- é . y . . . , . thtteeg,, 5 RIHA stated that while in erste he met MARK/MANCALL, a Harvard University student, now in Japan, RIHA stated; that MANCALL was with him on his trip to Moscow; however, MANCALL left him at Leningrad and he proceeded to Moscow y: nena RIHA stated that ton his arrival at Moscow University he was met by Dr. BORIS ,NIKIFOROV, Moscow State University. historian, whenRIHA stated ‘he was to confer with on matters of policy that might come up during his stay at the university. Approximately ten days after his arrival RIHA stated he met his advisor, EVGENII DEMITR TEVICHCHERMENSKI, Professor of History... RIHA said that these two moet’ sre the only faculty members he had any contact with while at the university. According to RIAA, his advisor invited him to his home once and that this was - the only social contact he had with him, and had absolutely. no, 7;. . social contact with NIKIFOROV. ..— - 7 an { / .RIHA stated that nis. travelling companion around Moscow "~" was DAVID) MAC KENZIE, a student from Columbta Univer sity now at Princeton. WIV ORE ES eo ie ne He os RIHA said that while ne “as iA t tive university Library _ im Moscow one day, a “Soviet friend and student casually introduced im to a Mr. TUR LY WIKBALKOV who told him he worked for the International Corfmerce. RIHA said he was very suspicious of this man as he had plenty of money and a car, MIKHALKOV invited RIHA to dinner which RIHA accepted. According to RIHA, MIKHALKOV hired a private room in a very expensive and exclusive hotel to have dinner. RIHA said he was suspicious of him because of his wealth and therefore never warmed up to MIKHALKOV during this visit. RIHA stated that their conversation was very general and that MIKHALKOV made no requests of him whatsoever. RIHA stated that this was the last time he saw MIKHALKOs,. RIAA advised that while doing research work in the Lenin Library in Moscow, he met a girl ouployes NATASKA/MEYER whom he ~~ --—~ dated from November to December 1958 until she télid him not to we" see her again because if she continued to see him she would be expelled from her. position. de RIHA stated in March 1958 he met another girl LARISSA | ‘aa through an American student WALTER /CLEMENS of Columbia — /\ Io fia a, Da th jo? < = Sf nan - 5» AW 55100 Docld:32989553 Page 160
SAWAL ey 7 bea Fee hee meine etn teas spate lee ce oe eeetatemeditee - ime Aen weenie University who previously dated this girl until he left Russia in March 1958. RIA stated that he dated KUCHBERIA from March until he left Russia. RIHA said that he was suspicious of LARISSA KUCHBERIA and therefore was very cautious In his relations with her. However, KUCHBERIA never made any requests of him to do anything of an intelligence nature. However, he said she constantly praised Czechoslovakia and pointed out its advantages and attempted to interest RIHA in returning to his native country. RIHA told her many times he had no desire to return to Czechoslovakia, RIHA said that he has never heard from the two girls he dated nor has he correspomled with them, RIHA left Odessa by boat and after travelling to vartous ' countries in Europe, he departed from Paris, France, on Aizust 20, 1959, and arrived in the United States August 26, 1959. RIHA. > stated that due to his being born in Czech@lovakia he was aware i that attempts might be made on the part of officials of the Soviet and Czechoslovakian Governments to attempt to induce “him to return or stay in Gzechoslovakia and therefore he was alert ta recognize any such attempts. He related that since his return to the United States ‘he has never been contacted in any manner whatsoever by a ‘Soviet or Gzechoslovakian Government representative. He stated ‘that if such a contact is ever made, he would immedlately contact the FBI. RIHA stated that he was proud of his American citizen- ship and has no desire to return to his homeland for permanent residences, The following is a description of the subject as ; obtained from interview and observation: Sex: Maile Races White Height: 56K Weights: 1h8 pounds Byes s Brown . °° ‘ Hairs Black ! Complexion: Medium Marital Status: Single ; Date of Birth: April 17, 1929, | Czechoslovakia ¢ yet pes - “NE DENTLAL | AW 55100 DocId:32989553 Page 161 = 6% =
- Form DJ-150 at @ (Ba. 4-26-65) : © 74 ete alia! are af ™ x SATE ate Jf -«  URITED STATES On pit MR MENT | x DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE : a : a 4 /gemorandum TO : Director, Federal Bureau DATE: Korfl 14. 1969 of Investigation : ee 9 J. Walter Yeagley ) f ‘eeom/ : Assistant Attorney General Internal Security Division SUBJECT: Correspondence dated April 7, 1969, from Professor Stephen Fischer-Galati re: Professor Thomas Riha ~ This is in further reference to our referral of the captioned letter to you on April 9, 1969. I am transmitting herewith a copy of our reply in this matter for your information. Enclosure - . 7 } ; est and is not for dissemt This document is prepared i resp bo poe eed to official proceedings by ste 4 ; 06. 7 , , - - tegl ? * Y o> Aad 2 in outst? Yond Coo content may not de disclosed to amautnorized Person- a your Commie.” 72 nel without the express approval of the FBI . ™ oN yee My if f a he . ~ — oa 4 nee an 2 ° ‘ “oy } 1 + e, ES 4 . JE ft i. 35100 Doctld:32989553 Page rez ‘ - :
Frofessor Stephen Fischer-Galati Devartment of History University of Colorads Boulder, Colorado 80362 Ihave your letter dated Avril 7, 1969, regarding your concern over Proicssor Thomas Riha. This is to advise you that your letter has been o Ciwected to the aporopriate cdovernmental authoritic Since your letter was addressed to Mr. Nathan B. Lenvin, £ thought you may be interested in knowing and saddened to learn that Mr. hLenvin died last October Z5th. Your interest in writing to us is eppreciated. WALTER YEAGIEY istant uttorney General Internal Security Division - By: a ° JAMES DL. WELDON, TR. Chief, Registration Section SQ) Pra ees i mms tye oe ta? as HW 55100 Doctd: 32989953 Page 163 1 SANNOYS NIH SARA ed cate
F * Buona rom No, 10 C 3010-108 Ce GSA GEN, REG. NO. 27 ©. . ‘e) Tolson JJNITED STATES GOVinSMMIENT 0 “ Moh Bishsp —-____- | . Casper Memorandum . esr , Felt. wn . Gale ‘ Mr. D. J. Brennan, Jr.jo3 |. DATE: April 16, 1969 Rosen —______ / sé is Sullivan — ‘ Tavel es 2 : Toten 5 ‘ ele. Moon — OM S. d. Papich Gi : Holmes —____. ( : . - Gandy BJECT: THOMAS “RTHA LZ INTERNAL SECURITY ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA A Wa 7 a The subject has not left. the United States. The story or rumor indicating that he may have gone to Czechoslovakia is without foundation, Riha has been. having difficulties from his wife, and he recently “ran- away from her," — [oThas also received information indicating that the university newspaper at the University of Colorado will 54 bé printing an article concerning_the subject. and will refer ¢ | to him as an undercover agent of “ [stated that subject very definitely is not being utilized oy L__|in any | capacity. ; | ACTION: : | ; The above information is being directed to the attention of the Research-Satellite Section. 1- A. W. Gray (Vizas) a. - 1 - Lisison — (Ger 1 -S. J. Papich Ee, C ais ‘ 6 ; rn _ _, nPR 22 8 F Ed as = . tL gn Roe a . ; te et Ek pte gs Fo —— ae - wh thme . Ae This document is prepared in response to your request and is 110% ding nation oytside nowy Committee, Its use is limited to of, Pera! prokecdions by your Commi''-e aid the content may not be disclosed to 1. axtiosded erson- nel withort the express approval of the FBI. AW 55100 “Roetd: 32990555 ~ Page toto, SY EE ULCER ot cae peer enee renee wernt yen ape idan a tes wee en we eee ree et Spe ee at vere | a nares pe sia na Miele Tw wad rar equniedins ee ee eee cet npaetarcan is 6 “eerie mbneg ane ht A RE eg ENE “: a we SP
. tote? | ~ Hr. G. W. Abernathy SAC, Benver 4m] 8-69 SQ fe pons i xe Radel g Ri ans : . 5 ata ~ “-" Cid Director, EI (105-782Z56} - x “CLS REA ReBulet 4-16.69, On 4-15.69 CTA cavised through Liaison that the subject had not Left tLo United States. Aatordine to CIA, Subgeet has been having difficulties with his wife and ke recontly ‘scan eway fron hor." @he story or runner indicating the subgcet may heave gone to Caechoslovakia is without fournintion. a CIA has also veecived information indicating that “ the Wnuliversity newornvar at the finaversity of Colorado will and will rexer to hin es an uncereover event of CIA, Cra les advised thet | be peierting on irthele concerning this subject | | the subject is not being utilined by CIA in any capacity. Any pertinent intoraation received concerning this wuld be forrarded to the Fureau by LIni and no investie ™, matter sha 2S ed be conducted by your office. pation ne GVA sing (4) NOTE ¢ Subject is a professor at the University of Colorado. % The Department received a letter dated 4-7-69 which stated the su San subject disappeared mysteriously ree weeks ago. The writer R™* of the letter vas concerned that subject might be involuntarily Ne leaving the United States for Czechoslovakia. The above is ke being furnished Denver for its information, . \ up COTA iat ] ra | 4 2 3CLO. Oo VEC t od 7807 MAILED 2 APR 381969 , } haan Bl. is Doren OM MFR rel without the express approval of the FE a 4G ale 1 GON aa 9 C, ‘ 4 i -s5260) DP aaatoys) Rage, AG3
