Part 53, page 12

Transcript

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

Can You Identify This Hijacker?

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The Crime

A lone white male using the name Dan Cooper boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight No. 305 at Portland, Oreg., on November 24, 1971. At approximately 3:22 p.m., while the flight was en route to Seattle, Wash., he indicated to a stewardess that his briefcase contained a bomb which would blow up the plane unless his demands were met.

The hijacker demanded $200,000 and four parachutes in exchange for the safety of the 36 passengers aboard the plane. When the aircraft landed at Seattle, Northwest Orient Airlines complied with his instructions. After he received the parachutes and money, the hijacker allowed all passengers and two of the airline stewardesses to deplane.

He then ordered the remaining crew members into the first-class section of the aircraft and informed them he desired to fly to Mexico City. The hijacker instructed that the plane proceed in a southerly direction and fly at a low altitude and slow speed which enabled the rear door of the plane opened during the flight.

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The hijacker apparently bailed out somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nev., where, when the plane landed, it was determined that "Cooper," two parachutes, and the ransom money had disappeared.

The Criminal

Artist conception drawings of the aircraft hijacker were prepared by the FBI Exhibits Section and are considered an excellent likeness. He is described as follows:

Race______________ White. Sex_______________ Male. Age_______________ Middle 40's. Height____________ 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet. Weight____________ 170 to 180 pounds. Complexion________ Olive, Latin appearance, medium smooth. Hair______________ Dark brown or black, parted on left, combed back. Eyes______________ Possibly brown. During latter part of flight he put on dark, wrap-around sunglasses with dark rims.

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lar accent, possibly from the Midwest section of the United States. Characteristics______ Heavy smoker of Raleigh filter-tip cigarettes. Wearing apparel______ Black or brown suit; narrow black tie; black dress suit; black rain-type overcoat or dark topcoat; dark briefcase or attache case; carried a paper bag—4 by 12 by 14 inches; brown shoes. Remarks______________ Very polite at all times.

Notification

Anyone having any information or knowledge believed to refer to this individual, please notify the Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. 20535, or the Special Agent in Charge of the nearest FBI field office, the telephone number of which appears on the first page of most local telephone directories.

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"FINDER" BEGINS OPERATION

A prototype automatic fingerprint reader system, known as "FINDER," which utilizes advanced optical scanning techniques and a computer to automatically classify, search, and compare fingerprints, is now in operation in the Identification Division of the FBI. The equipment will permit the FBI to test, evaluate, and perfect on the job its theories of automatic fingerprint identification which, when fully operational, will insure greatly increased operating efficiency and resultant economies to the Government.

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

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SEARCHED____INDEXED____LOW SERIALIZED____FILED____ DEC [illegible] FBI—SEATTLE

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U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1972 O - 479-406

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DB Cooper-22350

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DEC DAVE BAUR[CE] [illegible] LAWLE[illegible]