DB COOPER
General Category => DB Cooper => Topic started by: Shutter on June 01, 2014, 01:55:54 PM
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjSnvlzG0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
I hate to see suspect photos clogging up every discussion group all from the same poster - hopefully a forum devoted to Melvin will stop that?
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
I hate to see suspect photos clogging up every discussion group all from the same poster - hopefully a forum devoted to Melvin will stop that?
Sorry Georger, however the links for the videos are my tagline. Shutter has formatted the links so they expand. I do not do it intentionally and actually have refrained from posting because of it.
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Ok, well since we have a topic for your pops. lets remove the signature video's? we can easily put them here for all to see. I certainly don't want you holding back from posting because of this. I know I dropped the ball several times trying to resolve the issue. I'll just pin the video's to the top of the list.
sound good?
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Quote from: shutter on Today at 05:25:37 PM
Was Melvin ever on radar with the FBI and DB Cooper? did they ever look into the possibility, or are they basically going to turn down everyone even if they supply the cost?
Vicki's response
I spoke with Eng on February 11, 2011. He called me at work on the advice of Jerry Thomas. After he introduced himself, he said, with hesitance... "sooooo......why dooooo you think your dad was Dan Cooper?" After our short conversation he asked me to send him an email detailing some of the things we spoke about on the phone.
Here is the email:
Agent Eng,
So nice to speak with you about my father, Melvin Luther Wilson. I do not know if he IS DB Cooper, but the similarities are alarming and I believe the FBI should consider comparing his fingerprints.
Since 2008, I have felt my father,Melvin Luther Wilson, could also be a viable D. B. Cooper suspect. I do not have years of background on my father, but feel he is a physical match to the original descriptions of the witnesses on the night of the hi-jacking.
A little background.....My father was born in September 8, 1927 in the San Francisco/Oakland area. He joined the Navy. He spent time in California prisons before and during his first marriage. He entered San Quentin prison in 1954 then left his first family upon the end of his sentence. We have no history of his whereabouts from the time he was released from San Quentin until he met my mother in 1963 in Las Vegas Nevada.
Our family was profiled on an Unsolved Mysteries video that aired on March 27, 1997. It was taped two days prior to Thanksgiving in Hawaii in 1996.
(I supplied Eng the link here, however this link is now dead and I have reloaded the video on Youtube here: )
Video can be found at the top of this thread.....edited by shutter.....
In 2008, the St. Paul Newspaper, Pioneer Press, ran a story shortly after the parachute was found, the hi-jacking and D. B. Cooper. At that time, my coworker asked if I had seen the paper. It was laying on my desk. I looked at the sketch and simultaneously, she asked me "did you ever think D.B Cooper could be your dad"? as I thought "that sketch looks like my dad". I never really gave it much thought prior to that day. Honestly I never heard of D.B. Cooper before that day.
Our father left our family in 1971, a few months prior to the hi-jacking. He was on bail for counterfeiting charges out of the Western Branch of the Wisconsin U.S. Marshal's office. He has not been heard from since and is currently a wanted fugitive from justice.
A few items from the video:
He matches the physical description
- 6' and 180 lbs
- dark hair parted on the left
- olive complexion
- smoked/drank. ( I cannot tell you what brands/type of alcohol as I was 7 when he left, my Mom saved the stamps from his cigarette packs)
- He wore sunglasses, but never prescription glasses. (My Mom said it was because he was vain)
- He spent 5 years in St Paul, Minnesota before he left us. He did travel frequently.
- He wore suits, ties and loafers.
- He was in the Navy.
- He spent time in San Quentin and Leavenworth.
Earlier I read statements from the FBI site, that the man known as Dan Cooper was a desperate man, with no family that may have missed him. As of September 1971, my father was already gone and not coming home. We would not have missed him or reported him missing.
He has never been heard from since 1971 (to the best of our knowledge).
After one month and not receiving a response back from Eng, Jerry Thomas called him. Eng told Jerry that he did not think my dad looked much like the sketch and that he was not going to pursue it. Is it a coincidence that this was the same time Marla was also speaking to the FBI about her uncle, L.D.?
So to answer your question.....I don't know if Mel is on the radar, however I know they looked up his case with the mugshot as I gave Eng his FBI # over the phone and he looked it up on his computer as we spoke. He asked me to write the email to him recounting our discussion and I never received a direct response from him. I only heard second-hand from Jerry Thomas.
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
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I moved this over too..... 8)
Quote from: georger on October 7, 2014 at 09:33:19 AM
The Lyle dna thingy - ;D
Will the FBI play ball with Blevy? Not likely. Will the FBI play ball with Arc Point Labs to the extent they will release their genetic work to Arc Point? Not likely. The FBI must be careful not to say or do anything that Blevy can leverage, because we know he will try to leverage this anyway.
If Arc Point refers their work to the FBI will the FBI comment? Maybe. Very likely they will say something and whatever they say Blevins will leverage it.
What Blevins may say, if the FBI releases no specific information to Arc Point or Blevy, is that 'the FBI's failure to specifically state Lyle/Kenny have not been excluded specifically means Lyle/Kenny were not excluded which means they are not excluded! In other words, that tests results proved Kenny is not excluded! In other words, Blevins will do what he always does - claims things that are not true or were not proven to be true.