ee "FBI Date: 735769 .. tne following in : (Type in plaintont or code) AIRTEL | a ns [Priority OTS GET TO DERECTOR, FBI (105-78256) ne FROM: SAC, CHICAGO (105-8544) SUBJECT: THOMASTRIBA, aka wads Is - CZ Enclosed for Denver is a copy of Boston repa@t le neds ieee me ede dated August 31, 1950, captioned, "THOMAS RIHA, aka i THOMAS ANDREW CHARLES ee ~ poviet Intelligence §& es ~ Recruitment of Stud sy - Rk." SovRce | no has furnished reliable information i % | . a } in the past, furnished the following information to H SA GEORGE M, WOODLEY on September. 15, 1969, According i to the source it is rumored among the Czechs at the j i University of Chicago (UC) that THOMAS RIHA, a Professor , 4 { at the University of Colorado, Bolder, Colorado, was ; / | "either kidnapped by the Russians, or picked up by / i CIA or the FBI." t ; A , | RIHA entered the United States in 1947 as a Ay 4 student and has been in the United States since that time, /“ | / i ' ‘except for a period of one year (1958-1959) when he a { } studied at the University of Moscow, Moscow, Russia, {4 i Some time in 1968, he headed a group of college oa | | professors on a tour of the Soviet Union, In the group i was one ANNA HRUSKA, a Czech girl, whom he married in \ a Bolder, Colorado,’ after returning to the United States j i from this trip. The source does not know if ANNA BRUSH: | is an American citizen, an exchange student from Czechs- H Slovakia or any background information concerning her. // } } . . : $ i / Fé one ! a“ . : i Fa @. cir GL ann cor? wrth feemavennans per ree / od } Bureau (R31) NS ‘ ~ Denver (Encl. 1) (RN) . 9 SEP 22 169° : ~ WFO (info) (RM) - x 7 4] H . 2. Chicago ~ ye ; Pro “fe eas ciererne? 4 ‘ ; (1 ~ 134-2309) . Pp. wit fit f ; | Gy / Kin be pf pes! Tee ¢ This locumeni. te-nnepared”in-respanseto “at eat is nmonawed ds _otp-r6qtest-and-io- tot fOr ESSE i atian or aio your Committe Its use ik “linited to wefigiol proceedings by H Ae » |} Speier Our Comini*-e and the content may not bé disclosed to unamorized person- H As proved: hah without the eupr ens, approval of the FRE . per i Special “hadnt in Charge ‘HW 55100 DocId:32989553 Page 166 . er A 100 __Docrad Page
ars a HW 55100 LL CG 105-8544 RIBA studied at Harvard University, worked at the University of Chicago from 1960 ~ 1866, and then went to the paiversity of " Shere he’ Bolder, Coloradc, in the Fall of 1966, where he presentiy has a teaching contract. It is rumored that RIHA recently divorced ANNA HRUSKA and disappeared from the University and his apartment, leaving behind his clothes | and furniture, According to the source, the University of Colorado is unhappy with RIGA for walking out on his teaching contract and has been attempting jto locate him without success, The files of the Chicago Office, in addition to the-enclosed Boston report, contains a Department of ‘State Form (Request for Security Information), which is . dated 2/5/63; This form skews that Professor RISA was proposed for academic exchange with Czechoslovakia by the Inter-University Committee on Travel Grants, University of Indiana, Bloomington, indiana. At that time, he was assistant professor of Modern Russian and European History at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, He resided at 6007 South Woodlawn ; Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. He was born April 17, 1929, / in Prague, Czechoslovakia. It is not known whether or not RIHA was accepted for this program. In addition to the above, the Chicago files contain a Department of State Form (Visa Action Kequest) on hehalf of JARMILA ZAKOVA, nee CERVENA, born 4/14/37, in i Prague, Czechoslovakia. She was employed as a clerk | by the Film and Television Academy, Prague and desired ; to visit her uncle, THOMAS RIHA, 5801 South Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, for a period of two months “in August, 1966. Zt is believed that this THOMAS RIE is identical with the subject because the Dorchester address is in close proximity to the uc. . . a ok Taereneei eee RAO EPO ten Thee SARE ESE EE DTA UR g Fat an 90 ienemeteenerbe nie drone deyentnrterendnine itietenvaeet Mite Anembrdhminehuanty wae anna Stes eivas tna bebe Docld:329839553 Page 167
CG 105-8544 LEADS AT DENVER, COLCRADO « che ck indices and ere vene a, fo renege een en ne Contact sources in the Czech conmunity _ . oo for any information they may have regarding the a disappearance of THOMAS RIHA, a : Check marriage and divorce records regarding ’ THOMAS RIHA and ANNA HRUSTFA. . | ‘CHICAGO AT CHICAGO, J ILLINOIS. Will maintain contact a with. Soumeg 2 esarding the above matter Ie G 7069-9) \ or es) Ssh oe seeeeenememntin tyne Ae esterennsterin tent wtmanratastonhte? Aemvbbemredenhe sie vial HW 55100 DBocld:32989553 Page 166 ; —aaee
9/22/59 i a é OT mus (3.05 ) est sos ales Yeisth. o oe gs by d person- 2 i ¢ “4 ad -: aL ASSEM: 4 ° or NGA Rd ee fo ees ata Sy UN g i onan Sk fake att t for d 9x procecd 05 ZE. a aE fy J x fb EH t, ws nO £20, 3 4 Sclosed to wna raned f in ty of C he : 3 oe % ~y SAG she ty ae nto yy ori a ee an the Cuoc ted to of wa SN Y? “rr 4 4 Wt fs use is limi aw the content may not de d deta whe 2 . ; se - 27 ET Ear sd < rao ye SOvRCE VIO ¥ to your request and 1 REO So ayn et WES ey h vee ae Se”, ee. t ~ im response 4 ria 5 Lh te 4, ny Mont a or ~ réss approval of the FBI . eat 5 ™ as : + ~ ge ev tvad : “* x 4 dud ‘I he exp . i 7, x 7 your Coni nel witout t ate @ aoe.4 cpa « ~ ee mi a : 7 i se Wee AA ore oe Yeas ate wi ule ne z ee ¢ aA Sle cenng 3. . nation oist*> sgn Comnr This document is prepared fox or "a fake w Saat LUA Tamas mat eure 3: & Ae ¢ oo ot Cis a +e aon TAS ore “E> woe Ghee co 2 PINXIATY Pare Ax . fa 3 . O 12 8) wet ow Pts Se “ 40 ae Dare WM WO sve ert wt SCN a oS ci so moO Tay Qoert sy oct @ Propet £5. 4 Ow Se > ie) hy qo So Sb ~ ot “ <t wn ¥ n aa “an. formation x 2 oO 4 et OO 62 mo 63 UT Bins OS ty ¢ ment O Cert qe a Gent fd ee Pa 5s bios eo OD ae tort UG EDS SEO 2 ky > 4a oO ROG Lb ed tA gy U7 fo mesa Of weoasst ro) Cbert el ag Moo y &y at hea ) SO Pp RCH OA cts rm) a : ote wi O <2 Se. FO sq has Seu & wleNg © O13 el 40 — wt 2G) Q ~ 2 rtf om . £36 oO ELD ew OG Bot mt OO a O 83 mire GD Soot Ra Tt mt OO Oo om 20D eh 1 r type fo lit p idee Lp Hylag hs adit, rs & i, fe 4 ma Fa bl r Peto eave) Fae ypage 16 CG wreeeryer ur] wee MAIL ROOM 32989553 Hi. 5.5100...Docld
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we : Lee . ‘ ' cat . ig, . foo, Mae gk i. . \ } de OF Me mF NG > 4 a : . ‘ . peo ee pert s ay | UNQieD STATES 6. ERNMENT / . y a ; oe a po. LKCMOrEenaum } TO . os . DATE: NERECTOR, FR (105-78256) 12/29/63 FROM; ee owes UED fat : oO. ane y Masa VER C295-N151) Cx’) 1 supyEct: “QA RTE ; { wy euoueS sIRA, axa % all al rt ; igs - © Ne Bureau RS dated 12/19/63. % herewith is a letter of acknowledganent So subtect's rother Mrs. RUTH AN COOK, as per your reauest. Also enclosed are 5 copies of a LINI which includes . Mrs. COONK's letter to the Denver OTfica of the FRI and 2 ‘ nNevanys 2p articles dated 12/28/C9 appearing jin the "Denver Fost! newspaper pertaining to subject. ; Lrebetiettal TS 3 A of 5 F ~- { .. « ,¢ wet oon . RRQ F myo wep ew weet hh vee aricenee ° DATE bow OA 2 Oy epee sree ep ne HOW. Be getters Fete ole Poss we eee Nh OT Cen B 5 Ae pst a Lene . cA 4 4" , . r “ ‘ “ / “ , REG 36 ~ Benver (1 - 165-4151) sre na etrmmamnng ob oar sma CL - 47-3190 - TANNENBAUM sho ‘ f LDU/sin | , (4) “TNs document if prepared in + , ; : . s ont prepured tn response to your request and ts not for déissemt- > ation ovrtsi-l0 your Committee. Its use is limited to official proceedings by 2, Py 7 your Commi’ -e and the content may not be disclosed to unauthorized: person~ { a. ,' nel without the express approval of the FBI . cy fon DEES } wd 6 Pa | | } i | | Q- Bureau (incl. 6) (RA ; i 4 d i - 4 " WW 55100 \Decla:32989553 Hage 475... ls Reoularly on the Payroll Savings Plan
UN. ® STATES DEPARTMENT OF , @... FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to 18218 Federal Office Building File No. Denver, Colorado 80202 December 29, 1969 4 Ruotk ANoe k Mrs. Ruth Ann\Cook Casa Lido ‘Brissago, Ticino CH-6614, Switzerland Germany | Dear Mrs. Cook: ‘ | A This is to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ' dated December 5, 1969 concerning the disappearance of your | son Thomas Riha. ; Please be advised that the Federal Bureau of . | investigation has no jurisdiction in matters of this nature . and we are not able to conduct an active investigation ‘ concerning your son's disappearance. . At your request we’ will place a Missing Persons ‘ | Notice with our Identification Division in Washington, D. C. i If you desire us to do this, please advise. . | Very truly yours, : SCOTT J. WERNER Special Agent in Charge Q. CC Bureau (blind) | This document is prepared in resno . . nation outst 1 vour Conimittee. Oe ‘ss is limited te ang as not for Cissem#- . your Come.“* ¢ and the content may not be disclosed to wu; wat procecctngs by nel without the express approval of the FBI . Mautnovized person- | : : JOSe Mase ~(ae | ENCLOSURE | DoclTd:32969553 Page 176 |!
