October 14, 1995
Web posted at: 10:10 p.m. EDT
PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- The FBI is looking for a mysterious figure in a cowboy hat seen by passengers on Amtrak's Sunset Limited in the minutes after it derailed in the Arizona desert last Monday.
"At this time, we are treating this person as a witness, not a suspect," said FBI special agent in charge David Tubbs at a Saturday news conference. "I'm here to encourage any possible witness who might have been at the site to come forward and contact us."
He said little is known about the person, who was seen by two passengers and an Amtrak employee. They saw the figure standing about 100 yards south of the wrecked train immediately after the derailment.
"We don't even know what color the hat might be or if the individual might be male or female," Tubbs said. "They just appeared to be standing there observing the situation down at the derailment." (213K AIFF sound or 213K WAV sound)
The FBI also asked for help from the anyone who might have information about the "Sons of the Gestapo." A letter found near the train wreck claimed it was sabotaged by a group of that name.
Tubbs acknowledged that the FBI has been reading messages about the derailment exchanged by militia members on the computer Internet.
"It's all being looked at," Tubbs said. "Whatever we can to make a determination from it. If it's appropriate, we'll go out and follow up on it."
CNN located conversations on an Internet "newsgroup" page used by militia activists. Some of the comments suggested the derailment was the work of federal agents in a conspiracy to discredit militia groups.
"The Sunset Limited smells like a Special Ops job," wrote one participant, who identified himself as a member of Washington State's Cascade Brigade.
"Militias neither endorse this type of action, nor were involved," said another, who identified himself as a leader in the Texas Militia. "However, someone wanting it to appear otherwise was involved, and who or whom would that be? Hmmmm!"
About 150 FBI agents from around the country are in Phoenix working on the case. Janet Napolitano, the U.S. attorney in Phoenix, said "everything that can be done is being done." The derailment killed one person and injured 78.
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