William Milton Cooper

From The Black Vault Encyclopedia Project

Milton William Cooper

William Milton Cooper (May 6, 1943 - November 5, 2001) was an American writer, shortwave broadcaster, militia supporter and conspiracy theorist.

Cooper's earliest notoriety developed among UFO enthusiasts, as he promoted a variety of conspiracy theories regarding UFOs, Area 51, the Kennedy Assassination, and much more. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cooper claimed that John F. Kennedy was shot by the limosine's chauffeur, using bullets filled with blowfish poison.

Cooper is perhaps best known for his book Behold A Pale Horse, which details many of his claims about various conspiracy theories. The title is a quote from The Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The book includes the text of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a famous anti-Semitic hoax document.

An outspoken critic of what he considered US government abuses, Cooper was charged with various crimes, including tax evasion from 1992 to 1994, and bank fraud for giving false information on a loan application.

Cooper reportedly met with Timothy McVeigh, who sought Cooper's advice or support. When McVeigh refused to offer details of his plans, Cooper dismissed him.

On November 5 2001, Cooper was shot and killed by Apache County, Arizona Sheriff officers who were serving an arrest warrant after Cooper reportedly threatened passersby near his home in Eagar, Arizona. Cooper was 58 years old.