The kidnapping of nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser took place in 1935 in Tacoma, Washington. George, the son of prominent lumberman J.P. Weyerhaeuser, was released after a ransom was paid. He later succeeded his father as the chairman of the Weyerhaeuser company. The four kidnappers were caught and collectively sentenced to 135 years in prison.
Kidnapping and Ransom
On May 24, 1935, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser was released from school for lunch earlier than usual. He walked to the nearby Annie Wright Seminary to meet his sister, Ann, where their chauffeur usually picked them up. Arriving early, George decided to walk home but was kidnapped along the way.
Upon realizing George was missing, the family contacted the police. That evening, a special delivery letter arrived at the Weyerhaeuser home, demanding $200,000 ($4 million in 2021 dollars) in unmarked bills for George's release, with George's signature on the envelope. The FBI was notified, and the Weyerhaeusers followed the kidnappers' instructions, placing a personal ad in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on May 25, signaling their compliance. Additional ads were placed on May 27 and 29.
A letter received on May 29 directed George’s father to register at the Ambassador Hotel in Seattle and await further instructions. Enclosed was a note from George stating he was safe. That night, a taxicab driver delivered another letter to the elder Weyerhaeuser at the hotel, directing him to a specific location where he found messages leading him to another point. However, after reaching the second location and finding no further instructions, he returned to the hotel. The next morning, an anonymous caller reproached him for not following directions; he insisted he had tried to cooperate but couldn’t find the last note.
At 9:45 that night, a man with a European accent called, instructing Weyerhaeuser to go to an address where he would find a note in a tin can. Following a series of directions, Weyerhaeuser eventually left his car and walked toward Seattle, where a man took the car and drove away with the ransom money.
Victim’s Account
George Weyerhaeuser was released at a shack near Issaquah, Washington, on the morning of June 1, 1935.
He recounted that after leaving the Seminary, he took a shortcut through some tennis courts where he was approached by a man who asked for directions. The man then picked him up and carried him to a car, where another man was waiting in the front seat. They drove around for over an hour before stopping by a road and covering George with a blanket. He was then led blindfolded across a stream and through the countryside, eventually being placed in a hole in the ground and chained.
Later, the kidnappers moved George, placing him in the trunk of a car and driving for about an hour. They then dug another hole where he was kept until May 26, when they drove him to Idaho. There, George was handcuffed to a tree before being taken to a house where he was held in a closet. On May 31, the kidnappers told George they were leaving and moved him again, this time to a shack near Issaquah. The next morning, they left, telling him his father would come to get him. George found his way to a farmhouse, where the family took him in and drove him to Tacoma.
FBI Investigation
The FBI took precautions to ensure George's safe return while quietly conducting their investigation. Serial numbers of the ransom bills were distributed to commercial enterprises. On June 2, a $20 ransom bill was used to buy a railway ticket, leading the FBI to Harmon Metz Waley. More ransom bills surfaced in Salt Lake City, and police stationed in discount stores identified Margaret E. Waley, Harmon’s wife, who was then taken to the FBI's field office.
Arrest of Harmon Metz Waley
Harmon Metz Waley was arrested and confessed to the kidnapping, implicating William Dainard, whom he had met in prison. Waley's wife had been unaware of the kidnapping until they reached Spokane. A portion of the ransom money was found burned in their stove. Waley revealed he had buried $90,790, which the FBI recovered. Agents then learned Dainard had visited Margaret Waley's parents’ home. After being informed of the arrests, Dainard exclaimed and drove away.
Fingerprint Examination
FBI Laboratory personnel examined physical evidence found at the kidnappers' hideout, the holes where George Weyerhaeuser was kept, and the kidnappers' homes. Fingerprints conclusively linked Harmon and Margaret Waley and William Dainard to the shack where the ransom had been divided. Harmon Waley's fingerprints were also found on the cans containing notes for Mr. Weyerhaeuser, and a fingerprint identified as Margaret Waley's was discovered at the hideout.
Indictments and Sentencing
On June 19, a federal grand jury in Tacoma indicted William Dainard, Harmon Metz Waley, and Margaret E. Waley on charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap.
Waleys Sentenced
Harmon Waley pled guilty on June 21, 1935, receiving concurrent prison terms of 45 years for kidnapping and two years for conspiracy to kidnap. He was initially sent to the United States Penitentiary on McNeil Island, Washington, and later transferred to Alcatraz Island, California.
On June 22, Margaret Waley pled not guilty to both charges but was brought to trial in the United States District Court in Tacoma on July 5. Four days later, she was sentenced to two concurrent 20-year terms at the United States Detention Farm in Milan, Michigan.
Dainard Located
After speaking with Mrs. Waley's grandfather, William Dainard went to Butte, Montana. On June 9, a police officer recognized him and attempted to apprehend him, but Dainard escaped. His abandoned car was later found with $15,155 in ransom money.
An Identification Order containing Dainard's photo, fingerprints, handwriting sample, and background information was distributed across the United States. Information indicated he might have gone to Mexico or Australia, so copies were also sent to police agencies in those countries. In early 1936, altered ransom bills began appearing in the western U.S. The FBI Laboratory identified the true serial numbers, which matched the ransom bills, and banks were alerted to watch for anyone exchanging altered currency.
Dainard Arrested
On May 6, 1936, employees at two Los Angeles banks reported a man exchanging altered bills. The man's license plate number, issued to Bert E. Cole, was noted. Surveillance at the listed address led to agents finding a car with the matching license plate in a parking lot. On May 7, agents observed a man, later identified as Dainard, attempting to start the car. He was arrested without resistance, and a .45 caliber Colt pistol was seized from him.
Dainard admitted his role in the kidnapping. Agents recovered $37,374.47 in ransom money and $14,000 in $100 bills he had buried in Utah. Dyes and tools used to alter currency serial numbers were found in his garage. On May 9, 1936, Dainard pled guilty in the United States District Court in Tacoma and was sentenced to two concurrent 60-year terms for kidnapping and conspiracy. Initially sent to McNeil Island Penitentiary, he was later transferred to Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas, where authorities deemed him insane and recommended hospitalization.
Accomplice
FBI investigations revealed that Edward Fliss, an associate of Dainard, helped exchange ransom money. Fliss, also known as Frank "Red" Lane, was arrested at the Delmar Hotel in San Francisco without resistance. He admitted to assisting Dainard and was sentenced to 10 years at McNeil Island Federal Penitentiary and fined $5,000.
Aftermath
Throughout the investigation, FBI agents recovered $157,319.47 in ransom money and cash exchanged for ransom money. Harmon Waley wrote to George Weyerhaeuser from prison, apologizing for his actions. Waley was released on June 3, 1963, at age 52. George Weyerhaeuser later gave him a job, acknowledging in a 1983 interview that Waley had treated him well during the kidnapping. Waley died in February 1984 at age 73.
William Dainard, born in 1902 in Cando, North Dakota, died in 1992 in Great Falls, Montana.
George Weyerhaeuser served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated from Yale University in 1949. He became CEO of the Weyerhaeuser company in 1966 at age 39, serving until 1991, and continued as board chairman until 1999. He died in June 2022 at age 95.
The kidnapping was the subject of a 2021 true crime novel by Seattle native Bryan Johnston, titled Deep in the Woods: The 1935 Kidnapping of Nine-Year-Old George Weyerhaeuser, Heir to America's Mightiest Timber Dynasty.
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