Blevins will keep the pressure on for months if not years to come, just as Jo Weber tries to do daily. This could last years with endless 'articles' and 'filings' and 'revisions' ad nauseum. Blevins will now have material for a movie script ... which is what he and Lyle wanted all along. ;) A pulp novel about how Jack & Jill went up the hill, drank at the magical dna spring, and came down the hill as Thor and Brunnhilde with Siegfried at their side! A happy ending for all concerned uber alles, at the Adventure Books Well of DB Cooper. Arbeit macht frei. :P
When my liaison at NamUs http://www.namus.gov/, a fellow Department of Justice organization, sent her third email inquiry to Curtis Eng:
Agent Eng,
Please accept this as my formal request to request the FBI lab to compare the DNA samples you have of D.B. Cooper, with the samples that the University of N. Texas has with one Melvin Wilson, UNT missing person MP# 15178.
This potential match has been requested before, but was not responded to.
Your assistance with this comparison would be greatly appreciated.
She received this canned response:
From: Dietrich, Ayn S. [Ayn.Dietrich@ic.fbi.gov]
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 5:32 PM
To: (hidden)
Cc: Eng, Curtis J.
Subject: RE: Request DNA comparison ref D.B. Cooper
Hello, (hidden)—
I work with Special Agent Eng in the FBI Seattle field office and I handle inquiries from the media and public. SA Eng forwarded me your email so I could explain to you the limitations we face in responding to your inquiry.
During any given investigation, the FBI receives many tips, follows many leads, and talks to many people. In accordance with DOJ policy, we cannot discuss details of ongoing investigations. This includes not disclosing subjects considered and/or excluded, and investigative techniques that may be used. I understand the public and valued partners to the FBI are curious about the FBI's investigative process, and they may rest assured that the FBI pursues all leads that we believe will provide us with information of investigative value.
SA Eng has received your messages and handled them appropriately. I apologize that we are unable to disclose the nature and extent of our investigative response.
Regards,
Ayn
If the FBI does not work with other associates within the Department of Justice system...why would they work with a local DNA testing agency?
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
Did anyone ever conjecture he may have gone back south and from there into Mexico? He obviously had ties in organised crime in LasVegas. I'm surprised he was released at all, as a flight risk. It's difficult for those left behind to fathom, but it's not unusual for people of this type to break all ties and start over elsewhere.
Given that he was being sought I just don't see Melvin risking a journey to Washington to hijack a plane. Moreover with his skills, a $200,000 ransom is peanuts compared to what he could print and pass in a week - literally! He wouldn't take the risk of a hijack with such low return. He sounds like something of a perfectionist and his skills could have easily found him in a protected position with others, after he fled from MN.
Where did he learn the printing trade and perfect his skills, if you know ?
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Vicki, do you know what size the article is? you can email it to me and I can resize it to fit on the thread.
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Vicki, do you know what size the article is? you can email it to me and I can resize it to fit on the thread.
There are seven newspaper pages. I will email them to you. Smokin99 found them originally and emailed within a few months of me signing onto DZ. One of the newspapers has an article about my dad and the bogus money find....look at the story above it. ;)
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
Did anyone ever conjecture he may have gone back south and from there into Mexico? He obviously had ties in organised crime in LasVegas. I'm surprised he was released at all, as a flight risk. It's difficult for those left behind to fathom, but it's not unusual for people of this type to break all ties and start over elsewhere.
Given that he was being sought I just don't see Melvin risking a journey to Washington to hijack a plane. Moreover with his skills, a $200,000 ransom is peanuts compared to what he could print and pass in a week - literally! He wouldn't take the risk of a hijack with such low return. He sounds like something of a perfectionist and his skills could have easily found him in a protected position with others, after he fled from MN.
Where did he learn the printing trade and perfect his skills, if you know ?
Dropping off the face of the earth and not looking back was Mel's forte. He did it to his first family in San Francisco in 1957 when he was released from San Quentin. I found out he was in prison for three years in Leavenworth and released in March 1963 for crossing a state border with a stolen car. This is when he went to Vegas, met my mother and was married six months later in September of 1963.
Anybody's guess to where he went went he skipped bail is valid. However, he is still considered a missing fugitive. Because of his personal, mental and physical traits, and he matches the description of Cooper. This is why I am still looking down that tunnel.
Here is a link to a post the Great and Powerful Farflung made in the DZ after RMB wrote of my dad as "just another missing person".
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4174301;search_string=mel%20wilson%20pound%20ass;#4174301
I see Blevins is getting cooperation from the FBI with the DNA...I guess I will be contacting SA Fred Gutt soon. . ;)
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
Did anyone ever conjecture he may have gone back south and from there into Mexico? He obviously had ties in organised crime in LasVegas. I'm surprised he was released at all, as a flight risk. It's difficult for those left behind to fathom, but it's not unusual for people of this type to break all ties and start over elsewhere.
Given that he was being sought I just don't see Melvin risking a journey to Washington to hijack a plane. Moreover with his skills, a $200,000 ransom is peanuts compared to what he could print and pass in a week - literally! He wouldn't take the risk of a hijack with such low return. He sounds like something of a perfectionist and his skills could have easily found him in a protected position with others, after he fled from MN.
Where did he learn the printing trade and perfect his skills, if you know ?
Dropping off the face of the earth and not looking back was Mel's forte. He did it to his first family in San Francisco in 1957 when he was released from San Quentin. I found out he was in prison for three years in Leavenworth and released in March 1963 for crossing a state border with a stolen car. This is when he went to Vegas, met my mother and was married six months later in September of 1963.
Anybody's guess to where he went went he skipped bail is valid. However, he is still considered a missing fugitive. Because of his personal, mental and physical traits, and he matches the description of Cooper. This is why I am still looking down that tunnel.