© 7 . UNerkED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REDERAL BURLAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to Kile No. Denver, Colorado December 29, 1969 ' REG 36 ‘ Me TEOMAS RIHA Also Known As Thomas Andrew Charles Riha On December 16, 1969, the Denver Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Denver, Colorado, received a letter from .ims. Ruth Ann Cook, Casa Lido, Brissago, Ticino Ciil~6614, dated December 5, 1969, addressed to Mr. Scott Verner, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Federal Bureau of Investigation Office. This letter states as follows: "Dear Sir, "Your name «end address was given to me by Me. 4. CSRVGNY of 918 S. Logan Str. Apt. 302, Denver. He is the son of my stepdausnter and WORKING Aas ingencer at Samsonite Manuf. , a "i wreice vou on behalf of my son (the above youn: man's uncle) Thomas A. C. Riha, associate professor at U. of Colorado, Boulder, last of 6th Str. in that city. - Pe . a "T just received to-day a descr? xtion of. r the last encounters of my stepgrandson with my son Thomas of the first months of this year. As i have been sick with cancer since 1968 and still am far from well, IT was not told anything i but that my son after some unpleasantness with j an irate uncle of his bride Kana Hruskova (wedding Av» : in Oct. 1968 ~ divorced filed in‘dan. I9t9) had oom left the U.S.A. - but was well and living in Canada. °- - C — aera” , "About 10 days ago I received a letter from - oo e & s ae * - a) ‘ 4 ‘ my brother Mr. P. P./Kress of Oakland that some 07’ °- , eo “ 4 aperemctgnrnttnntmnnrerartnmnstrwnenretmtaraycantnennan, enema? hacia foul play was involved in my son's disappearance - namely some woman by the name of GaliaY@annenbaum weer This document is prepared in response to~-your request and ts not for dissemt- * nation owst'e nour Committee. Its use is lirvited to official proceetings b your Conwm::'*-¢ and the content moy not b> disclosed to wnautnovized person. nel without the express approval of the FBI . , er a id oO bet re en / HW 55100 Bocld:329899553 Page i177
Bat. THOMAS RIAA of 248 Loran, Denver, who prolaims to be a general | in Army Intelligence, who had forged powers of attorney and cheexs and gotten hold of all the. belonyszings of my son - who was not in Canada - nobody knows where he is and that the police in Boulder and Denver will not give any iaformation about him to his friends or lawyer or the above mentioned “ir, Cerveny. It aprears from my brother's letter that this Mrs. Calia.Tannenbaum is currently free on bail of a Ccharre of Forsyery of last will of an old man Cher friend) who died of cyanide poisoning. "Dear Mr. Werner, I beg of you to tell me what I should do to help my son who as the rumour goes - workeé for the CIA of which I nave no- knowledge and to tell me also where he is‘or whetner ne has met foul olay at the nands of this Mrs. Tannenbaum who apparently is well armed and always carries a gun. ny £ CQ "All this is perfectly dreadful to envisage for me, 1 assure you. I am of respectable middle- class and never had to do with sinilar circumstances. "TI implore you to helo me and advise me as to my son's whereabouts ~ and what I should do. "Thank you in advance. "/s/ Ruth A. Cock" The "Denver Post" newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, contained tio articles in the Sunday edition December 28, 1969 regarding Riha. ‘The first article appeared on pase 1 and is captioned "Silence Shrouds Odd Case Of ilissing CU Professor". The second article appeared on page 36 and it is captioned "Prof. Riha's Disappearance Shrouded in Mystery and Silence". A Kerox copy of each of these articles is attached hereto. This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your ageney; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your asency. Docld: 327989553 Page 176
oe ‘o HW 55100 rpe.soe (Rov, 7-faeb 37 > Riare than nine m nanths ago, a Crecho- slovakian-born associate professor cf Rus- - sian history at the Univer sity of Colerado . falied to apnear to ieach his classes. . Tfe still hasif appeared, Police entered fhe case last April, via . .a mussing person report. Now, though, they sav they aren’t really inferesied in the professor’s disappearance. * Officers say they have-been told by federal agencies that the missing pro- iessor is okay, that no foul play is in-— Volved. But if he’s alive, where is he? And who are these federal agents who ‘reportedly know the scercis of the pre- fesser’s disappearance? Police refuse to Wis friends say.they don’t know where the, professor might, be, His relatives— - te ee ene Docld: 32989553 section E, of § Page i179 (ldcunt Clipping in Space Below) -even his mother in Germany—say they: haven't heard from hix » And, if police do jnow some answers, . they aren’f- passing them, along- to, the nissing Many of those friends are refugees who fled to this “land: of the free” -from the tyranny of Eurcpean countries, And .they- wonder haw a man can disappear. here “jn America. . They remember: ‘as snowy night ‘in Boulder, when a-sereaming ,.woman was carried irom .the proiessox’s home. They remember another - woman, Yes ferred to by the professor as “Colonel, and they remember other things. ‘ | But they don’t have the answers... An that’s what they want. For the strange story of the professor who drepped from sight, turn fo Page 36, ‘ . ' ‘ i professor's fxiends or relatives.. -1 The Denver (indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) | . a, Post —— Denver, Colorado i — - | i } Date: | 2/28/69 Edition: Home i Author: : ! Editor: Palmer Hoyt Tithe: THOMAS RIHA j , | — oe en eens * Character: er Cl  {fication: ‘ ' , Denver C) Being Investlg ‘ed B Submitting Offise: AEN Decie bem ee ee iris
#D-480 (Rey. 7-16-63) eee emer ee eo Dae Tea ye 27a ce m3 rs “ rams) .  inea edhe - Cots flee Ron “PES bs , ariel meee etan ences mantan meres Cee ~ . Clwwnt emma vere? a “2a 8 wd Thome ey Tin Gere PA eae oy macs +, : a t SHE Ye) (. j yy i. con bas JIS af A ane "op cel Nee PSE Gee =) re i od ore WDD Se ed o ’ “ we cme He A j* n fe ened . Seer Ce tee T r feo AA n ten wt orp gee i ; veer i wt he MeN 7 PTE SAAR TETAS EN ins AC ea oN ea oo Me ae! Sie i Ls J a i Tee eee OTT _ te . > TT ga of Stese as ° . {4 ' . 5 SRT AL Sa sl eanraRee b %. Gai be a7 die Uk: L 3 “PRED GILL rEg” Rut which agencies? No one Officers. examined the "denver Posi Siaff Writer will say. grounds and peered througn the! Party on the ia crning of Earlier on that strange , windows of the modest Riha , . ba : ae ott, Dae f , somes as Til nas March morning — 2 Monday -- house at 1055 6th St. in Boul- ew nce Ln + rot ey is . der, where Ri iv- heicteesa stood open amid Prof. Robert Skotheim, who rt, where Kiha had been liv- | pats and vapers scattered on xin ‘his study at ine Uni- rsity of Colorado. is was unusual, for Rina I ‘,28 known as an orderly an a8 canized man, one who didn't Seave things at loose ends. : But unusuia 1 things were oc- ¢ in the life of Rika, 40, ected professor of Rus- wad tela most unustal of these at he was disappearing cro 2 ping cut of sight from his ne, his university, his friends See is relatives. " "Did he do this by his ownl [ “Rossing? Did he want to disap. scar? L “Or, aid something else hap-* . rato Riha? * * Ishe dead? Alive? ‘:4lf he is alive, where is he? “What is he doing? rw &Mystery buffs would believe | at when a university profes- : disappears, police would wg dle for an answer to the Fe seo Dut if police have strug- a there is littie evidence cf ot in (ia sirange case of Riha. 1 . VAS ven ANSW ExsS + A Ponver Pest reporter re- od YLete answers from offi- ‘ingre is talk of other oS ~~ unidentified — re- “wet attha to be “alive and» — somewhere.” __W 55100 ’ ork, + + shared the CU study with Riha, received a telephone call from a woman in Denver. She want-: ed to remind Riha about an im- portant appointment he had that day with the U.S. Immigra-. tion Service in Denver. ‘ kotheim placed a memo tu this effect on Riha’s desk anc left to meet his classes. j At noon, Riha failed to at- - tend a scheduled facully meet- DoclId: 32969553 ing. ' Later that affernoon, a wom- - an telephoned, telling a secre- tary she wanted to pick up Rihe’s briefcase because the professor had been taken to a hospital after being injured in a fall. NEVER APPEARED ; The woman never appeared. No hospital record for Riha ha’ been found. ! ! The concern for Riha really began building when he failed to mect his classes at CU on Tuesday, March 18. A worried ’ CU staff member noiified Mrs. Riha’s attorney, who contacted Bauder, nolice. Se Peeve eed Page 1350 ing alone since his estranged wife moved to a Boulder hotel more than a week before. Po- lice talked to neighbors and, ev- ; idently finding nothing amiss, "soon left. By the end of that week, there still was no information on i ‘Riha’s whereabouts. Bué the ti- tle to his car had been assigned to a Denver couple. And a Boulder real estate firm had received a letter authorizing Riha’s nephew, Zdenek, Cerve- ny, of Denver, to sell’ the Rina” home. On both documents was the signature, Thomas Riha, notarized in Denver. we: wo 4 ie ee (Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) oe "eee. acrnenecnn es, Fone ee y | 36 The Denver Post —  “enver, Colorada Date: Edition: Author: _ | Edttors | Palmer Hoyt Title: THOMAS RIHA H E Character: 12/28/69 Home or” Classification: ; Submitting Office? = Danyer B C) Being Investigated VAR AR 8 ARRON Caetano Cinnraenterie wk
