Author Topic: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)  (Read 129848 times)

Offline Shutter

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Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« on: June 01, 2014, 01:55:54 PM »
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.

       
« Last Edit: June 02, 2014, 12:12:04 AM by shutter »
 

georger

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2014, 04:05:00 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.

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?   
 

Offline EVickiW

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2014, 10:50:49 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.

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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Offline Shutter

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2014, 11:39:05 PM »
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?
 

Offline Shutter

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2014, 07:41:19 PM »
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.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2014, 08:21:55 PM by shutter »
 

Offline Shutter

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2014, 07:43:46 PM »
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?

       
 

Offline EVickiW

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2014, 09:51:44 PM »
I moved this over too..... 8)

Quote from: georger on October 7, 2014 at 09:33:19 AM
Quote
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 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, 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. [You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login]
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?

 
« Last Edit: October 07, 2014, 09:55:50 PM by EVickiW »
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Offline EVickiW

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2014, 12:15:21 AM »
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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.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 12:17:39 AM by EVickiW »
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georger

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2014, 12:54:38 AM »
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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 ?

 



« Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 12:57:54 AM by georger »
 

Offline Shutter

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2014, 07:17:07 AM »
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.
 

Offline EVickiW

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2014, 09:51:08 AM »
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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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Offline EVickiW

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2014, 10:34:05 AM »
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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".

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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

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2014, 12:58:58 PM »
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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".

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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.
 

Offline EVickiW

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    • NamUs:  (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) Missing since September 1971 - Melvin Wilson
Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2014, 01:13:16 PM »
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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".

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

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. 
You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.
 

georger

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Re: Missing Persons (Melvin Wilson)
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2014, 01:35:57 PM »
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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".

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

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!   :) 

   
« Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 01:39:36 PM by georger »