Here is a link to a post the Great and Powerful Farflung made in the DZ after RMB wrote of my dad as "just another missing person".
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4174301;search_string=mel%20wilson%20pound%20ass;#4174301
I see Blevins is getting cooperation from the FBI with the DNA...I guess I will be contacting SA Fred Gutt soon. . ;)
I'm sorry Vicki, but like Eng, I don;t see the resemblance between Melvin and the Cooper sketches.
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
Did anyone ever conjecture he may have gone back south and from there into Mexico? He obviously had ties in organised crime in LasVegas. I'm surprised he was released at all, as a flight risk. It's difficult for those left behind to fathom, but it's not unusual for people of this type to break all ties and start over elsewhere.
Given that he was being sought I just don't see Melvin risking a journey to Washington to hijack a plane. Moreover with his skills, a $200,000 ransom is peanuts compared to what he could print and pass in a week - literally! He wouldn't take the risk of a hijack with such low return. He sounds like something of a perfectionist and his skills could have easily found him in a protected position with others, after he fled from MN.
Where did he learn the printing trade and perfect his skills, if you know ?
Dropping off the face of the earth and not looking back was Mel's forte. He did it to his first family in San Francisco in 1957 when he was released from San Quentin. I found out he was in prison for three years in Leavenworth and released in March 1963 for crossing a state border with a stolen car. This is when he went to Vegas, met my mother and was married six months later in September of 1963.
Anybody's guess to where he went went he skipped bail is valid. However, he is still considered a missing fugitive. Because of his personal, mental and physical traits, and he matches the description of Cooper. This is why I am still looking down that tunnel.
Here is a link to a post the Great and Powerful Farflung made in the DZ after RMB wrote of my dad as "just another missing person".
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4174301;search_string=mel%20wilson%20pound%20ass;#4174301
I see Blevins is getting cooperation from the FBI with the DNA...I guess I will be contacting SA Fred Gutt soon. . ;)
I'm sorry Vicki, but like Eng, I don;t see the resemblance between Melvin and the Cooper sketches.
I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
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Georger's response to Vicki
Vicki, as I recall the original story, and correct me if I am wrong - - -
Your father was a counterfeiter of some consequence. That was part of his vita. He was being sought by law enforcement and just prior to being taken into custody Melvin escaped with some of his counterfeiting paraphernalia, and he dumped his plates and some $200,000 dollars in counterfeit bills, which were found along some river along the route of his escape (I forget the city) in 1971. He was never seen again in spite of law enforcement doing an extensive search for him over a number of years. His loss of $200,000 dollars in bogus bills he had printed and intended to use, and Cooper's demand for $200,000 along with saying he had a "grudge", might be more than a coincidence.
Is this account true ? I believe there were newspaper articles detailing the above. ? If true, were these facts ever conveyed to Eng?
The following facts should be in my father's file at the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Marshals. When I spoke with Eng, I referred him to my dad's FBI number and he pulled the computer file and looked at my father's information while speaking with me on the phone.
Melvin Wilson was the head of a major counterfeiting ring. He started counterfeiting in his own print shop on the strip in Las Vegas in 1965/66.
Our family moved to Minnesota in 1968 and lived in St. Paul.
We then moved north and for a short time lived in St. Cloud, MN then to Brainerd, MN in 1969.
While we lived in Brainerd, my father would travel between St. Paul and Brainerd to work. In a rented apartment in St. Paul he had a fully functional print shop where he rolled out the $20.00's. The US Marshal I spoke with called the bills "near deception quality".
On April 20, 1971 Melvin was arrested in Janesville, WI. for passing a counterfeit note to a bartender. When arrested he had a stash of counterfeit in the trunk of his vehicle.
On May 1st, a barrel of counterfeit $20's (note that UM states it was $250,000 and the newspapers of that time state $500,000 to $1 million), along with the plates, were found by a 17 y/o boy who was fishing in Alma, WI. When Mel was asked about this (as he was awaiting a court date in Dane County for the original charge), he confessed that the bills and plates were not perfect and he dumped them in the Mississippi River in the town of Wabasha, MN. in March of 1971.
I am not sure when, but a few months later he had gone through the court system and was found guilty. He was released from custody to take care of any business with the family, etc before returning in Mid September for his sentencing hearing. On the morning of September 15th, 1971, Melvin left our house in Brainerd, MN and drove to his sentencing hearing. I am not sure if this would have been St. Paul or Madison, WI. I believe it would have been Madison as the US Marshal's office that was investigating his fugitive status was located in Central Wisconsin.
Shortly afterwards, I remember two men in black suits talking to my mom in the living-room. My brother (6 y/o) and I (7 y/o) were listening while hiding in the kitchen. We heard them tell my mom that Melvin did not show up to the hearing and we would probably never see him again.
I tried to add a newspaper article from the time Melvin was arrested: Because of its size they cannot be uploaded. If it is something that anyone wants to see, I can email all 7 articles.
Did anyone ever conjecture he may have gone back south and from there into Mexico? He obviously had ties in organised crime in LasVegas. I'm surprised he was released at all, as a flight risk. It's difficult for those left behind to fathom, but it's not unusual for people of this type to break all ties and start over elsewhere.
Given that he was being sought I just don't see Melvin risking a journey to Washington to hijack a plane. Moreover with his skills, a $200,000 ransom is peanuts compared to what he could print and pass in a week - literally! He wouldn't take the risk of a hijack with such low return. He sounds like something of a perfectionist and his skills could have easily found him in a protected position with others, after he fled from MN.
Where did he learn the printing trade and perfect his skills, if you know ?
