Part 83, page 145

Transcript

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

DEAR SIRS,

[REDACTED] IS DEAD. "D.B. COOPER" PASSED AWAY ON SEPT 12TH. TOGETHER WE BOTH PLANNED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SKYJACKING TO DATE.

WHILE HE WAS ALIVE, [REDACTED] REFUSED TO LET ME TELL THE PUBLIC THAT HE WASN'T REALLY BAD. HE DIED WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THINKING HE WAS JUST ANOTHER 'SKYJACKING TERRORIST.' BUT HE WASN'T.

TO ME, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO KNEW HIM, HE WAS NOT "A RUTHLESS CRIMINAL." HE WAS A KIND AND GENTLE HUMAN BEING. HE LIVED LIFE AND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT HE HAD BUT MONTHS TO LIVE, HE FACED THE NEWS VERY BRAVELY. TAKING DID NO GOOD. WHAT COULD I SAY? JUST TWO YEARS BEFORE, HE LOST HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER. I COULD SENSE A CHANGE COMING OVER HIM. HE WAS FACED WITH DEATH, BUT SOME- THING ELSE WAS ON HIS MIND. WHEN HE FIRST TOLD ME ABOUT THE JOB, I THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING. HE WASN'T. AFTER ALL, HE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE AND PLENTY TO GAIN.

HOWEVER, MONEY WASN'T THE OBJECT. [REDACTED] KNEW THAT HE COULD DEMAND ALMOST ANY AMOUNT AND HE'D PROBABLY GET IT. IN FACT, WE GAVE ALMOST $168,000 OF THE RANSOM MONEY AWAY TO CHARITIES AND FAMILIES IN NEED. HE PAID OFF ALL OF [REDACTED] HOSPITAL BILLS AND [REDACTED] HE TOLD [REDACTED] WE MADE IT BIG UP IN CANADA LAST YEAR, BUT I'M SURE [REDACTED] GUESSED THE TRUTH. [REDACTED] NEVER SAID NOTHING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. "D.B. COOPER" DIED THINKING THAT [REDACTED] BELIEVED HIM.