ee nates som ammet he  P ne em ems oe Saat MY andere etree he Wea? Gans 7 THOMAS RIHA, PROFESSOR OF RUSSIAN HISTORY “We've been teld not to worry,” Boulder officer says. wee 7 Fine ee we gees . LAI MS aD a Ele le aa oh ne vag F ‘o ~ sat et t this same time, C td . ‘ \ Bika, met Hana Hruskova, 24,. . ‘ Ps . Riha’s art works, appvicid atim New York City snorny beforet $19,605, known to have becn inthe Wis house ihS previous week, rested in a workreom at the ienver Art Museum and were ok a group of profersars! 4 ‘or tour of Tlussia ia the sum! mer of 1663. Ou his return to the United States later that sum- vecorded officially as a gift to (mer, Ria again + v Hana, in the museum from a Denver woman. this country on a student visa from her homeland in Czecho- also In the next two months, most|S!ova of Riha’s household possessions | 45 kia. Riha, then 3s. of Czech crigin, becoming and the books and papers in hi 3a naturalized U.S. citizen and L { or ren meee, an neri abba eeneahs 3S office had been {ransferred to a{* house in Denver. His home in Boulder had been sold. Letters and checks appeared, signed ‘Thomas Rina. His eredit card: ‘vas used for the purchase of several thousand dollars in merchandise in the Denver area. One of the typed letters, dated March 30 and signed with eceiving his university educa- tion in this country... . 2. On Oct. 13, 1968, Wana and Thomas were marricd in a late afternoon ceremony at the Uni tarian Church in Boulder. At < wedding reception that evening at the Black Bear Inn in Lyons, Colo, Thomas obviously was overjoyed. Crossing his arms Riha’s pame, was postmarked}and clasping them at tne elbow April § at Montreal, Quebec.|as if rocking a cradle, fe went This letter was sent to a Boul-{around the room calling out ex- der insurance agency, request-|Uberantly that the marriage ing cancellation of an insurance|Was “for all life” policy on Riha’s Volkswagen, Among ithe reception gucsts _ yhich the writer said had beenjwas a Denver woman — re. , sold. ferred to later by Riha as ° But were the signatures really }“Colone!” — with whom Riha those of Riha? PROPERTY QUESTION discussed at lengta the bring? 3] of his nephew, Cerveny, 1: It’s the handling of Riha’s|this country. Cerveny ihen wes! property, including the works|in Vienna after fleeing from’ > of art, that particularly bothers|Prague in Russian-occupied the professor's friends and rela-|Czechoslovakia. tives, including his mother In| ADMITTED TO U.S. Germany. They claim he About a month later, Cerveny wouldn’t give up some of his|was admitted on temporary Jpossessions, that they were too|status to the United States as a dear to him. "(Czech refugee, through ar- On Sept. 30, Riha was divorced |rangements which Cerveny said from his wife, Hana, on her were entirely normal and rou- counterclaim of cruelty. Rihaltine. . vrasn’t in court. Before the di- Riha’s plans for a marriage ¢ ‘ gs i , - : . : : Yorce was granted, Riha’s attor-lefor all life’ didn’t take root. riey questioned the authenticity) snotiering for him and his wife of letters he had been receiving} were avents at their home early wilh Riha’s signature. The lawyer urged a court clarifica- on the morning of March 9. At about 12:30 a.m., guests tion of the: attorney’s respon- were leaving a party at the sibilities toward Riha so that the home of cu Prafossor Richard professor’s legal rights wouldn’t) ang yirs. Wilson, next do to be “permanently and UNnjJUSUY|the Rihas. One of the gu °s, weuiiend 3 sacrniiea.? : ~__| Professor Robert Hanson, “Mrs. Riha standing at a floor window in her home flailing her arms and eryir help. iSnow was still on the g as Hanson raced to the house and pulled Mrs. R.*< ‘fie window. A strong © +~ :what he thought was & 0 ‘form ¢elung heavily ‘9 + | Riha. wes With the aid of * pson tok tic Gir " ’ Mees Tas Ww far urd We ates, ue che es
f- — = o . ve . ‘ Tal eee Cal S062 . .yty the Noh nouse, POMeanT! Dwi Jas J. Dor; . Siang, who eak, . ‘odo Guaed by an. a Hina house. ab ragart, the of tha aaa met them ina front, youre and taid iham, s bedrooia, from Ww i ate aes Wore comin ng. Sue te nd Rika threarened to break he bec H Gosr, ihe woman sid, Mos. Riha went to the 4 oad Snerien sexes 4 ial capacity: : g Ay co wih: vasn’s a US. citizen, “That “er visa hed exvired and that cad immigracic Hh auchoritios in menver had baea called. “Asked for har ideniification, : ne woraan said it Was in her | uiside ihe Riha :! ey vat : Q Sk Ho} coule _procuce NW 55100 eee eee ee ES jest BE Bocld: 32999553 cers found Mas. Rika | tn an evi | Apparenily terrilied, Mrs.., Cant trav iRiha took frova her purse tr aumatic state.’ } Atier tai with Mrs. Ria! Regosin’s business card and ‘he officers roti ‘sed to her "ples for somesne to call him. hone, where fi v found a jar of} Tne call was Mace, with Mrs, ether ead SeVerar CUACHSOLKAC tntha s So: bbiag as she tol i Rego- gence pad ?s jn the bodeovers in (4 what had happens “a Also her bed reso items later 22s Wih Regosin during the were turned over to her iralf-aour coaversaiton were - Boul- ; der altorazy, Gerald Caplan, + ‘Wilsoa, ITanson and Patroiman . Dorsey, After tic call was com * > we Ask ures astteaantias > . “Hav ng eves isated {hts ‘pleted, alice laff Mrs. Rika in mance wy OVER AN HOUr &2G the custody af the Hansons, who finding no evidence of foul. iogk her brief ly to the Riha olficers said in their GOW. ay » tha piny, we I Nivs. Riha home to get some of her = Alt ne *: * * , report, “we advised Mrs. Rh sciothes, They then accompan- to return noma, “pet assured her she did not have to.” A police check that same morning with the National Crime |: cated Mrs, Riha wasn’t among, persons in the United Stales Het: legaily, the oificers said. F Tri iied her to the Boulderado Iis- t ‘el, where she stayed until she loft Boulder with her aunt ‘tApril 5 ior New York City. Information Center indi- viSA NOT INVOLVED Recalling this middic-of-the- ight telephone conversation, Regosin said the trouble at the sis was the substance of thel:! :Riha heme that night “had e ficers’ report, acc coording io 7 nothing to do with Mrs. Riha’s Police Capt pi wah d Spier of [visa siaius, comme decli “lined io per- he There was nothing urgent otter to examine ? zbout her stetus, nothing press- the reports Ho x relayed verbally 1 ng, no imminent deportation,” only these pa: “is of the report ; Re gosin said. . t tin Rogosia said he was told b/- “ke considered pertin ont, saying the rest consisted of “personal 'Mrs. Riha durin 2 the telephon2 coramenis of ihe officers.” icall that night that she had gon2 In New York City, where she: is employ sed at a bank,. Mrs.! "Riha -said rece. oy y toat the Ard Mrs. Wilson spoke of angry voices rising in. ‘the ent REY way te her home as her hus- ‘'y ; ether in her room came from: band confronted Riha wild ¥ was re ¥ he bedr demanding that his wife be sent da oe 's.or under the bedroom ihack te his home. *. -- "| Riha’s voice was “angry, ‘bek ligerent and frightened” as he told Wilson that ihe woman , who had called ‘police was . | an intelligence agent of tae WS Army, that she was armed aired tho Wilsons were in dange i they didn’t iciurn his wife, Mrs. Wilson said. Wilson firmniy re- fused this demand, or¢cring Ri- ‘tha out of his house shorily be fore polis: arrived. In 2 2 am. emergency rele. phions cali made at the Wilsor - wee wt home, Mrs. Rika talked fk ane ‘morning with David Leposin, a longtime friend and attor.ey ia INew % UL ‘ity, <6 > ODOR SPRONG ito bed and began to sense a The cdor of ether cling ex istrange odor, As it became . to Mrs. Riha was so str Fong that {S'Tonger, she became very Up- windows in the Wilson house ‘Sel and started screaming, think- hed to be opened, ‘Mrs. Wis ci ing ng she was being overcome by ‘recalled. ; | some ‘chemical. Cone See Page 1352 and’s Ver ‘disan yething unu- seid sey lotee , nis writing ' Her “hash pea ance was “son sual,” Mrs, jiaa his shiwving nial stuff, even suit(s). Wve shot heare from Lith at au, “om the time he disavpoare | Aratsed from s sleep by a tole! I hone call on the nivvtit of the léis iuiroanea at Uae hiha home has John L. ‘facd, district die |: | eek oO sy yates eae ad hee nie ee ee eee rector of the U.S; Immigration snd Naturalization Service  * (INS S) in Denver. ' ' The call concerned the dis-! turbance, Todd‘said in a re-! cent interview. ' . 1 “T dont reeall who it came: ‘from and what was sak. . ‘The caller was informed thet eppropriate inquiries would b2: raade.’ ' CALLED NEPHEW v On the night of Aa: lRiha was in Denver a phoned his nephew to -fand see him, Cerveny rey s Mh i id 7 vas jnenhew, said. This was the lxst itime he saw his uncie, Cerveny ‘said. | On the night of Sunday, March 16, Cerven said, a Den- ver woman telephoned far and said Riha was gone and Cidn’t. have a chance to talk to tim. Cerveny was told he Iould be hearing fromm Riha end would gei his uneie’s pov- ier of aiterney. He alsa sali he Iwas advised to say that he pknew where his uncle had gone jand ine Riha’s leaving remined from his impending divorce, SIGNATURE IN DOUBT The signature, Thomas appears on at les ist tarea inents witnessed in Danve two notaries public aler his dis sappearance. Shown a set ci six photographs, among which vas a recent photo of Riha, the notaries coulin’t pick out Riba, as the person who signed the - papers. Received in Goulder and’: ‘Denver otter Riha’s ci spies lance, letters signed with i. ‘x2 contain glarins Pest ib, , some awkward geen matical exnres.t0 is bbe ti. accurate address ef te A Jetler written in ‘tus “3 nephew dees. y 7 aee ga ie we OF
G . sw 7 : rere ait Cs & ~ ; z ‘ 1 -+ ; biel an G ana bad piel orfucuonis’ inj ng his writ-l 2 aig a treatises ethy we of the nuances 2 tongue, as well as sa, Russian, Ger- n, each of tuenily. heya many perplex- : ations, oztieiakdom Lom IR too interested in find- ssoned to Riha Gui Vague assur- nas salty or Cenials} Jany imowledge of ine man. Ne - a raonth afler Riha Ssurneared, Di. Joseph Smi- ~ "x, thea presicent of CU, said) tscted “relicble sources” ington and was teld ina was safe, wut was un-: “fe io learn where the profes-- “2 was or the circumstances: ) wins disappearance. 4 , Ps past week, a CU spokes-| me said there’s been no fs finer inquiry about Rina a:. et hovel of the university ad-i vk Jnistration. J In Boulder, Captain Spier | HS! “My understanding is that aa. disapeared of his own ac- svd-or had to~and there is | iw westing time looking-for f..a just as a missing person.' +ure’s £0 suspicion of foul play : ty oa pss in Boulder: “ Ne ve bee * ,f «by ‘an agency’) rot to i ece8, Dab when we talk to | ~ .»5 Isiends and associates: . i ety the facts, they don’t “oi up logically, ‘and we get est et .otdhG aan? d io identify the oY viuch provided the as- ke zhout Riha. win Curveny filed a missing "8 Teusrt on his uncle Oct. sauder police had noth- Saud on the Riha disap’ pee ia their files, Buzicke, iiss Joyce Lebra | 2 professor of history! ‘s that about 1% * Riha disappeared,’ ‘ o4 b Mur CU professors oS itetmation about “a “Pulte “to HY 55100 v. Wak Was faar to. anpyet ‘ 313 Tero: sl seholaviv 1 jthis report. Docld: 32989553 wider “Siemon Donald ips, who fied out a form at iia Lebra home. Miss Lebra iseid she has heard nothing from iBowlger police aller making Carveny says Denver Detec- “ve Phillip Villalovos told him ite ha 8 be en informed that “xe: [te Soliee be Separtment isn able to proceed with the search for Riha. : Denver police, Detective Aiike el Aliegretio says, encouraged ! Cerveny io file a missing per 1 |sons complaint on Riha Oct. 28' with Boulder police. “The next day,” Allegretto Said, “Boulder police told us ¢ that the FBI isid them to forge: avout Rika, because they knew! where he was and that he way! lelive and well.” PBI POSETION But the FBI here insists it hasa’t jurisdiction in the case. This was de etermined when two inquiries were made as the re- suit of anonymous phone calls received here by ihe FBI April 3 and again in September, John 7. Morley, ‘charge, says. Pe assistant agent " ' Inquiries made by the FBI, | Morley said, were based on the ‘fact that a man had been re: lporied missing “under unusuar circumstances.” “We've placed no restrictions on any other investigative agen- cies in the area to determine if there is any violation over which they may have Iccal