Part 120, page 420

Transcript

The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.

AT 164-254

BOWDEN related that he was first put in contact with BROWN in about 1946, when BROWN was a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, Georgia. BROWN was, at that time, a military prisoner serving a sentence for Rape and Attempted Rape. BROWN's trial and defense had been handled by another attorney, who upon leaving private practice, asked BOWDEN to look after BROWN in jail and help him if he could. BOWDEN, after reviewing the appropriate transcripts and records, did not file appeal or attempt to open BROWN's case, but he did succeed in obtaining a reduction of sentence for BROWN. BROWN, out of gratitude, maintained contact with BOWDEN through the years and recently began a series of letters and phone calls from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he now resides to BOWDEN and related the following story:

While BROWN was serving time in Atlanta Penitentiary, he became acquainted with DAVID BRYANT COFFELT, a fellow [strikethrough: inmate] [handwritten X mark]. During their years of confinement together, they collaborated on a literary story, written for the purpose of sale and personal gain entitled, "Cleave The Liquid Sky". The story was written in the local of the Kansas/ Oklahoma area and according to BROWN is somewhat biographical. BROWN writes that after his release from the Atlanta Penitentiary in 1952, he had no further contact with DAVID BRYANT COFFELT until the latter part of 1961, at which time BROWN and his wife were living in Utah. COFFELT contacted BROWN at that time and indicated that he was a student at the University of Kansas, and desired a copy of the manuscript to use in courses he was taking at that time. During 1973, after no further contact with COFFELT during the interim period, BROWN decided to rewrite and attempt to sell the book, "Cleave The Liquid Sky" and as a result, he attempted and succeeded in re-establishing contact with COFFELT. In 7/73, BROWN recontacted COFFELT at COFFELT's home in Virginia, and in the ensuing conversation, COFFELT indicated that he had other matters pending at the time and that BROWN could proceed with the rewriting and sale of the book. BROWN's next contact with COFFELT was in 1/74, at which time COFFELT allegedly identified himself to BROWN as D.B. COOPER, the highjacker in instant matter. He relayed certain information to BROWN, which in

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DB COOPER-55458