Part 59, page 128

Transcript

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

FD-350 (Rev. 7-16-63)

(Mount Clipping in Space Below)

(Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.)

I-18 Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, Calif.

Date: 5/3/72 Edition: Wednesday final Author: Editor: Title:

Character: or Classification: Submitting Office: Los Angeles ☐ Being Investigated

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TWO MEN ACCUSED OF 'D. B. COOPER' HOAX

Exclusive to The Times from Reuters

WASHINGTON — The FBI Tuesday arrested two men in Washington state alleged to have deceived a magazine reporter into paying $30,000 for what he thought would be an interview with "D. B. Cooper," the first man to hijack a plane and make his escape by parachuting with the ransom.

The FBI said the victim was Karl Fleming, a contributing editor of Newsweek magazine, stationed in Los Angeles at the time of the hoax.

The FBI identified the men arrested as real estate promoters Donald Sylvester Murphy, 49, of Bremerton, Wash., and William John Lewis, 33, of Silverdale, Wash.

According to the complaint, Lewis introduced Fleming to Murphy, presenting him as "Cooper," who escaped from a Northwest Orient Airlines jet last Nov. 24 with $200,000 in ransom.

Fleming paid $30,000 for an exclusive story but did not get the money from Newsweek, the FBI said. His backer was a partner of his in another venture, Platypus Publications, Inc.

Murphy and Lewis were charged with violating the federal conspiracy statute

and the law against-inter-state transporation of stolen property.

Newsweek said Fleming no longer had any connection with the magazine.

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164-497-484 SEARCHED _____ INDEXED _____ SERIALIZED _____ FILED _____ 13 MAY 5 1972 ELES

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DB Cooper-24272