in- vestigalive jurisdiction (in the Riha case),” Morley said. , - “We know nothing about Pin J }(Riha),” a Central Intelligence | Agency (CIA) spokesman in ‘ ‘Denver said. “As far as we * know, Riha left voluntarily. We: have ‘nothing to do with the man. He has no contact with our agency.” , However, CU Professor Ste- phen Fischer-Galati reported he was told by the CIA cays last > Page 183 tad left April that Rina was safe aud|mother, Mrs. Ruth Ann Cock, voluntarily. Fischer- jseexi.g information abou. hay Galati also said he wrote taejson. The leiter was directed U.S. Justice Department April} personally to Scolt Werner, FBT 7 and was told “ he matter has! agen in charge here. She hasn't been referred to proper govern-|heard from her son. ment authorities.” As they spoke warmly of NO REPLY Riha just recently, his close - He has received no reply toffriends — many of thera refs. & Dec, 6 letter, directed to the! seas from Eurone — seemed! same department, Fischer- [16 be irying to build with words Galati said. the frage of the man they Also disclaiming eny knowl-|wanted to see again: edge of ihe Riha case is Todd) “Riha felt positively rnare 4 of the immigration service jAmorican... as a Czech. He (INS) here. [have quite bitter memory as a “I know nothing about Riba,” | youth of the German occupa- Todd said. tion (during World Wer 1). But a close friend of Riha’s|Riha probably developed a ceep says he contacted the INS twice| sympathy for the Russian lib- dbout Rina—once in May or |erators. But he missed the part June, when he was told that Ri-twhen the Communists take cover ia was alive; and the second] (pecause he had come to mow ‘ime in the fall, when he asked|his home in the U.S. by this whether Riha still were aliveltime), and there was no answer. At} “go simple a man, he coul3 this time, Riha’s friend said, he! fit any place. was told by the INS “not to be “He was very illusionary . interested” in the Riha case. |an idealistic dreamer... ¢ H0- US. Army Military Intelli- | eral-thinking man. But Ide: _ he gence ‘‘has never been cfficial-lwas a syrpathizer of com- ly involved in the Riha case,’ lrnunism. He was a man who | said Col. Lynn Fritchman, com-| adored everything that was ira. manding officer, U.S. Army Re-| ditionally rational. gron 4, Military Iniclligence | “Riha was.a very reliable Group in Denver. man. You could build a cathe- ‘Riha’s friends don’t-know!l d«a1 on his word.” what to believe—hoping the Another friend said of Rika: ‘yague assurances they have re- ‘He was an extremely onen lceived are valid and that Rihalman. He made the impressio? lis alive and well. But they |of an absolute:; ‘ree man . ... don’t know. not scared of anything. He hai ‘MOTHER WRITES made it in life. He was a io) Many of them came to this|professor in his line . country from totalitarian iyran-|healthy . . . a fantastic cook. nies in Europe, and they ask:|His art pieces were valued in “How can it happen, especially|ithe thousands. He had a Lig I- in this country, that a man can|brary. He was a charming man, disappear and nothing can bel “Riha was a nihilist, an aine- known about him for almost alist who jus: yearned for some year?” kind of...” From Germany early this Riha’s friend paused, consid- month came a letter written tolered, and then, quite simply, the FBI_in Denver by Riha’s| added the one wor a. “God. ” awe ene ene. + are ne ee
UNITED STAVES GOVERNAIENT wetere A . af, Mohr —_—___ i SOE LIOR INNM ¥ au , Bishop — 5 Memorandum , se | . allchen WW a Conrad —_ i aA Felt — gq fo ‘Mr. D. Jd. Brennan, dre 7h DATE: 1/13/70 Sole ————— i x s ie Sullivan — 4 2 AN 2 . Tavel rs ROM °: §.-d. Papich: . 5 s fe oa VV : UBJECT: THOMAS “RIHA . - 2 INTERNAL SECURITY - CZECHOSLOVAKIA See at Ba CSE Nat Sake runes elena ere reek a Lee \whien could be characteri av Z2eG as F 1 SN AYRE — Seton wrteteghe {PUNO , thet the subject. was. experiencing marital diificu ties . jana hed deft his wife, The Agency does not have any information - concerning subject's present whereabouts, fae ACTION: The above information is being directed’ to the attention of the Sino~Satellite Section. if - 2 = iv. Gray Cir. Redfield) van il - Lisison \f #4 Le- is, Papich i ¢ SIP sym [i 3.1K ~ + REO-3 Se oe f’ his document ts prepored m response to your request and ts not for dissent. nation ovtciva nour Comnvittee, Its use is limited to off 4a? nroreedtig. "3 your Cosm*'" @ and the coatent may not be désclosed to unauthorized oS nel without the express approval of the FBI . OEE PESO A 18 ‘sit . aati’ . woe ky — er sO, y TORR appr ps oranges pe EY 0 mmm es FEL OE renee ‘HW 55100 DacTd:32989553 Page 184 «, s ey ener meee * 7
2 ° ” & . 4 ns 5010~106 He . _ : a aa ome ain ; 5 / } “} . “ogee t an oe UNiLED STATES CV ERNMENT Lk ~ Mr. DeLoach Memorandum 1 Me. Bishos L- Mr. HMaimfeldt ro : Hr. W. C. Sullivan ; | 5? DATE: January 13, 1970 er i - Mr. Sullivan or 1 —-~ Liaison Soyars TROM : A, We Gray 7]! 3 lL ~ Mr. Gray Tele. Ream —— C 1 - Hr. Redfieid Gandy SUBJECT: ‘THOMAS RIHA INFORMATION CONCERNING 7 rf ye “s (SINO-SATELLITE) rire Recommend attached letter be sent Attorney General (AG) regarding letter 1/8/69 to him from Congressman Donald G. Brotzman, Republican, Colorado, referred to us concerning di sappearance of also. “recommend representative of Mr. Bishop's office od Dg gz S DQ wy Ss & subject. S 88 personally ; appri. se" ‘Congressman of facts, Brotzgman, formerly SE United States Attorney Denver, 1959-1962; relations cordial. QE Congressman requested information from AG by Wil Nae si § concerning subject's disappearance from Boulder, Colorado,” 3/69, SS He noted Riha may have disappeared because of "domestic complica- Bay tions.'' He stated he asked Bureau for report as to what had been Ss 8 done to locate subject. He wrote that Bureau advised, aside from £88 | preliminary inquiries, no-investigation conducted. On 12/31/69 s.$3,, Mr. Bishop did advise Congressman's office FBI had conducted no 3. SE investigation of disappearance, Since no indications of violation Se8oe of federal law in our jurisdiction. Congressman stated during ose course of Similar inquiries, CIA advised it had no jurisdiction ne Si but understood FBI had looked into matter and might well know a 8. whereabouts of subject and circumstances involved. We did inguire 28 of CIA through Liaison on 4/15/69 to determine if they had any 8 interest in subject. They did not. & Subject, born 4/17/29, Prague, Czechoslovakia, entered United States 1947; naturalized US citizen 12/52; served US Army 1953-1955; attended Moscow University 6/58~-9/59; prior to dis- appearance was prefessor of Russian history, University af Colorado, Boulder, We have. no information concerning Riha's whereabouts and have conducted no investigation to locate. CIA advised Liaison 1/13/70 Congressman was told CIA was not investigating subject and not using him in any capacity. CIA suggested he might check with local police and FBI, but did not tell him FBI was eae r a is propered in re "2 vou Coryunittee REC. 94 ; / + Benen In 12/69 Denver received letter from subject's mothe requesting information concerning son's disappearance s-Demmesy 40 Office replied this was matter not within jurisdiction of Bureas 70 however, offered if she so desired to place his name on-Bureau's pissing persons list. SAC, Denver, advised reply received from” ~ [phot hex 1/13/70 declining to have subject's name placed on list. your Conuni'tce and the co; nel without the express This document nation outsir ’ Tres TO, A Bar my va . Bohs sn Phelogure 4a Lm~LE mG COR 75. OR! JWR: km 4 mo CONTINUED - OVER ° ; AW 55100 , Desi 32989553 Page 185 eh
— Acie ' Memorandum te sir. W. C. Sullivan RE: THOMAS RIBA ACTION: (1) That approval be granted for attached letter to AG providing him with these facts and advising him that a representative of the Bureau will personally inform the Congressman of them on 1/14/70, 4 = . (2) That a representative of Mr. Bishop's office personally contact the Congressman and provide him with these facts. y wa [iad rr iL f a o wy get Ai / . AV hg ye} : ‘ om 78 » P fee “a \ x i? , £4 TT if a x } wi Le frevanaset. rainttthin adie’ ceded speed ma EE re, «5 ie ees oy 4 . . . G . ‘Geebex } che ened ofearend fg Aamtrtatiodvera ls on gee divabern cpm . Le HW 55100 ~ 2- Docld: 329895535 Page 166
t . FD-350 (Rev. 7-16-03) oO oo — — —— _ ” : a > . “ (Mount Clipping in Space Below) CR ADIT a ' 3 SGR'S FATE A MYSTERS TR AS agd Jy wid Gbrer f na t BARS FO . FR OF wey wed Steck 3 a a” 3 ok aD (BH PEE PON GIO terry BE mE OREN oe ety | | | ‘pee Bb Od Rw ad Le’ Reo ese WON kd Wg wo 1 {Inercare poege, name of newspeper, city ane state.) _ By FRED GILLIE ~ Wtateter of Rika’s property and, a-resporse from ithe Us-axey Deseo Post Sutf Writer le -. end oo Fs wht a have ‘rey general who has been re- Denver Dist. Atty. Mike Mc-'eppeared. signed Thomas Rrha. | quested to look into the ciscrep- ¥ ome of these letters have aj, ancies between official state onireal, Quebec, postmark. [ments of federal agencies and Inquiries at the national level!apparently contradictory state- de by Rep. Donald ments which persons interested R-Colo. To date.: in Riha received from these di,agencies shortly after he disap- Kevitt said Wednesday his staff S is conducting an ‘‘extensive in- M vestigation” into the mysterious disaprearance of Thomas Riha, are being ma tniversity ef Colorado profes- G. Brotzman. : sor. and is coordinating its ef-|Brotzman said he has receive forts with widening probes of iTesponses from three agencies: | peared. the Denver and Boulder Police! --The FBI. which says it } At that time, some of Riha’s Departments and the Boulder hasn't and won't conduct an in- ‘friends said they received as- district attorney. | vestigation of Riha’s disappear- surance from federal agencies At the reauest of The Denyer ‘ance unless someone comes for- that they knew where Riha was Post. inquiries about Riha also! Werd to indicate that a federal and that he was “alive and are being continued with fed-| offense is likely to have been ‘Were , en mae han ous er, acknowledge it has fe- migration officials. ceived several inquiries about: RUSSIAN HISTORY :Riha. . Riha, 40, a highly respected —The Central Intelligence fc professor of Russian history, ‘Agency (CIA), which said it was officially listed as missing. thinks the FBI might have some’ March 17 when he failed to knowledge of Riha's where- appear af his office where his abouts. The CLA spokesman said briefcase stood open amid the agency considered the mat- books and papers on his desk, ‘er when it received inquiries On the same day, Riha’s  !@8t March and April and veri- neized art works resied in a led that Riha’s disappearance workroom at the Denver Art, mt have international impli.’ Museum, the gift of a Denver|C2#0"S and “was a domestic | .Wwoman who museum officials matter, in terms of the United say didn’t mention Riha as the states.” Inquiries directed to the owner of the art works. CIA were turned over to the ’ Less -than two weeks later, FBI, the spokesman added. He -the litle to Riha’s car had been said the CIA has no direct ‘assigned to a Denver couple. knowledge or reports of a rumor And within two months of his which has -come to its attention: 1disappearance, his home in saying that Riha is ‘‘somewhere: 2 The Denver Post Denver, Coloradc PROMI oe Date: 1L- L4 - 70 Edition: Home Author: Fred Gillies Editor: Palmer Hoyt Title: ‘D) THOMAS RIHA A Character: Is - CZ or Classification: L Os - 415 L Submitting Office: Denver CJ Being Investigated 1 Boulder had been sold. on the East Coast.” MGNTREAL POSTMARK —The U.S. Army Intelligence and, which says it has no- Denver » on, Command, S ; { . enver and Boulder Jaw en personal knowledge of the Riha forcement authorities have in- ne sae : * dicated that much of their effort, °#5° ° direct or indirect in- involves exami vatio, ihe or yolvement, nor any knowledge. ious Gaetmonte “avolve d ‘ var _s£-facts surrounding Riha’s dis- a cg in ie appearance. .Bretzman said he is cavaiting JOS - Piva 2? —s ee . ‘ —_ an eed ee Urey yee Sa 53. Page 167
