Interview re Eugene Cooper, salesman at Arrow Chevrolet

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

---

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

- 1 - Date of transcription 10/6/88

---

[REDACTED], Umatilla, Oregon, telephone number [REDACTED], advised that he first met MERLIN EUGENE COOPER at a car lot in Pendleton, Oregon, called Arrow Chevrolet when COOPER was a car salesman there in 1971, and 1972.

[REDACTED] recalled that COOPER had a pin put in his shoulder about six months or one year before leaving Arrow Chevrolet, which would have been in 1971, or 1972. [REDACTED] indicated that EUGENE COOPER said he had gone to the Veteran's Hospital in Walla Walla, Washington, to have the pin removed. COOPER was all crippled up and later filed a claim for a vehicle accident, however, to [REDACTED] recollection, may have been another incident after the time he came back with a pin in his shoulder. It is the right shoulder and there were some screws that had been placed in the shoulder. COOPER showed him a screw from his shoulder. [REDACTED] recalled that this may have come from a later car accident, six months to a year later from the time he had come back crippled.

---

[REDACTED] advised that COOPER packed around a lot of silver dollars and he recalled COOPER giving a kid some silver quarters.

---

[REDACTED] advised that, at times, COOPER "kidded" that he was D.B. COOPER. While drinking heavily, people would sometimes say, "He must be D.B. COOPER." COOPER would respond, "That's me, I got the money all stashed away." [REDACTED] advised that it was a standing joke with him. [REDACTED] advised that he drank quite a bit and that COOPER had told [REDACTED] he took a lot of pain pills.

---

[REDACTED] described COOPER as being intelligent, and a very outgoing person who would lie a lot.

---

Investigation on 3/11/88 at Umatilla, Oregon File # PD 164A-41-/977

by SA SAMUEL A. MC PHETERS SAM[REDACTED] Date dictated 3/11/88

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-43723

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

PD 164A-41

Continuation of FD-302 of [REDACTED], On 3/11/87, Page - 2 -

---

[REDACTED] advised that, to his recollection, COOPER had left Arrow Chevrolet around December of 1972. He thought COOPER had come there a few months after the D.B. COOPER hijacking, around the first part of 1972. He was not with Arrow Chevrolet for very long where he was employed as he a salesman until the first part of 1972. However, [REDACTED] advised that COOPER was hurt prior to that time and had gone into the Veteran's Hospital, in Walla Walla, Washington, even while there at Arrow Chevrolet.

[REDACTED] advised that COOPER said he had been hurt but did not say how, he did not talk much about it.

[REDACTED] described COOPER as:

Height 6'0" Race White Sex Male Build Athletic, no pot belly Age Late thirties or forties Hair Short, receding hairline Facial Hair None Complexion Unrecalled Characteristics Took pain pills

[REDACTED] reiterated that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Arrow Chevrolet at the same time EUGENE COOPER did. He advised that he thought COOPER was capable of doing anything. He knew he was stealing dollars from his wife's first husband's coin collection, silver dollars.

[REDACTED] advised that he thought COOPER just disappeared. He went to the hospital and had pins put in his arm. On one occasion, COOPER told [REDACTED] that he had wrecked the car and asked him to insure it after he had wrecked it, [REDACTED] refused.

[REDACTED] reiterated that he thought COOPER was at Arrow Chevrolet in 1972, and 1973.

[REDACTED] advised he could not recall COOPER smoking a lot but something was wrong with his hand, a scar or something on his hand.

[REDACTED] advised that COOPER was very glib, quick, intelligent. COOPER never said anything about being in the service according to [REDACTED].

---

DB Cooper-43724