Dropping off the face of the earth and not looking back was Mel's forte. He did it to his first family in San Francisco in 1957 when he was released from San Quentin. I found out he was in prison for three years in Leavenworth and released in March 1963 for crossing a state border with a stolen car. This is when he went to Vegas, met my mother and was married six months later in September of 1963.
Anybody's guess to where he went went he skipped bail is valid. However, he is still considered a missing fugitive. Because of his personal, mental and physical traits, and he matches the description of Cooper. This is why I am still looking down that tunnel.
Here is a link to a post the Great and Powerful Farflung made in the DZ after RMB wrote of my dad as "just another missing person".
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4174301;search_string=mel%20wilson%20pound%20ass;#4174301
I see Blevins is getting cooperation from the FBI with the DNA...I guess I will be contacting SA Fred Gutt soon. . ;)
I'm sorry Vicki, but like Eng, I don;t see the resemblance between Melvin and the Cooper sketches.
I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
Several agents are on record as saying the original sketch, singular, did not fit the witness description of Cooper. So you may be right. I don't know. I can't know, actually. Carr never resolved any of this to anyone's satisfaction. Then Gray and Mitchell come along and significantly change the description as judged by say the 2nd sketch. Everyone seems to be going by different standards -
As for Blevins, I don't believe anything he says. And I don't believe half of what I say either! :)
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I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
Several agents are on record as saying the original sketch, singular, did not fit the witness description of Cooper. So you may be right. I don't know. I can't know, actually. Carr never resolved any of this to anyone's satisfaction. Then Gray and Mitchell come along and significantly change the description as judged by say the 2nd sketch. Everyone seems to be going by different standards -
As for Blevins, I don't believe anything he says. And I don't believe half of what I say either! :)
[/quote]
Hmmmnnn....speaking of Gray...would you call the suit in Melvin's mugshot.....russet?
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Georger asks:
Hmmmnnn....speaking of Gray...would you call the suit in Melvin's mugshot.....russet?
In the 1960s, some of the materials used in men's suits could appear to be different colors, and even patterns, depending on the lighting conditions under which the suit was viewed. Under bright sunlight conditions, the material could appear to be one color and pattern and indoors, under artificial lighting conditions, the color and pattern could appear different.
So don't bet the farm on how a suit could and would be described under different conditions.
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I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
Several agents are on record as saying the original sketch, singular, did not fit the witness description of Cooper. So you may be right. I don't know. I can't know, actually. Carr never resolved any of this to anyone's satisfaction. Then Gray and Mitchell come along and significantly change the description as judged by say the 2nd sketch. Everyone seems to be going by different standards -
As for Blevins, I don't believe anything he says. And I don't believe half of what I say either! :)
Hmmmnnn....speaking of Gray...would you call the suit in Melvin's mugshot.....russet?
[/quote]
well it does have a reddish cast, but all of those old Panchromatic color film photos had a skewed color ratio. Either reddened, yellowed, but seldom bluish due to the spectral sensitivity of the film. Neither Tina or Schaffner reported russet while apparently Mitchell did? You've seen Gray's photo and his version of russet (as in russet potato).
How about the particles found on Cooper's tie? Titanium and that coiled metal shaving (a lathe shaving or an engraving shaving?). Particles associated with the printing-engraving industry? The yellow pigment found? Food for thought.
If Eng is going to look at Blevins' Lyle dna you would think he would also be open to looking at yours especially if you can link Tom's elements and particles to the forgery printing environment - that is a very specific shop environment with definite by products and contaminates for anyone engaged in that activity .
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I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
Several agents are on record as saying the original sketch, singular, did not fit the witness description of Cooper. So you may be right. I don't know. I can't know, actually. Carr never resolved any of this to anyone's satisfaction. Then Gray and Mitchell come along and significantly change the description as judged by say the 2nd sketch. Everyone seems to be going by different standards -
As for Blevins, I don't believe anything he says. And I don't believe half of what I say either! :)
Hmmmnnn....speaking of Gray...would you call the suit in Melvin's mugshot.....russet?
well it does have a reddish cast, but all of those old Panchromatic color film photos had a skewed color ratio. Either reddened, yellowed, but seldom bluish due to the spectral sensitivity of the film. Neither Tina or Schaffner reported russet while apparently Mitchell did? You've seen Gray's photo and his version of russet (as in russet potato).
How about the particles found on Cooper's tie? Titanium and that coiled metal shaving (a lathe shaving or an engraving shaving?). Particles associated with the printing-engraving industry? The yellow pigment found? Food for thought.
If Eng is going to look at Blevins' Lyle dna you would think he would also be open to looking at yours especially if you can link Tom's elements and particles to the forgery printing environment - that is a very specific shop environment with definite by products and contaminates for anyone engaged in that activity .
The printing press my father used was an offset press. He engraved his own plates. I do not know where the plates came from or their composition. I tried to get information from the Secret Service, however the case is still open (but not being investigated) and I cannot get FOIA information until 2027.
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I am not going by the sketch....it is a sketch. I am going by the physical description that was given by the flight attendants and William Mitchell (especially the turkey gobble comment). This includes the hair color and style, ruddy complexion , age, weight, height, clothing choice and his demeanor. It is worth a look. They have taken more time on suspects that do not match the physical description. The mug shot of Mel was taken in April 20, 1971. Five months prior to his disappearance and seven months prior to the hi-jacking.
I see at the DZ that the DNA comparison of KC with Seattle FBI (their invitation to submit the new report and DNA results to the FBI) was edited out of the last post.
