Part 47, page 55

Transcript

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UPI 12-20-82 02f33 PES

4 20-82 02:38 PES*

(COMBINING TAKES) (SERAFRAIDVVHE SAID, _ FBI DISCOUNTS FIND) PICTURE

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PORTLAND, Ore. (UPI) _ A CHARTER BOAT CAPTAIN ENGAGED IN A SEARCH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER FOR LEGENDARY SKYJACKER D.B. COOPER. MONDAY REPORTED FINDING A PIECE OF OLIVE-DRAB FABRIC THAT COULD BE PART OF A PARACHUTE. "I'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF CHUTES BEFORE _ THIS LOOKS LIKE ONE. IT'S GOT SILK IN IT; JUST LIKE A CHUTE WAS." SAID THE BOAT CAPTAIN. BLAKE PAYNE, WHO IS EMPLOYED BY RICHARD TOSAW, A CERES, CALIF., ATTORNEY WHO PLANS TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THE SKYJACKING MYSTERY. LAST WEEK, PAYNE MAILED TO TOSAW A PIECE OF NYLON CORD, A TATTERED PIECE OF FABRIC AND A BONE HE DREDGED FROM THE RIVER BOTTOM WITH A HEAVY METAL RAKE.

THE TWO MEN SURMISED THE FABRIC FOUND LAST WEEK MIGHT BE PART OF A MONEY BAG STUFFED WITH $200,000 THAT THE SKYJACKER STRAPPED TO HIS WAIST ON A RAINY THANKSGIVING EVE 1971 AS HE JUMPED FROM A NORTHWEST AIRLINES BOEING 727 OVER SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON.

THE CORD, PAYNE SAID, MIGHT HAVE COME FROM ONE OF FOUR PARACHUTES DEMANDED BY COOPER. THE CLOTH REPORTED MONDAY MAY ALSO BE FROM ONE OF THE PARACHUTES THE SKYJACKER HAD, HE SAID.

FBI AGENTS, HOWEVER, DISCOUNTED ANY LINK BETWEEN THE MATERIAL AND COOPER. "THIS ITEM, IF IT'S THE OLIVE-DRAB COLOR YOU DESCRIBE, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COOPER." DORWIN SCHREUDEP OF THE FBI'S PORTLAND OFFICE SAID AFTER HE AND OTHER AGENTS VIEWED BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOS OF THE DARK PIECE OF FABRIC.

PAYNE FOUND THE ITEM SATURDAY WHILE DREDGING THE RIVER BETWEEN OREGON AND WASHINGTON. HE WAS BACK IN HIS FLORENCE, ORE., HOME AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM TOSAW. A FORMER FBI AGENT WHO IS FUNDING THE RIVER SEARCH.

SCHREUDER SAID ONE OF THE FOUR PARACHUTES PROVIDED TO COOPER ALONG WITH $200,000 RANSOM BEFORE HE JUMPED FROM A NORTHWEST AIRLINES BOEING 727 ON A RAINY THANKSGIVING EVE IN 1971 WAS OF A SIMILAR NATURE BUT HAD BEEN LEFT BEHIND ON THE PLANE AND "WAS NOT ONE THAT HE TOOK WITH HIM."

SCHREUDER SAID HE COULD NOT DISCUSS UNRELEASED DETAILS ABOUT THE CASE IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE 11-YEAR-OLD INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, AFTER VIEWING PHOTOS OF THE MATERIALS FOUND BY PAYNE, HE SAID "THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE AMONG THE ITEMS" PROVIDED TO COOPER.

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DB Cooper-19335