dropped it in a mailbox.
On Friday, March 16, an envelope addressed to Joyce and Ted Barnes arrived at a post office in Brooklyn. It had a Paris, France, postmark. The FBI special agent picked up the envelope with a gloved hand and opened it. Michael Osborn took photos of the envelope, then pored over the contents and photographed each page. James Kopp had been a busy guy. There were dozens of pages in the package, Internet printouts, newspaper articles, handwritten letters. Osborn made notations referencing each item in the package:
• Handwriting: “C.S. Lewis wannabee; neverbee”
• Article: “Our Lady of Fatima Said in 1917”
• Birth certificate John O’Brien
• Birth certificate Daniel Joseph O’Sullivan
• Death certificate Daniel Joseph O’Sullivan
• Two passport application forms
• “Letter from Father Emily”
• “Meteorite Iron Found in ‘Tomb of Queens’”
• Article: “The Society of St. Pius X in Rome”
Osborn placed the papers back in the envelope and resealed it for delivery to Ted and Joyce Barnes. Three days later, on March 19, a Federal Express package No. 40055766270 arrived at a Brooklyn sorting station. The intended recipient was Ted Barnes. Osborn reviewed the contents, took photos and wrote out notations quoting the start of each item. Most were letters handwritten by Kopp:
• “I guess my situation…”
• “Anyhoo, my boss…”
• “add in xo above”
• Miller and Boissonneault addresses
• “Just got the pix”
• “Yes, I need help”
Osborn resealed the envelope. Later, after she had received the package, Marra wrote a new email in the Yahoo! draft folder for Kopp’s eyes.
Subject: I got your snail
Osborn wanted to widen the net further. He applied to put a tap on phone conversations. On March 21, Eastern New York District judge Reena Raggi signed an order allowing the FBI to listen to phone conversations between Loretta Claire Marra and James Charles Kopp on three phone numbers: 718-647-9440, 917-833-1317 and 917-826-8520.
Jim logged on to the Yahoo! account. It was coming up on 4 a.m. in Brooklyn. He typed an email:
Subject: now now now now now now
Dear person, this keyboqrd [sic] is all frenchied up. [The keyboards in France have small but vexing variations from North American models. The “q” is where the “a” should be, for example.] The sooner I get about 1000, the sooner you see this smiling cherubic face… DV.
He saved the message in the folder and wrote two more emails. He told Marra to send $20 to Jean Aubrigon c/o La Poste, Dinan, France.
Meanwhile, that morning in New York City, Michael Osborn read the messages. “DV.” Deo volente. It was Kopp all right. And he had made a big mistake. He had just announced his location. Got him, Osborn thought.
In Brooklyn, Loretta logged on to the account. She turned to Dennis. “He says the computer is ‘all frenchied up,’” she said. She wrote a new email at 1 p.m.
Subject: on my way
Will send the $20… my cellphone number is in the stuff you haven’t read. My hard line is listed in the phone book under the name you snail me at. The hard line is safest.
The money was wired from a Brooklyn Western Union office to Jean Aubrigon in Dinan. Loretta wrote another email.
Subject: 20 Sent
Money has been sent. I have as much $ as you need.
The next morning, Loretta was back on the computer checking for new messages from Jim.
“Anything?” asked Dennis.
“No,” she said.
“Probably doesn’t have money to get online.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t have enough money to get himself back.”
On Friday, at 4 p.m., Jim Kopp entered the cybercafe in Dinan. He typed two messages.
Subject: thank You God Almighty qnd [sic] his little helpers
He wrote that he needed more money. The escape route was still open. How would he communicate with Loretta upon arrival? He wrote another email.
Subject: Jackie
jackie route unless you wave off….. very happy you’re there… will need rest/medicine when i get there.
Loretta and Dennis discussed options. Should they send someone to France to help Jim? Perhaps Sabine Goodwin, a friend who lived in the U.K., could do it. What about all the email messages in the folder—should they start deleting them? What about Jim calling them collect, was that safe? Loretta logged on to the computer and wrote a reply:
Jackie is fine with me, I know of no problems….Can’t we please make the bmtm just you calling me from a pay phone when you’re in town on my lovely, friendly, safe and clean hard line and telling me where you are and I (or mech) come get you any hour day or night? we are convinced 100% that the mere fact of you being undiagnosed enough to stand around on the street and make phone calls is complete proof that you are not diagnosed at all. Can’t wait to see you. You can get as much rest as you need here, and we can likely get any prescription meds you need.
She saved the message and logged off. Osborn read the exchange. “Bmtm” had been their code for Kopp’s escape route. “Jackie”—they were still planning to come back to the United. States via Montreal. “Undiagnosed”— they thought Kopp was moving about undetected. Not quite.
In Dinan it was 11:19 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, and 5:19 a.m. in Brooklyn. Jim had been unable to collect the money from the Dinan post office. He typed three messages.
Subject: ouestern onion, c’est horrible
Can’t get the $20 without the control number. Send the number on the email account right way and then send $50 after that and $600 after that, each time place a message with the control number for that transaction… I