. . . ee kt ~ - etter wt ncitahinnititt eo, canaatneannsecnenians amiss ORY anal we an NE . a ar “i . ° - meine 1 - Mr. peLoach NALS 1 « Mx. Bishop phe Attorney general y af ganuary 14, 1970 wih oo .. | cf ‘4 - Hr. Malateidat LAS 4 wt i i 1 - Mr. sullivan Director, FBI ‘| L- piaisen 1 ~ Hr. geatiele : THOMAS RIVA ‘ TIPORMATION CONCERRING f \ . it peference 4g made to letter dated ganuary 8, i i970, addressed to you from congressman ponald G. Broteman, R883) Colorado, a2 CORY of which is atzached with qts encLosure.- ee? i The Congressmen yad asked for reply by january 14> 19790. sOe $ 7 Sseg: On December 31, 1069, pursuant to the congressman's SSR: Enquiry s thig Bureau ndvised lit. gobert Fons LNE » his SPS | administrative Bide, that the BI had eonducted no inves tiga= ease. tick concerning the disappearance an March, 1969, of Ea S 82s3: Rina y professor > University OF Colorado, poulder, Colorade, - § tO'8 t since there were no anaications of a violation of feceral laa eSS§ within its jurisdiction. This Gerceu has To. gpformation 8 8 a concerniDg Riha'’s whereabouts and has conducted no investiga See tion to Locate nim. on Aprit 15, 1969, we Gig inquire of Sars the central qatelligence Agency if they, had any gnterest in. ae Rina. They dia nots : =e ER S38 g n December » y959, our penver office received & apa ee Letter from Rina’s mother requesting jnformation concerning wes e rer son's disappearance « She Was advised this qag a matter =a¥8 3 not within the jurisdiction of the FBI. She was told, howevers SS £0) wat if she so aesired his nane would pe placed on the FBI's 2 &S Ht Wiissing yersous jist. She replied on january 13, 1970, and &S 3 i ajeclined to have his name placed on ene List. ©33 = ghe Central intelligence Agency advised this Bureau a _ Gn January 13, 1079, that Congressman Brotzman Upon qnquiry eo § of them had been advised that Agency was not anvestigating Rihees = and not using his in any capacivy central Intelligence Agency&8- had suggested be check with the socal police and the FBI put xe ret did not ceil the congressman the FBI was qnvestigating subject.2° § ne gF.. A representative of the Bureau will personally contac 1970, and apprise hin cf congressman Brotzman on January 14, ‘ooo the above facts. \ .? _ _ . / : LL , : ' om eee FP . . . pp it of “ ry a Enclosures = a 7 Vi Q j\ “ ott — ry a a aw aw! mR . P a VMs NOTE pAGE TWO “3. " Se nmecesanng 440099553 PF * . Chi 7 y
The Attorney General 4 oo. 4 HW 55100 foe memorandum A, W. Gray to Mr, W, C. Sullivan, Gated 1/12/76, captioned as above, prepsred by JWRikml, Ths enclosures attached to the AG letter have been Neroxed Since the originnl Letter to the AG bore Pureay acninistrative markines, Py BA San J. Papich. ‘SEK Act’ 6 (1) (A) # Oe as, aa a ea weg Taeretin . MS te Oak a ae Toe Sa he Po woos . . . TOT emt Docld: 32989553 Page 159 wtnchdleente = Eee oe er ee
Srey aye 4 oe < . . ae Fates ’ \ » Mr. “Seo we a LONALD G. BI ¥ . Mr. pe Toae fee oe m gunners © -@ OOTY, ? ey Walters —* re OM MITT “ aN “<a RG a AN ‘ peg en # ‘\ 3ishop -—--—-- INFERS TT oMidit AO OUE PBA at wD V3 east “85 ne JSS ; g yw ys Caspet —— —— BUDCOMMITIES ON COMMUNICATIONS ‘ . Mr. Callahan ——— NO POWLR ” . pat ‘ ouge of Representatives t |r. cool Fz Mr. Fe Washington, B.€. 20515 | Me. Gate AE Mr. Rosch (A4— Mr. Sulli pai! — January 8, 1970 Mr. Tayél ——— mae Mr. Soyars ————— OF FICE 2 OF % Tele. Room - R Miss Holmes ——— . ECEIVEL Miss Gandy ———— y Attorney General John N. Mitchell ' A + Department of Justice JAN 4 2 1976 : i Constitution Avenue we Mut Washington, D.C. 20530 7 AMD, wa a ORNEy cENEy ee \ Dear Mr. Attorney General: Seay vecinanrne ete 2 Me & wate seoryenr nek Enclosed is a photocopy of an article which was published’ by the Denver Post on December 28, 1969. I have been requested by the Denver Post and friends of Dr. Riha, ses who is a constituent of mine, to do everything possible &sss to assist in either locating the Professor or in determin- gies | ing additional facts about his disappearance. #258 e828 Sec3s ; It seems to me that the interest of the nation in general “S58 i and the credibility of the FBI in particular is not well Seo RSG served by the proliferation of a belief that Professor Riha sess i is the victim of some kind of international intrique, if Sats. such is not the case. gaQge | Ress ‘ 2d : : : . . : . Q2es a j Despite the implications found in the Denver Post article, SS Ss. : I think it is quite possible that Professor Riha left gS Sn Boulder because of domestic complicationge TiC te GE Rip AS. * ER AL ie if “e. Fig 3 Si oS > > Q In this spirit I last week asked the FBI feo! “provide me; ere 2 ' oS either formally or informally, with a report on what the S58 x ; pa Bureau has done to locate Professor Riha:; SI was Ni $976 my ces I > > w& last Friday that, aside from a file of inquiri es made in by Pave ‘aD Professor Riha's behalf, the Bureau has eee ggto mea er eo ix Ie x s hs the matter and is not conducting in uiriesy Se : = 3S aan I so ink grined the Denver Post. “) it GF ile “ESE : ne : a, : ( “ 2 2 : oY} “NEO BY - . . F. ald wa «ES aS Ye (However, in the course of similar iri Sys aA é S 3° mm = ros federal agencies &“s : s x3 $ 2 SS : — Se ie | 8g8 ren S Professor Riha and the. circumstances behind disappearances? SOG GERD O ag JAN 19 1970 . cont / sreseweunt Page 19590
. . . f' @D.: @. : a ses “n ne . eee ae y. w+ . : _ Attorney General Mitchell January 8, 1970 Page 2 I now appeal to you to look into the matter and at least provide me with guidance. I am convinced that the speculation will only grow in intensity, and I can see no good purpose in hiding behind a jurisdictional facade if the Professor's current status can be explained in a straightforward manner. Your response by Wednesday, {January 14 would be deeply appreciated. Very truly yours, £ f \ Donald G¥-Brotzman Member of COBIEESS_.n ‘ ne Enclosure oe oo Werke . 5 OOF eT wae oO eh setae Ny © Seteamsrntetinim tthe | BW 55100 Docld:32989553 Page 191 AD
Ny HW 55100 fant 4 Docld: 32989553 a we RESPECTED CU TEAC... a 4 By PREBRILLIES DenverPost Staff Writer Early on the morning of March 17, Prof. Thomas Rtha’s briefcase stood open amid woks and papers Scattered on be desk in hus study at the Uni- éersity of Colorado. This was unusual, for Piha was known as an orderly and organized man, one who didnt leave things at lnose ends. But unusual things were c+ curring in the life of Riha, 40, a respected professor of Rus- sian history at CU. The most unusual of these was that he was disappeamng —~ dropping out of sight from bss home, hus university, his frienus end his relatives. Did he do this by his own choosing? Did he want to disap- pear? Or, did something else hap- pen to Riha? Is he dead? Alive? lf he is alive, where is he? What is he doing? Mystery buffs would believe that when a university profes- Sor disappears, police would struggle for an answer to the riddle. But if pahcee have strug- gled, there Is little evidence of it In the strange case of Riha. YAGUE ANSWERS A Denver Post reporter re_ celved vague answers from offi- cers, There is talk of other agencies — unidentified — re- porting Riha to be “ahve and well” — someshere. But which agencies? No one will say Earlier on that strange March morning — a Monday — Prof. Robert Skotheim, who shared the CU study with Rina teceived a telephone call from a woman in Denver. She want- ed to remind Riha about an im- portant appointment he had that day with the U.S. Immigra- tion Service in Denver. Skotheim placed a memo to this effect on Riha’s desk ard left to meet his classes. At noon, Riha failed to at- tend a scheduled faculty ment- ing. Later that afternoon, a wom- an telephoned, telling a secre tary she wanted to pick up Riha’s briefcase because the professor had been laken to a fospital after being injured ina fall, NEVER APPEARED The woman never appeared No hospital record for Riha has been found. The concer for Riha reafiy " began building when he failed: to meet his classes at CU on Tuesday, March 18 A worried CU staff member notified Mrs. Riha’s atlorney, who contacted Boulder police. Page 192 ) a Prof-Riha’'s Disappearance Shrouded in Mystery and Silence Oheces oxsnuaed the grounds and peered through the windows of the modest Riha house at 1055 6th St. in Boul- der, where Riha had been liv. ing slone since his estranged wife maved to 2 Box'der hofel more than a week before. Po- lice talked to neighbors and, ev- idently finding nothing amiss, soon feft. By the end of that week, there still was no information on Riha's whereabouts, But the ti tle to his car had been assigned to « Denver couple, And a Boulder real estate firm had received a letter authorizing Rsha’s nephew, Zdenek Cerve- ny of Denver, to sell the Riha home. On bor documents was ihe signature, Thomas Riba nolar ed in fermen, AU this same time some of Rika s art works. appraised at $19,605, known to have been in his house the previous week, rested in a workroom at the Denver Art Museum and were recorded officially as a gift to the museum from a Denver woman, In the next two months, most tof Riha’s household possessions sand the beoks and papers in his potlice had been transferred to 2 house in Denver His home in Boulder had been sald. Letters arm! checks appeared, signed Thomas Riha. His credit card was used for the purchase of several thousand dollars in merchandise in the Denver area. One of the typed letters, dated March 30 and signed with Riha’s name. was postmarked Apri! 8 at Montreal, Quebec Thrs Ietter was sent to a Boul- der insurance agency, request- tg cancellation of an msurance polfey on Riha’s Volkswagen. which the writer said had been soid. But were the signatures realiy those of Riha? PROPERTY QUESTION hs the handling of Rihas property, including the works of art, that particularly bothers the professor's friends and rela- tres, including his mother in Germany, They elaim he wourdnt give up some of his peeseystons, that they were to der to him. On Sept. 30, Riha was divorced ‘from his wife, Hana, on her counterclaim of cruelty. Riha wasnt in court. Before the di- aree was granted, Rina’s atter- ey questioned the authenticity of fetters he had been receiving with Rihas signature, The lawver urged a court charificas ‘uon of the attorney's respon: stbitities taward Raha so that the »professor’s legal rights wouldn't be “permanently and unjusily saveificed ‘ i H ‘ 4 4 ' < ’ teeT UR DENVER fost duntey Dec de .t83 Sa Pree oe ” « por de a ee «ot we yy oe SED , al OUTER SP erY ne AOE, F ARNTEAY AERA KAA AEy THOMAS RIHA, PROFESSOR OF RUSSIAN ISTORY ’We ve been told not to worry soulder off cer says. _o_ ae —— -
