She Knew Too Much About the CIAs Role in Watergate and Other Crimes

Dorothy Hunt’s life of adventure and privilege came to a tragic end at the age of 52 on December 8, 1972, when United Airlines Flight 553 crashed into a suburban home near Chicago’s Midway Airport.

Described by Nixon aide Charles Colson as “an extraordinary woman” and “one of the savviest women in the world,” Dorothy was a CIA operative married to E. Howard Hunt, who was at the time facing a long prison sentence as one of the Watergate burglars caught breaking into Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel to dig up dirt for President Richard Nixon.

Thirty four days after Dorothy’s death, E. Howard Hunt pleaded guilty on all charges and was then sentenced to 30 months to eight years in prison, and was released after serving 33 months in prison.[1]

Dorothy was identified as the “paymistress” of hush money to the Watergate defendants and their families to keep the burglars from cooperating with authorities and testifying before Congress and at trial.

The crash was officially determined to have been caused by equipment malfunction and pilot error; however, the pilot, Wendell Whitehouse, was one of United Airlines’ most skilled and was found with high amounts of cyanide in his system, indicating he had been poisoned.[2]

A radio operator who had monitored ground control’s communications with Flight 553 reported an exchange pointing to Control Tower error or sabotage, which was suppressed in the news.

As the jet had closed in on its final destination, O’Hare, it had been diverted for unforeseen reasons and told to land on the little used and much more poorly equipped Midway Airport. Part of the airplane fuselage was buried in a city dump right after the crash by what an unnamed city official said were “orders from the top” so that it could not be examined The FBI threatened one of the eyewitnesses, William J. Simonini, who said that they then framed his two sons for crimes in an attempt to intimidate him.[3]