Tag Archives: US Marshals

The Falcon and the Snowman: Unraveling America’s Cold War Espionage Scandal (Part One)

Christopher Boyce on Australian 60 Minutes
Christopher Boyce, after his rearrest in the state of Washington.
Timothy Hutton, who played Boyce in “The Falcon and the Snowman.”
Sean Penn, who played Daulton Lee in the “The Falcon and the Snowman.”

Arrested for selling secrets to the Russians, their incarceration and Christopher Boyce’s subsequent escape from a Federal prison was headline news.  Ultimately, the Falcon and the Snowman spent decades behind bars.

This podcast episode delves into the story of Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee, known as the Falcon and the Snowman. It explores their backgrounds in affluent Southern California and how they became involved in selling classified information to the Soviet Union in the 1970s. The episode details Boyce’s work at TRW, a defense contractor, and Lee’s drug-dealing activities. It recounts their initial contact with Soviet officials in Mexico City and the development of their espionage operation. The podcast highlights the contrast between their privileged upbringings and their descent into criminal activities, offering insights into the motivations and circumstances that led to their infamous espionage case.