ae we @ , a yr" J . # 55100 Docld: 329689553 Page 193 } Yuna met Hana lruskova 44, in New York City shortly before the took a group of professors jon a tour of Russia fn the sum- mer of 1968. On his return to the United States Iaer that sum: met, Riba again saw Hana, in, this country on a student visa from her homeland in Czecho- slovakia. Riha, then 39. also was of Czech origin, becoming a naturalized U.S, citizen and, receiving Sis university educa-1 tion in this country. { On Oct, 13, 1968, Hana and* 'Thomas were married {na late! ‘afternoon ceremony al the Unr, tarian Church in Boulder. At ai wedding receplion that ev-.ning lst the Black Bear Inn in Lyons, ‘Colo,, Thomas obviously was [overjoyed, Crossing ms arms jend clasping them at the ellow ‘og if rocking a cradle, he went ‘around the room calling ou! ex- tuberantly that the marriage was “for alll life.” Among the reception guesis wes a Denver woman — re- vferred to later by Riha as “Colonel” — with whom Rihs discussed at length the bringing of his nephew, Cerveny, to this country. Cerveny then was in Vienna after fleeing from Prague in Russian-occupied Czechoslovakia. ‘ADMITTED TO U.S. About a month later, Cerveny was admitted on temporary status to the United States as a Czech refugee, through ar- rangements which Cerveny said were entirely normal and rou- tine. Riha’s plans for a marriage “for all life’ didn’t take root. Shatlering for him and his wife were events at their home early on the morning of March 9. At about 12:30 a.m., guests twere ieaving a party at the ‘home of CU Professor Richard and Mrs. Wilson, next door to the Tuhas. One of the guests, |Pretessor Robert Hanson, saw Mrs, Ruha standing at a first floor window la her home, flailing her arms and crying for help. Snow was still on the ground as Hanson raced to the Riha house and pulled Mrs. Riha out the window, A strong odor of, what he thought was chloro. ; form clung heavily to Mrs. ‘Rika. ' With the ald of Wilson, Han- son took the distraught woman to the Wilson home, {POLICE ARRIVE A Boulder police car soon pulled up to the Riha house, with Patrolmen Douglas J. Dor- sey and Dale Stange, who said police had been called by an- other woman In the Riha house. __, ut their officlal report, the of- ficers gave this version of events: The woman met them in front, of the Riha house and iold them Mrs. Riha had locked herself in *her bedroom, from whica ether fumes were coming. When she jand Rika threatened to break the bedroom door, the woman said, Mrs. Rika went to the é window and started screaming. In ber conversation, the offi- cers said, the woman tried to give the impression she was in the Riha house that night es a pereon in an official capacity and had something to do with the: immigration authorities in Danver. But she couldn't pro- aites any identification, i Further, she told police Mrs Rite e-"9't a US sitzen, nat her vi expired and that the Imnug 10m authorities in Denver had been called Asked for her ident:fication, the woman said it was in her ear parked outside the Riha house, But she could produce only an linois driver's hieense.; At the Wilson home, the offi- cers found Mrs, Rika “in an evi- dent traumatic state.” Alier talking with Mrs. Riha, the officerg returned to her home, where they found a jar of ether and veveral ether-suaked gaunvads in the hedeovers in her kedrt<m, These items later were turned over to her Boul- der attorney, Gerald Caplan. “Having investigated ths | matter for over an hour and + Gsuling no evidence of foul ' play,” the officers said in theirt report, “we advised Mirs. Rika to return home, but assured her she did not have to.” A police check that same morning with the National Cnme Information Center indl- cated Mrs. Riha wasn’t among «persons in the United States il-: legally, the officers said. ‘This was 3.0 substance of the; officers’ report, according to Police Capt. Willard Spier of Boulder, who declined fo per- ! mit a Post reporter to exax ane the report. He relayed verbally only those parts of the report he considered pertinent, saying the rest consisted of “personal comments of the officers." ODOR STRONG ' The odor of ether clinging: to Mrs, Rika was so strong that windows in the Wilson house had to be opened, Mrs. Wilson recalled. And Mrs, Wilson spoke of angry voices rising in the entry- way to her home as her hus- band confronted Riha who was demanding that his wife be sent “back to his home. Riha‘s voice was “angry, bel-1 Ngerent and frightened” as he yield Wilson that the woman j who had called police was an intelligence agent of the U.S. Army, that she was armed and the Wilsons were in danger of they didn’t return his wife, Mrs.- Wilson said. Wilson firtnly re-t fused this deinand, ordering Ri- ha out of his house shortly be- fore polic arrived, In a 2 a.m. emergency tele- phone call made at the Wilson home, Mrs. Riha tatked that morning with David Regosin, a longtime {friend and alterney in New York City. | Apparently terrifted, Mrs, Rika took from her purse Reogesin’s business card and pleaded for someone to call him. The call was made, with Mrs. Riha sobbing as she told Rego- sin what had happened, Also talking with Regosin during the half-hour conversation were | Wilson, Hanson and Patrolman} Dorsey. After the call was com-| iplefed, police left Mrs. Riha in’ the custody of the Hansons, who :took her briefly to the Riha jhome to get some of her clothes, They then accompan- fed her to the Boulderado Ho- tel, where she stayed until she beet Boulder with her aunt April § for New York City. VISA NOT INVOLVE Recalling this m right telephone co tion, ‘Regosin said the tra. — at the ,Riha home that night “had nothing to do with Mrs. Riha’s visa Status, + “There was nothing urgent about her status. nothing press- ing, no imminent deportation,” Regosin said. t Regosio said he was told by 'Mrs. Riha during the telephone call that night that she had gone to bed and began to sense a strange odor, As it became stronger, she became very up set and started screamung, think ing she was being overcome by ‘some chemical. In New York City, where she is employed at a bank, Mrs Riha said recently that the ether in her room came from the’ vents or under the bedrean. door. Har husband's later disap- i ‘pearance was “something unu- suai,” Mrs, Riha said. “He lelti his shaving stuff, his writing, stuff, even his suit(s). I'vo  j not heard from hum af all, from the time he disappeared.” ! Aroused from sheep by a tele-: phone call on the night of the =| disturbance at the Rike home was John L. Todd, district dl- rector of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service CINS) in Denver. a The call concerned the dis- turbance, Todd said in a re cent interview. “T don’t recall who it came from and what was said .. - The caller was informed that appropriate inquiries would be made.” CALLED NEPEEW On the night of March 13, Biha was ti Denver und tle phoned his nephew to come and see him, Cerveny, Riha’s nephew, said. This was the Jast time he saw his uncle, Corveny seid. On the night of Sunday, Mareh 16, Cerveny said, a Den- ver woman telephoned him and said Riha was gone and didn't have a chance to talk te him. Ceryeny was told he would be hearing from Rtha and would get his uncle's pow- ‘er of attorney. He also said he was advised to say that he knew where his uncle had goue and the Riha's leaving stemmed from his impending divorce, SIGNATURE IN DOURT The signature, Thomas Riha, appears on at least three decu- ments witnessed in Denver by two notaries public after his disappearance. Shown a sect of six photographs, among which rd-the- notaries couldn't pick out Riha as the person who signed the papers. Received in Boulder and IDenver after Riha’s disappear- tance, letters signed with his yname contain glaring misspell- ings, some awkward grain- matical expressions and an ite accurate address for his home. A letler written in Czech to his nephew doesn't observe the niceties of Riha‘s native speech, Cerveny said. ‘PERFECTIONISP . Riha's colleagues at CU snd his close frends describe the professee as a perfectionist in all things — Including hee writ ing and speaking. Riha was the- author of several schatrly + books and learned treatises, and was aware of the nuances! of his native tongue, as well as. those of English, Russian, Ger-t man and French, each of  , which he spoke fluently. ! Despite these many perpfea- mg situations, officialdom sweoms pot too interested in fnd- ing out what happened to Rehe ~~ grinding out vague assur- ances of his safety or demals of any knowledge of the man. Nearly 3 month after Rita disappeared, De. Joseph Smt- ley, then president of CU, sad he contacted “reliabie souress” in Washington and was told < that Riha was safe, but was un- able to learn where the prafes- sor was of the crrcumstar es of his disappearance. This past week, a CU spokes. man said there's been no further inquiry about Riha at ythe level of the university ad- ministration. { in Boulder, Captain Sp.er ‘says: “My understanding is that Riha disappeared of his own ac- ‘cord—or had to—and there ts) no use wasting time looking for him just 2s @ musing persan, There’s no suspwnor vo foul play any place.” But police !.t, Ralph Ruzicka say3 m Boulders “We've been told (by ‘an agency’) not to worry. But when we talk to Raha’s friends and associates and hear the facts, they don't stand up logically, and we get vOried agtin.” He dechned to identity the agency which provided the as- 3urance about Riha. Unul Cerveny filed a missiog persons report on his uncle Oct. 28, the Boulder poiice had noth- ing official on the Ruha disap- pearance in their files, Ruzicka satd. However, Miss Joyce Lebra, An associate professor of history at CU, says that about Ie weeks after Riha dtsappeared, she and four CU professors gave information about Riha to Boulder Patrolman Donala Alps, who filled out a form at the Lebra home. Miss Lebra said she has heard nothing from Boulder police after making ‘this report. . $ Cerveny savs Denver Detec- itive Phillip Villalovos told him “he has been informed that “re- spongible persons" have said Riha is all right and that the was a recent photo of Hind, thé” Denver Police Depatiment isn’t able to proceed with the search for Riha. Denver police, Detective Mike Altegretto says, encouraged ;Cerveny to file a missing per- «sons complaint on Riha Oct, 28 twith Boulder police. j “The next day.’ Allegretto »said, “Boulder petiee told us that the FBI told them to forget ‘about Rika, because they knew ‘where he was and that he was ialive snd well. * ‘ rare necess AEST NEES ML ME ON AOD Sanne re hee ee cab Laceemaeres wey! FU AP PEAT AVE SPAIN BE Sa UR hea ae NAST II
