint Park.

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[REDACTED] advised that his wife was very old and white haired, in her late seventies. She was very matronly, approximately 5'4", very nice person, slightly heavy. COOPER and his wife were living together in Hermiston, Oregon, at the time. She could not recall seeing him after the picnic.

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DB Cooper-43712

FD-302a (Rev. 11-15-83)

PD 164A-41

Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED] , On 3/7/88 , Page - 3 -

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[REDACTED] advised that COOPER gave her the painting either on their second or third meeting after she had originally met him. He said the painting depicted tombstones and that the title was "Final Resting."

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[REDACTED] advised she considered COOPER just an acquaintance. She advised she next heard of him from her husband. Her husband said he had come back to Pendleton, Oregon, and had been in a bad car accident. He was pretty crippled at the time. COOPER indicated that he had been in a car accident and that he had wrecked a green Ford Torino.

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[REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] [REDACTED], Pendleton, Oregon, also danced with COOPER several times.

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[REDACTED] advised she always had a question in her mind because COOPER had disappeared about the time of the D.B. COOPER hijacking and came back later crippled. She advised then that the previous Saturday she had turned the picture over to take downstairs and throw away because she was tired of it and noticed the signature D.B. COOPER written on the back.

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On March 9, 1988, [REDACTED] was shown the composite photograph of D.B. COOPER which came out in the newspapers of 1971, subsequent to the hijacking. [REDACTED] said, "It really looks like him." She advised she thought the composite sketch looked like him seventeen years ago when she first saw it. She advised she did not contact law enforcement because she did not think it could have been him who hijacked the plane.

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[REDACTED] advised she recalled that she and her husband were on their way to Reno, Nevada, when the hijacking occurred. When she first saw the composite she thought it resembled COOPER "a lot" but thought it was just a coincidence.

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DB Cooper-43713

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b6 b7C

FD-302a (Rev. 11-15-83)

PD 164A-41

Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED] , On 3/7/88 , Page - 4 -

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On March 14, 1988, [REDACTED] advised that she had never mentioned the name of D.B. COOPER nor had she seen it on the back of the painting before. She advised she did not know whether COOPER would have put that name on there for attention or not. She advised that no one else has ever had access to the painting where they could have written that on the back either.

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b6 b7C

DB Cooper-43714