Several agents are on record as saying the original sketch, singular, did not fit the witness description of Cooper. So you may be right. I don't know. I can't know, actually. Carr never resolved any of this to anyone's satisfaction. Then Gray and Mitchell come along and significantly change the description as judged by say the 2nd sketch. Everyone seems to be going by different standards -
As for Blevins, I don't believe anything he says. And I don't believe half of what I say either! :)
Hmmmnnn....speaking of Gray...would you call the suit in Melvin's mugshot.....russet?
well it does have a reddish cast, but all of those old Panchromatic color film photos had a skewed color ratio. Either reddened, yellowed, but seldom bluish due to the spectral sensitivity of the film. Neither Tina or Schaffner reported russet while apparently Mitchell did? You've seen Gray's photo and his version of russet (as in russet potato).
How about the particles found on Cooper's tie? Titanium and that coiled metal shaving (a lathe shaving or an engraving shaving?). Particles associated with the printing-engraving industry? The yellow pigment found? Food for thought.
If Eng is going to look at Blevins' Lyle dna you would think he would also be open to looking at yours especially if you can link Tom's elements and particles to the forgery printing environment - that is a very specific shop environment with definite by products and contaminates for anyone engaged in that activity .
The printing press my father used was an offset press. He engraved his own plates. I do not know where the plates came from or their composition. I tried to get information from the Secret Service, however the case is still open (but not being investigated) and I cannot get FOIA information until 2027.
[/quote]
Well, it's a complete wild shot but, those particles, pigment, etc just might be compatible with a shop a counterfeiter, printer, might have. Email Tom and ask him what he thinks. I have no idea if the spores and other biologicals would connect with the So-West, but ask him about that. I dont know if Titanium could be used in printing plates but I assume it can - I know it can be engraved and I know that one of the problems forgers have is plates wearing out so they sometimes prefer metals that will last over many printings, resist wear, and a single durable plate is preferred over multiple plates that have inconsistencies between them. You need to talk to somebody in the forensics section of the US Treasury Dept. They might see an immediate connection between items on Tom's particle wheel (list) and a counterfeiter's shop. ........... it's a long shot but worth pursuing imho.
To date Tom has been looking at rare metal facilities. I'm not sure if he ever considered a counterfeiter's shop or the printing trade - he may have considered that but it's worth asking him. Tom can talk to Allen. Allen might have an opinion.
PM me and I will dig out several numbers you can try - if you want.
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Counterfeiting Money
Before reading this article on Counterfeiting Money, it would be a very good idea to get a book on photo offset printing, for this is the method used in counterfeiting US currency. If you are familiar with this method of printing, counterfeiting should be a simple task for you.
Genuine currency is made by a process called “gravure”, which involves etching a metal block. Since etching a metal block is impossible to do by hand, photo offset printing comes into the process.
Photo offset printing starts by making negatives of the currency with a camera, and putting the negatives on a piece of masking material (usually orange in color). The stripped negatives, commonly called “flats”, are then exposed to a lithographic plate with an arc light plate maker. The burned plates are then developed with the proper developing chemical. One at a time, these plates are wrapped around the plate cylinder of the press.
The press to use should be an 11 by 14 offset, such as the AB Dick 360. Make 2 negatives of the portrait side of the bill, and 1 of the back side. After developing them and letting them dry, take them to a light table. Using opaque on one of the portrait sides, touch out all the green, which is the seal and the serial numbers.
The back side does not require any retouching, because it is all one color. Now, make sure all of the negatives are registered (lined up correctly) on the flats. By the way, every time you need another serial number, shoot 1 negative of the portrait side, cut out the serial number, and remove the old serial number from the flat replacing it with the new one.
Now you have all 3 flats, and each represents a different color: black, and 2 shades of green (the two shades of green are created by mixing inks). Now you are ready to burn the plates. Take a lithographic plate and etch three marks on it.
These marks must be 2 and 9/16 inches apart, starting on one of the short edges. Do the same thing to 2 more plates. Then, take 1 of the flats and place it on the plate, exactly lining the short edge up with the edge of the plate.
Burn it, move it up to the next mark, and cover up the exposed area you have already burned. Burn that, and do the same thing 2 more times, moving the flat up one more mark. Do the same process with the other 2 flats (each on a separate plate). Develop all three plates. You should now have 4 images on each plate with an equal space between each bill.
The paper you will need for Counterfeiting Money will not match exactly, but it will do for most situations. The paper to use should have a 25% rag content. By the way, Disaperf computer paper (invisible perforation) does the job well.
Take the paper and load it into the press. Be sure to set the air, buckle, and paper thickness right. Start with the black plate (the plate without the serial numbers). Wrap it around the cylinder and load black ink in. Make sure you run more than you need because there will be a lot of rejects. Then, while that is printing, mix the inks for the serial numbers and the back side. You will need to add some white and maybe yellow to the serial number ink. You also need to add black to the back side. Experiment until you get it right. Now, clean the press and print the other side. You will now have a bill with no green seal or serial numbers. Print a few with one serial number, make another and repeat. Keep doing this until you have as many different numbers as you want. Then cut the bills to the exact size with a paper cutter. You should have printed a large amount of money by now, but there is still one problem; the paper is pure white. To dye it, mix the following in a pan: 2 cups of hot water, 4 tea bags, and about 16 to 20 drops of green food coloring (experiment with this). Dip one of the bills in and compare it to a genuine US bill. Make the necessary adjustments, and dye all the bills. Also, it is a good idea to make them look used. For example, wrinkle them, rub coffee grinds on them, etc.
