Wanda Kaczynski Interview

WANDA T. KACZYNSKI (Protect Identity) was interviewed regarding her son, THEODORE J. KACZYNSKI, whose name had been referred to the FBI by DAVID R. KACZYNSKI as a possible suspect in the "Unabom" investigation. DAVID KACZYNSKI (Protect Identity) was also present during the interview.

WANDA KACZYNSKI was served with Federal Grand Jury subpoena issued at San Francisco, California calling for production of certain records pertinent to this inquiry. She advised that she had just spoken to DAVID KACZYNSKI (hereinafter referred to as DAVE) regarding the investigative interest in THEODORE J. KACZYNSKI (hereinafter referred to as TED) and that she would cooperate. Her cooperation was predicated on the thought that TED is not responsible for the bombings attributed to the "Unabomer" and that her cooperation would ultimately assist in eliminating TED as a suspect.

She was informed of the confidentiality requirement as set forth in the non-disclosure order attached to the above subpoena. She stated that she was sensitive to the fact that her other son, DAVE, brought TED's name up to the FBI in confidence. She was confident that TED would be eliminated as a suspect and said she had no intention of communicating with TED on this matter.

She advised that TED came home to Lombard, Illinois after he left the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). She believed that he left UCB in 1969, and she recalled that TED and DAVE took a trip to Canada before returning to Illinois. TED did not work for about a year after he returned to Lombard, Illinois. She and her husband thought that TED needed a break after UCB and regarded it a sabbatical. In 1970, TED went to work for Oakbrook Mall in Oakbrook, Illinois as a landscaper. It was a seasonal job, but she could not remember when that job ended. In that regard, there was some confusion as to whether TED left Lombard, Illinois for Montana in 1970 or later in 1971.

WANDA and her husband made regular summer trips to Montana starting the summer after TED moved to Montana. She remembered they habitually visited TED in early September, although there may have been a few occasions when they visited earlier in the summer, possibly in June. Those regular visits ended in the mid 1980's when TED cut off contact with the family. She could not recall whether it was 1984 or 1985.

In 1978, TED wrote a letter inquiring as to whether there might be a job available at Foam Cutting Engineers, where TED's father worked. TED's father determined that there would be an opening so TED traveled from Montana to Illinois in order to work and make some money. As far as Wanda knew, TED's only purpose in coming to Illinois in 1978 was to earn some money, and he always intended to return to Montana.

She recalled that TED took the Greyhound bus from Montana to the main bus terminal in Chicago and that he caught the "Northwestern," a local commuter train, to Lombard.

At this point DAVE advised that on this occasion TED's father went to pick TED up at the bus terminal in Chicago, but TED and his father missed each other due to some miscommunication. DAVE recalled that TED telephoned to find out why his father did not meet him, and that TED ended up taking a taxi to Lombard.

To the best of WANDA KACZYNSKI's recollection, TED started working at Foam Cutting Engineers within a few days of his arrival at Lombard.

TED remained in Lombard until the Fall of 1979, when he returned to Montana. WANDA KACZYNSKI recalled that TED just took his suitcase, plus whatever he could carry. She walked with him to the local commuter train station in Lombard so that he could catch a bus in Chicago for Montana. She was unable to fix a more precise date for his return to Montana.

WANDA KACZYNSKI noted that TED did not maintain any long term friendships with anyone in the Chicago area, and that he would not have stayed with anyone else.

She recalled that TED had been a member of the local Audubon Club for a brief period when he stayed at Lombard in 1978 and 1979. She believed that the club was located in Glen Ellen, Illinois, but she did not know much about his involvement with the club.

She noted that TED had been a member of the Sierra Club when he was in California.

She did not recall anything about TED traveling to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1979. She did remember the trip that TED and DAVE took to British Columbia after TED left UCB in 1969. To the best of her knowledge and recollection, TED never visited Chicago after he returned to Montana in 1979.

She and her husband continued to visit TED each September until the mid 1980's. She recalled that TED did a lot of work around the cabin planting apple trees and building a root cellar. The root cellar is visible from the front door of the cabin off to the right and is located across the creek about 100 to 150 feet from the cabin. She described it as an enclosure in the side of a hill that is covered with sod. She was not sure about the door, but thought that a trap door would be likely since TED would probably want to keep rodents and small animals out of the cellar.

TED used the cellar to preserve potatoes, onions and carrots that he grew in the garden. TED worried about forest fires and that fact that a fire might destroy his papers inside the cabin. She stated that TED had a little attic or loft inside the cabin where he kept important papers.

Their last trip to Montana in the mid 1980's was a most wonderful visit. TED took them to see the flowers in the meadow and they generally had a great time. Shortly after returning to Illinois, TED sent an angry letter in which TED said that he did not want to hear from the family anymore. That was the last visit that they made to Montana and she believed that it must have been about 1985.

She had no recollection of TED ever living or working in Salt Lake City.