DAVID L. PIPER:
An Inventory of His Virginia Piper Kidnapping-Related Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Piper, David L., 1953-, compiler. | |
| Title: | Virginia Piper kidnapping-related papers. | |
| Dates: | 1972-1988. | |
| Abstract: | Copies of FBI files relating to the agency's investigation into the kidnapping of Virginia Piper, wife of Minneapolis investment banker Harry C. Piper, Jr., who was taken from her home in Orono, Minnesota in July 1972 and held for a large ransom. Includes interview transcripts, court documents, press releases, and other papers related to the case. | |
| Quantity: | 19.0 cubic feet (19 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description section for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Viriginia (Lewis) Piper was born November 29, 1922, one of five daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Addison Lewis of Wayzata, Minnesota. After graduating from Wayzata High School and Pine Manor Junior College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, she married Harry C. Piper, Jr., who became board chairman of the Minneapolis brokerage firm of Piper, Jaffray & Hopwood, Inc. The couple had three sons, Harry III, Addison, and David.
On July 27, 1972, Piper was kidnapped from her home in Orono, Minnesota and held for one million dollars ransom, then the largest ransom ever reported in the United States and the third largest in the world. Piper was found two days later, handcuffed and chained to a tree in the dense woods of Jay Cooke State Park, near Duluth. Five years later, the FBI arrested Kenneth Callahan and Donald Larson for the kidnapping. The two suspects were convicted, but an appeals court threw out the verdict. The men were later acquitted on retrial and the case was never solved. Piper died of cancer in 1988 at age 65.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Photocopies of documents related to the 1972 kidnapping of Virginia Piper received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by members of the Piper Family under the Freedom of Information Act.
The collection also includes a transcript of an FBI interview with Piper, a copy of the ransom note, portions of the 1977 trial transcripts, a press release, a wanted poster with an artist's sketch of one of the suspects, a photograph of the poster, and a list of the serial numbers of the currency included in the one million dollar ransom paid by Harry Piper to the kidnappers of his wife.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]Piper, David L. Virginia Piper Kidnapping-Related Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 15,475; 16,872
Processing Information:
Processed by: Lara D. Friedman-Shedlov, August 1999; addition by David B. Peterson, July 2014
Catalog ID number: 990017358130104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.11.13B | 1 | Documents obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation: | |||||||||
| Photocopies of FBI files relating to the investigation of the case. Volume and serial numbers were assigned by the FBI. Although designated "volumes," the material actually consists of files of papers. | |||||||||||
| FBI File (MA) 7-567: | |||||||||||
| Volumes 1-17, serial nos. [1?]-1950. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.11.14F | 2 | Volumes 17A-25, serial nos. 1951-3175. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.1B | 3 | Volumes 26-33, serial nos. 3176-4054. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.2F | 4 | Volumes 34-45, serial nos. 4055-6325. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.3B | 5 | Volumes 46-57, serial nos. 6326-7725. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.4F | 6 | Volumes 58-61, serial nos. 7726-8098. | |||||||||
| Volumes 64-71, serial nos. 8347-9203. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.5B | 7 | Volumes 72-85, serial nos. 9203-10352. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.6F | 8 | Volumes 86-88, serial nos. 10352-10580. | |||||||||
| Volume 91, serial nos. 10818-10903. | |||||||||||
| Volumes 95-106, serial nos. 11123-12124. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.7B | 9 | Volumes 107-112, serial nos. 12126-12688. | |||||||||
| Volumes 120-128, serial nos. 13342-14080. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.8F | 10 | Volume 140, serial nos. 15042. | |||||||||
| Volume 146, serial nos. 15545-15668. | |||||||||||
| Volumes 149-165, serial nos. 15771-17400. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.9B | 11 | Volumes 166-185, serial nos. 17401-18849. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.10F | 12 | Volumes 186-203, serial nos. 18850-20333. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.11B | 13 | Volumes 203-221, serial nos. 20334-21246. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.12F | 14 | Volumes 222-252, serial nos. 21247-22313. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.13B | 15 | Volumes 253-261, serial nos. 22314-22873. | |||||||||
| Volumes 264-265, serial nos. 23040-23140. | |||||||||||
| Volumes 267-269, serial nos. 23153-23435. | |||||||||||
| Volumes 1-4. | |||||||||||
| Appears to be a register or index to individual documents. | |||||||||||
| Volumes 1A-2 - 1A-4, serial nos. 1A17-1A74. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.12.14F | 16 | Volumes 1A-5 - 1A-28, serial nos. 1A75-1A967. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.13.1B | 17 | Volumes 1A-29 - 1A-61, serial nos. 1A968-1A1776. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.13.2F | 18 | Volumes 1A-62 - 1A-68, serial nos. 1A1777-1A1958. | |||||||||
| Volume 1B-1, serial nos. 1B1-1B119. | |||||||||||
| Sub B, volumes 1-5, serial nos. 1-1260. | |||||||||||
| Sub C, volume 1, serial nos. 1-43. | |||||||||||
| Sub D, volume 1, serial nos. 1-52. | |||||||||||
| Sub D, volumes 3-5. | |||||||||||
| serial nos. 85-185. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.13.3B | 19 | Sub E, volumes 1-4, serial nos. 1-360. | |||||||||
| Sub F, volumes 1-2, serial nos. 1-112. | |||||||||||
| Sub G, volume 1, serial nos. 1-86. | |||||||||||
| Sub G, volumes 1-2, serial nos. 1-156. | |||||||||||
| Sub H, volume 1, serial nos. 1-134. | |||||||||||
| Sub I, volume 1, serial nos. 1-16. | |||||||||||
| Sub J, volume 1. | |||||||||||
| Sub A1, volumes 1-3, serial nos. 1-234. | |||||||||||
| FBI File (HQ) 7-14266, Volume 56, serial nos. 1067. | |||||||||||
| Copy of ransom note and attached notations, [1972?]. | |||||||||||
| Transcripts of taped FBI interviews with Piper, undated and August 6, 1972. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Press release, wanted poster, and artist's sketch of suspect, 1974. | |||||||||||
| List of ransom bills paid in Piper kidnapping case, 1974. | |||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings, 1972. | |||||||||||
| U.S. vs. Kenneth James Callahan and Donald Floyd Larson: | |||||||||||
| Proceedings of October 12-13, 1977. October 12-13, 1977. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Cross examination of Ester Dahl, November 8, 1979. | |||||||||||
| Statement to the press by Piper family; photograph of sweater worn by Piper during kidnapping [trial exhibit?], undated and 1977. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Kidnapping -- Minnesota.
- Ransom -- Minnesota.
- Crime -- Minnesota.
- Trials (Kidnapping) -- Minnesota.
- Persons:
- Piper, Virginia -- Kidnapping, 1972.
- Callahan, Kenneth James, defendant -- Trials, litigation, etc.
- Larson, Donald Floyd, defendant -- Trials, litigation, etc.
- Organizations:
- United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation, author.
- Types of Documents:
- Transcripts.
- Interviews.
- Photographs.
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