As before mentioned, unless you are familiar with photo offset printing, most of the information in this article will be fairly hard to understand. Along with getting a book on photo offset printing, try to see the movie “To Live and Die in LA”. It is about a counterfeiter, and the producer does a pretty good job of showing how to counterfeit. A good book on the subject is “The Poor Man’s James Bond”.
If all of this seems too complicated to you, there is one other method available for counterfeiting: The Canon color laser copier. The Canon can replicate ANYTHING in vibrant color, including US currency. But, once again, the main problem in counterfeiting is the paper used. So, experiment Counterfeiting Money, and good luck!
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Counterfeiting Money
Before reading this article on Counterfeiting Money, it would be a very good idea to get a book on photo offset printing, for this is the method used in counterfeiting US currency. If you are familiar with this method of printing, counterfeiting should be a simple task for you.
Genuine currency is made by a process called “gravure”, which involves etching a metal block. Since etching a metal block is impossible to do by hand, photo offset printing comes into the process.
Photo offset printing starts by making negatives of the currency with a camera, and putting the negatives on a piece of masking material (usually orange in color). The stripped negatives, commonly called “flats”, are then exposed to a lithographic plate with an arc light plate maker. The burned plates are then developed with the proper developing chemical. One at a time, these plates are wrapped around the plate cylinder of the press.
The press to use should be an 11 by 14 offset, such as the AB Dick 360. Make 2 negatives of the portrait side of the bill, and 1 of the back side. After developing them and letting them dry, take them to a light table. Using opaque on one of the portrait sides, touch out all the green, which is the seal and the serial numbers.
The back side does not require any retouching, because it is all one color. Now, make sure all of the negatives are registered (lined up correctly) on the flats. By the way, every time you need another serial number, shoot 1 negative of the portrait side, cut out the serial number, and remove the old serial number from the flat replacing it with the new one.
Now you have all 3 flats, and each represents a different color: black, and 2 shades of green (the two shades of green are created by mixing inks). Now you are ready to burn the plates. Take a lithographic plate and etch three marks on it.
These marks must be 2 and 9/16 inches apart, starting on one of the short edges. Do the same thing to 2 more plates. Then, take 1 of the flats and place it on the plate, exactly lining the short edge up with the edge of the plate.
Burn it, move it up to the next mark, and cover up the exposed area you have already burned. Burn that, and do the same thing 2 more times, moving the flat up one more mark. Do the same process with the other 2 flats (each on a separate plate). Develop all three plates. You should now have 4 images on each plate with an equal space between each bill.
The paper you will need for Counterfeiting Money will not match exactly, but it will do for most situations. The paper to use should have a 25% rag content. By the way, Disaperf computer paper (invisible perforation) does the job well.
Take the paper and load it into the press. Be sure to set the air, buckle, and paper thickness right. Start with the black plate (the plate without the serial numbers). Wrap it around the cylinder and load black ink in. Make sure you run more than you need because there will be a lot of rejects. Then, while that is printing, mix the inks for the serial numbers and the back side. You will need to add some white and maybe yellow to the serial number ink. You also need to add black to the back side. Experiment until you get it right. Now, clean the press and print the other side. You will now have a bill with no green seal or serial numbers. Print a few with one serial number, make another and repeat. Keep doing this until you have as many different numbers as you want. Then cut the bills to the exact size with a paper cutter. You should have printed a large amount of money by now, but there is still one problem; the paper is pure white. To dye it, mix the following in a pan: 2 cups of hot water, 4 tea bags, and about 16 to 20 drops of green food coloring (experiment with this). Dip one of the bills in and compare it to a genuine US bill. Make the necessary adjustments, and dye all the bills. Also, it is a good idea to make them look used. For example, wrinkle them, rub coffee grinds on them, etc.
As before mentioned, unless you are familiar with photo offset printing, most of the information in this article will be fairly hard to understand. Along with getting a book on photo offset printing, try to see the movie “To Live and Die in LA”. It is about a counterfeiter, and the producer does a pretty good job of showing how to counterfeit. A good book on the subject is “The Poor Man’s James Bond”.
If all of this seems too complicated to you, there is one other method available for counterfeiting: The Canon color laser copier. The Canon can replicate ANYTHING in vibrant color, including US currency. But, once again, the main problem in counterfeiting is the paper used. So, experiment Counterfeiting Money, and good luck!
Would a counterfeiter ever have a use for titanium?
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
Particles in the air, dust and debris in the general surroundings can be picked up by articles of clothing. A person does not necessarily need to be wearing the tie when working. The tie could have been in the general area.
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Ok, I did a couple of your PDF's. some are not as easy because the paragraphs are longer in some spots making it harder to enlarge into one part. I have to reformat some of them to fit.
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
makes no sense to me he would work with a tie on but one never knows ... I'm skeptical titanium is involved in any of the photo plates... not sure what metal they are but aluminum, steel ?? coated with an emulsion. I have heard that printers sometimes deepen lines on their plates with hand tools, etc. which would produce very small metal shavings ??? I'm no expert on any of this.
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
makes no sense to me he would work with a tie on but one never knows ... I'm skeptical titanium is involved in any of the photo plates... not sure what metal they are but aluminum, steel ?? coated with an emulsion. I have heard that printers sometimes deepen lines on their plates with hand tools, etc. which would produce very small metal shavings ??? I'm no expert on any of this.
The printing press might not of been the only machines he was around, who knows what else he was doing?
