Part 51, page 36

Transcript

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

[redacted — letterhead with logo and 'Laguna Hills, CA'] May 24, 1995

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Director Louis Freeh Federal Bureau of Investigation 9th & Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20535

Subject: D.B. Cooper Skyjacking Case - Most Probable Location of Cooper's Remains.

Honorable Director Freeh:

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This no doubt sounds somewhat unusual, but [redacted] [redacted] partner and I collected and comprehensively analyzed all of the available information on the Cooper case as a hobby and professional challenge. In doing so, using our over 70 years of combined law enforcement and investigative experience, we concluded with at least ninety-percent certainty that D.B. Cooper's remains were scattered by wildlife on one of the islands shown on the enclosed maps, after he free-fell to his death.

Our investigation included interviews with [redacted] [redacted] the case agent; and [redacted] [redacted] and expert parachutist. They both agreed that Cooper's chances of a survival landing were next to impossible under the conditions that existed, and [redacted] estimated Cooper's free-fall drift to be about one mile to the northeast of where he jumped. From this information and other data, we believe he most likely landed on Government Island.

We further concluded that all of the money went into the Columbia River and decomposed, except for the partially decomposed $5,800 found on a bank of the Columbia in February 1980. [redacted] readily admitted in [redacted] and [redacted] that that find was proof that they had searched the wrong areas near the Lewis River in 1971 and 1972. Although the Fort Lewis Army troops did find two other unrelated bodies during those searches.

My partner lives in the [redacted] Washington, area, which prompted our review and analysis of this case. He had planned to search Governement Island, as he had done on other islands, but discontinued his efforts for several valid reasons. One being the marijuana growers who protect their illegal crops with booby-traps, as explained in the enclosed newsclipping, in addition to maps of the target search areas.

In that he decided his searching could be too hazardous, we decided to apprise the Bureau of our comprehensive conclusions for whatever value they might be to solve this case.

We also believe that a law enforcement search may reveal other crimes, evidence, or bodies like found in 1971 and 1972 in the Lewis River areas, in addition to the well-publicized

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SEARCHED____________INH·[illegible] SERIALIZED__________FILED__________

JUL 27 1995

FB SEATTLE DB Cooper-21139

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