wor en en nn ne ee ea ee ea peti inet natn Ones mnnE rope emmmmetiean mnoshieametien ty enmmetuenmeedhenteeaeblienor semanas emedaeacumetemetaneatatmneeenmaanseesdemiansnenaietenthied item nanantmetaaiaiaied 5 ta. ote. . ’ v sy FS: POSITION @ But the FBI here sts it hasn’t jurisdiction in the case. This was determined when two inquiries were made as the re- sult of anonymous phone calls received here by the FT’. April 3 and again in September, John F. Morley, assistant agent in charge, says. Inquiries made by the FBI, Morley said, were based on the fact that a man had been re- |ported missing “under unusual ,circumstances.” 1 “We've placed no restrictions on any other investigative agen- icies in the area ¢o determine if ‘there ig any violation over which they may have local in- vestigative jurisdiction cin the [Riha case),” Morley said. *“We lmow acthing about him (Riha},” 2 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spokesman in Denver said. “As far as we know, Riha left voluntarily. We have nothing {o do with the man He has no comact with our agency.” However, (0 Profess'r Ste phen Fischer-C:alati reported he was told by the CIA early iast April that Riha was safe and had feft voluntarily. Fischer- Galati also said he wrote the U.S. Justice Department April 7 and was told “the matter has “peen referred to proper govern- ‘ment authorities.” NO REPLY He has received no reply fo a Dec, 6 letter, directed to the same department, Fischer- Galati said. Also disclaiming any know!l- edge of the Riha case is Todd. jof the immigration service UNS) here. “T know nothing about Riba, " (Todd said. But a close friend of Rina’s says he contacted the INS twice about Riha—~once in May or June, when he was told that Ri- ha was alive; and the second ‘time in the fall, when he asked swhether Riha still were alive and there was no answer. At this time. Riha’s tnierd said, he was told by the INS “not to be interested” in the Riha case. U.S. Army Military Intelli- gence “has never been official- ly involved in the Riha case.’ said-Col. Lynn Fritchman, com- manding officer, U.S. Army Re- gron 4, Military Intelligence Group in Denver. Riha’s friends don’t know , What to believe—hoping the Vague assurances they have re- leeived are valid and that Riha is alive and well. But they {don't know, one “"Wittcs ee EF pene RENE SEAL ACOA EO PI BSE AREAL ES TELE IEEIHE BTO OT ESLON NE Oe enett A gene Sat fet re Oo tert Many of them came to this country from totalitarian tyran- nies in Europe, and they ask: “How can it happen, especially in this country, that a man can disappear and nothing can he known about him for almost a year?” From Germany early this month came a’ letter writien to the FBI in Denver by Riaas HW 55100 Docld:$2989553 Page 194 an e ‘mother, Mrs. Ruth Ann Cook, iseeking information akout her Ison. The letter was directed ipersonally to Scot: Werner, FBI agen in charge here, She hasn’t heard from her son. As they spoke warmly of iRiha just recently, his close ‘friends — many of then) refu- gees from Europe — seemed -to be trying to build with words ‘the image of the man they wanted to see again: “ftiha felt positively more an American .. . as a Czech, He {have quite bitier memory as a ‘youth of the German occupa- tion (during World War TQ). Riha probably developed a deep «sympathy for the Russian lib- ‘erators. But he missed the - ‘part when the Communists take-over -¢because he had come to make his home in the U.S. by this time). “So simple a man, he could fit any place. _ “He was very illusionary : ‘an idealistic dreamer... 2 Ti ih. yeral-thinking man. But I “deny be was a sympathizer of com- .munism, He was a man who :adored everything that was tra- :ditionally rational. “Riha was a very reliable sman. You could build a cathe- idra] on his word.” { Another friend said of Riha: . “He was an extremely open iman. He made the impression of an absolutely free man . not scared of anything. He had {made it in Hfe. He was a top {professor in his line. . ., ‘healthy . . . a fantastic cook. His art ‘pieces were valued in the thousands, He had a big 1i- brary. He was a charming man. “Riha was a nihilist, an athe- ist who just yearned for some kind of...” Riha’s friend paused. consid-. sered, and then, quite simply, added the one word, “God.” : |
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re ( sole Meee coer eRe FT eam ee eT aR = orticesat Foam NO, 10 /@ 5320-106 © UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT eal. a ele me 4 iy : ‘ » eo Ma emorandum i Conrad __ o, Felt 1O Mr. Bishop’ | ? DATE: 1/15/70 — Sullivan u. w Jones a Soya tROM e the Tele. Rooni RE t é AY Holmes Gandy . ale 3 INFORMATION CONCERNING fi pot CO (SINO-SATELLITE) ° ane ra \ Rememo of 1/13/70 from Mr. Gray to Mr. Sullivan wherein it was recommended and approved that Crime Records Division orally advised Congressman Donald G. Brotzman (R-Colorado) that we have conducted no investigation regarding subject's disappearance and have no knowledge of his whereabouts. % Robert Tonsing, Administrative Assistant to Congress- ‘* man Brotzman,was furnished this information orally on 1/14/70 by . Inspector Bowers in the Congressman's absence. Mr. Tonsing wa “A most appreciative of our prompt handling of the matter and asked whe “f we would send the Congressman a letter confirming this information. Enclosed is an appropriate letter. RECOMMENDATION: That the enclosed letter be sent. v as wrong Soot f inal Coe fn PA Sr % ai J Enclogure = f-lLs- LO Cre RY 4 i - Mr. DeLoach ~ Enclosure ~~ a | 1- Mr. Bishop - Enclosure | | 1- Mr. Sullivan ~ Enclosure - i- Mr. Gray - Enclosure 7 1- Mr. Malmfeldt - Enclosure | 1-M. A. Jones - Enclosure L 1 - Mr. Bowers ~ Enclosure ee | | Le Mae 3 | DWB:mjl ws Ee TGS docurrent is prepared in response to your request and. is not for dissemi- . . nation ovtstde vovr Committee. Its use ts Limited to official »: oceedings., ‘by * your Comin’ *-e and the content may not de disclosed to ‘unauthori¢ ed person- y nel without the express approval of the FBI. ay PE aig ¢ HW 55100 mere EB aol HG ose 197
mere nani te miesuabintlme nanan enc eiats coomey att, riatedh Br, WBE Rte sn rtall Canntant Sobel asa ea en ! | dansary 15, 2970 i i i Ss8= SOS oe TS ‘ Le = > ' Thig will confirm information orally fur- SS ae nished on January i4th to your Acministrative J Assistant, Bes 8 : ~ 5 ——— . < ‘ : 8 . My. Robert Tousiag, by my repregeniative in response 8 =O8 ‘ 2, ie a ~ . ne ” = 2 a i) 3 3 . to vour letter of Janaary oth which was referred to this eg 5 S8 ' -- 88s ‘ S oe? 8 i Fa ~ 2 g j wie 2) f ct oe & rd on ss 5 a: ae a S | houts pbs PP. -l reser ere Ty ns “ass \ bd oH" se. N Ts. SPRIT Ve Pshtan Waa + = 3S \ Ob The Denver 3 EY Yield Oifice nas b 2 a3 . P x . 3 rd Uf din o , Jk a in contact with De. Tina‘s mother and olieres tc se i ES & missing pergon notice equserning her son in ts S38 ' | = of our Identification Division, This ofier was dec S 2 ; 8 J = = f fs “0 S38 Sincerely yours, 32 : Af Edz. Ego o ag : a idgar Hoover af af ss > ian wt RB mo. ‘ ee? S & ; 1 - Denver Field Cffice Lf Sesh 1 - Mr. DeLoach (detached) 1- Mr. Malmfeldt (detached) 1 - Mr. Bishop (detached) 1-M. A. Jones (detached) OF 1 - Mr. Sullivan (detached) 1- Mr. Bowers (detached) -}. ave 1 - Mr. Gray (detached) NOTE: See M. A. Jones to Bishop memo dated 1/15/70, captioned "Thomas . Riha, Information Concerning, (Sino-Satellite). " “fs . Peony eee creer feo <= . . : yy ? A (0) ee es cas we ER JAN 29 “970 wert om miss SF " nan SeLAT. Woekhae a cpa ~—a . Se chee ae AS
© oPrionat. FORM NO. 49 UNITED STATES COMM AMENT ” Memorandum TO ? + DIRECTOR, FBI (105-78256) DATE: 1/15/70 SAC, DENVER (105~4151)¢(C) it | Wy a SUBJE THOMAS RIHA, aka. ie retin, ; “¢ re wa IS - CZ ” - a a “ANG I 7 va Re Denver letter to the Bureau, dated 12/29/69. .. ‘ 4 , Enclosed herewith is a letter of acknowledgement i : to subject's mother, Dr. RUTH ANN COOK, to acknowledge - is. her letter of 1/11/70. an ‘Also enclosed are 5 copies of an LHM, which i sets out Mrs. COOK's letter to the Denver Office of , , the FBT and[ a oo fl} ee a ; ne ra " ee , al — en C4 JFK Act 6 (1) (B) 7, ~~ | ; . NOEs py. om og C2>. Bureau (Enc. 6) (RM) . Oo * 2 - Denver (1 - 105-4151) ’ be (1 - 47-3190) (TANNENBAUM) Ss | LDN/11d 5 ! — OD This document is prepared in response to } your request and ts not for dissem#- Baron ortsi’e your Committee, Its use is limited to official procecdings by your Comni'-e and the content ma oreon y not be disclo se ae Meu i a - 2, pithout the agpress approval of the FBI sed to unauthorized person- ENC Se &, en” rise <s i ~“e He ES. 22 adguay Vagos Oo xe } HF R CBee. eat, DARE Porat pod hx LF» , Sako a * : fem ee [¢ lowe MOBY Jo tl acti FABL. LB: iu. ny ee x ! = oe & aa a gry no aN See 3 dAN GO Bb! ) C2E6 foc Hd) eee —— _ Reid } wag | ln. Copy to_Aeyyee aT , [- | i - by routing slip ?or We aULAr By - ' ga fy Pf info O action agNOer cps ve ! (ai 52 i af - LekF 70 ; je sy “ nA I og v. . Pe ae ( | @ is 1 Gowetogeie (Pé* ee Ce j a FEB. (Oe. S, S avings pee on the Payroll Saviags Plan Page z fi] Se ~
HW 55100 Fe a a ee Te ene ea ie Ee en ec Se Thomas Biha On January 15, 1970, the following communication was sent by Scott J. Werner, Special Agent in Charge, Denver Office, FBI, to Dr. Ruth Ann Cock in response to the above letter: ihe oot” , Dr. Ruth aut Cook 6232. Neuenhain/Taunus Sophienruhe Bt once eters . Peutschiand ~ °°” \ Dear Mrs. Cook: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 11, 1970. Fursuant to the request in your letter I will not place a stop notice with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Identification Division in Washington, D. C., concerning your son Thomas Riha. The FBE is not permitted to provide counsel to individuals regarding their problems and I would suggest if you feei you need legal advice that you contact an attorney for such advice. Very truly yours, SCOTT J, WERNER, Special Agent in Charge. PROPERTY OF THE FBY This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusicns of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency ; i% and its contents are not to bs distributed outside your agency. - 3% - Docld: 32989553 Page 202 MW 55100 Docld:32969553 Page 20200000 EEL eet ein Meret tee en