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
makes no sense to me he would work with a tie on but one never knows ... I'm skeptical titanium is involved in any of the photo plates... not sure what metal they are but aluminum, steel ?? coated with an emulsion. I have heard that printers sometimes deepen lines on their plates with hand tools, etc. which would produce very small metal shavings ??? I'm no expert on any of this.
The printing press might not of been the only machines he was around, who knows what else he was doing?
I'll bet Mel could write a book! He probably knew some 'people to know' in his field. He appears to be the real McCoy!
(He sure had some great children, if I may say so).
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not that I am aware of, but I just started looking into this. the plates don't seem to be anything but 'metal plates" I haven't found anything about what they are made of. would he print money with a tie on? perhaps if he was going somewhere and was short of cash.
makes no sense to me he would work with a tie on but one never knows ... I'm skeptical titanium is involved in any of the photo plates... not sure what metal they are but aluminum, steel ?? coated with an emulsion. I have heard that printers sometimes deepen lines on their plates with hand tools, etc. which would produce very small metal shavings ??? I'm no expert on any of this.
The printing press might not of been the only machines he was around, who knows what else he was doing?
I'll bet Mel could write a book! He probably knew some 'people to know' in his field. He appears to be the real McCoy!
(He sure had some great children, if I may say so).
HEY ...... It looks like someone is making a movie about ME! It is an independent film about DB Cooper's daughter. It is in post-production and will be released in the Spring of 2015.
http://instagram.com/the_daughter_of_db_cooper
Interesting factoid....there is a picture on this link that has Geoffrey Gray's book cover and a picture of KC.
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I knew I should of got your autograph while you were here ;D ;D
Looks like they had problems funding the film....
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1292959614/the-daughter-of-db-cooper/
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I knew I should of got your autograph while you were here ;D ;D
Looks like they had problems funding the film....
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1292959614/the-daughter-of-db-cooper/
Here is the FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/daughterofdbcooper
Looks like the filming is done. It is being edited now.
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In my opinion Melvin Wilson is the best possible suspect I've come across to date. Jerry
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I did few changes, but I think the Melvin page is complete on the new site?
http://website.thedbcooperforum.com/Missing-Persons/
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I did few changes, but I think the Melvin page is complete on the new site?
http://website.thedbcooperforum.com/Missing-Persons/
Looks good.
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Reading through the crew debriefs, I noticed the initial note written by Cooper and passed to Flo was described as being in "legible cursive." In the Forman's book, they included some manuscripts by Barb Dayton and she clearly wrote in all-caps print, not cursive. Do we have any writing samples from Wilson (or Lepsy, for that matter)? Writing in cursive wouldn't prove anything for either one, but if either preferred writing in print it'd be at least some kind of evidence pointing away from them.
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Reading through the crew debriefs, I noticed the initial note written by Cooper and passed to Flo was described as being in "legible cursive." In the Forman's book, they included some manuscripts by Barb Dayton and she clearly wrote in all-caps print, not cursive. Do we have any writing samples from Wilson (or Lepsy, for that matter)? Writing in cursive wouldn't prove anything for either one, but if either preferred writing in print it'd be at least some kind of evidence pointing away from them.
Without a writing sample from Cooper ... you're barking up an empty tree.
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I would formulate the argument like this: Cooper wrote something in cursive, therefore he could write in cursive and was comfortable writing in cursive. If someone never writes in cursive, or almost never writes in cursive, it reduces the possibility they are Cooper by some amount.
This is a simple screening process to eliminate marginal suspects. I would not suggest it could ever "prove" someone is Cooper.
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I would formulate the argument like this: Cooper wrote something in cursive, therefore he could write in cursive and was comfortable writing in cursive. If someone never writes in cursive, or almost never writes in cursive, it reduces the possibility they are Cooper by some amount.
This is a simple screening process to eliminate marginal suspects. I would not suggest it could ever "prove" someone is Cooper.
The crew could write in cursive too! :o
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I would formulate the argument like this: Cooper wrote something in cursive, therefore he could write in cursive and was comfortable writing in cursive. If someone never writes in cursive, or almost never writes in cursive, it reduces the possibility they are Cooper by some amount.
This is a simple screening process to eliminate marginal suspects. I would not suggest it could ever "prove" someone is Cooper.
The crew could write in cursive too! :o
Don't be so sure. None of the cabin or cockpit crew had a first name that appears to start with a "D".
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I'll rephrase.
The Tina Bar thread is boring. I'd like to know if we have any handwriting examples for Mel Wilson or Dick Lepsy because why not?
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I'll rephrase.
The Tina Bar thread is boring. I'd like to know if we have any handwriting examples for Mel Wilson or Dick Lepsy because why not?
As far as I know, I do not have anything hand written by my father. If I come across anything, I will post it.
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I'll rephrase.
The Tina Bar thread is boring. I'd like to know if we have any handwriting examples for Mel Wilson or Dick Lepsy because why not?
I'll rephrase also -
The Tena Bar thread may be boring to you, but that thread does not prohibit discussion on other issues. Different people have different interests/issues.
Discussion at the Tena Bar thread will continue as long as there are people interested in that issue wanting to discuss Tena Bar issues. Likewise, other issues can and should continue to be discussed in the other threads. There is literally nothing restricting that from happening! In fact, that is what is expected. :) It is no different than it has ever been on any well-functioning forum, at least that has always been the expectation here.
8)
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Actually, I was pretty fascinated by your string of posts on the subject of Tena Bar, Mr. Georger. Blame my frustration on having cracked a tooth yesterday.
And thanks Vicki.
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Actually, I was pretty fascinated by your string of posts on the subject of Tena Bar, Mr. Georger. Blame my frustration on having cracked a tooth yesterday.
And thanks Vicki.
That is no fun - a cracked tooth. Hope it can be saved and the pain stopped asap.
Imagine what it was like before dentists!
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjSnvlzG0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs
Melvin Wilson went missing on September 15, 1971 when he did not appear for a court sentencing hearing for the crime of counterfeiting Federal Reserve Notes. According to my mother, he had left our family at the end of July 1971. Melvin Wilson was employed as a printer at Bang Printing in 1968 - 1970, a printing commercial printer specializing in catalogs and boxes for food-service firms, Brainerd, Minnesota. Prior to his arrest, Melvin had a makeshift printing operation in St. Paul, MN using an offset press where he rolled counterfeit $20 dollar bills.
Concerning the elements found on the tie by McCrone Labs Analysis for the 2017 show Expedition Unknown (which funded a more extensive particle analysis on the sticky tape particles pulled off Cooper's tie), I have found a lengthy document named Environmental Aspects of Chemical Use in Printing Operations published by the EPA in January 1976 which studied chemicals, elements and minerals used in the printing industry. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/910130CT.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000022%5C910130CT.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjSnvlzG0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs
Melvin Wilson went missing on September 15, 1971 when he did not appear for a court sentencing hearing for the crime of counterfeiting Federal Reserve Notes. According to my mother, he had left our family at the end of July 1971. Melvin Wilson was employed as a printer at Bang Printing in 1968 - 1970, a printing commercial printer specializing in catalogs and boxes for food-service firms, Brainerd, Minnesota. Prior to his arrest, Melvin had a makeshift printing operation in St. Paul, MN using an offset press where he rolled counterfeit $20 dollar bills.
Concerning the elements found on the tie by McCrone Labs Analysis for the 2017 show Expedition Unknown (which funded a more extensive particle analysis on the sticky tape particles pulled off Cooper's tie), I have found a lengthy document named Environmental Aspects of Chemical Use in Printing Operations published by the EPA in January 1976 which studied chemicals, elements and minerals used in the printing industry. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/910130CT.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000022%5C910130CT.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
good find.
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjSnvlzG0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs
Melvin Wilson went missing on September 15, 1971 when he did not appear for a court sentencing hearing for the crime of counterfeiting Federal Reserve Notes. According to my mother, he had left our family at the end of July 1971. Melvin Wilson was employed as a printer at Bang Printing in 1968 - 1970, a printing commercial printer specializing in catalogs and boxes for food-service firms, Brainerd, Minnesota. Prior to his arrest, Melvin had a makeshift printing operation in St. Paul, MN using an offset press where he rolled counterfeit $20 dollar bills.
Concerning the elements found on the tie by McCrone Labs Analysis for the 2017 show Expedition Unknown (which funded a more extensive particle analysis on the sticky tape particles pulled off Cooper's tie), I have found a lengthy document named Environmental Aspects of Chemical Use in Printing Operations published by the EPA in January 1976 which studied chemicals, elements and minerals used in the printing industry. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/910130CT.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000022%5C910130CT.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
good find.
And another article about heavy metals used in the printing industry and inks. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/13/business/technology-farewell-to-those-old-printing-ink-blues-and-a-few-reds-and-yellows.html
"But many of the inks that produce those brilliant colors are based on pigments containing such heavy metals as lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium. Since many compounds of these metals are considered serious hazards to human health, some state governments are moving to restrict them."
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Since the forum is on it's way to being found on Google. I thought I would open a topic for Vicki to tell her story, and show some information about her father's disappearance in 1971. all it takes is one person to remember something that could give some sort of lead to what happened to her father. it will be another avenue for Vicki to get this information out to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjSnvlzG0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs
Melvin Wilson went missing on September 15, 1971 when he did not appear for a court sentencing hearing for the crime of counterfeiting Federal Reserve Notes. According to my mother, he had left our family at the end of July 1971. Melvin Wilson was employed as a printer at Bang Printing in 1968 - 1970, a printing commercial printer specializing in catalogs and boxes for food-service firms, Brainerd, Minnesota. Prior to his arrest, Melvin had a makeshift printing operation in St. Paul, MN using an offset press where he rolled counterfeit $20 dollar bills.
Concerning the elements found on the tie by McCrone Labs Analysis for the 2017 show Expedition Unknown (which funded a more extensive particle analysis on the sticky tape particles pulled off Cooper's tie), I have found a lengthy document named Environmental Aspects of Chemical Use in Printing Operations published by the EPA in January 1976 which studied chemicals, elements and minerals used in the printing industry. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/910130CT.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000022%5C910130CT.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
good find.
And another article about heavy metals used in the printing industry and inks. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/13/business/technology-farewell-to-those-old-printing-ink-blues-and-a-few-reds-and-yellows.html
"But many of the inks that produce those brilliant colors are based on pigments containing such heavy metals as lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium. Since many compounds of these metals are considered serious hazards to human health, some state governments are moving to restrict them."
I have done lots of research and most of the tie particles were used in printing,, except the pure titanium, they used titanium dioxide for pigments..
that pure titanium needs to be accounted for..
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On Mother's Day, I rode up to see my Mom. We were going through some of her items . She started showing me photos of my brother and I when we were younger. In the small stack of photos, there was one of her and my father when they were living in Las Vegas. It is from the Fall of 1963. I snapped a photo of it and edited out my mom.
So here is a photo of Melvin Wilson from the fall of 1963
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Nice pix. Strong resemblance, too, to DBC, imho.