D.B. Cooper Pt. 2

On November 24th, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked a Seattle-bound Boeing 727 and executed one of the most mysterious episodes in the annals of American crime.

In 1971, a man calling himself "Dan Cooper" hijacked a Seattle-bound flight and parachuted to safety with $200,000 in ransom money

Using the demands typical of skyjackings of the era, DB Cooper called for $200,000 and four parachutes. Cooper's unique approach included avoiding promotion of any radical beliefs, using non-violence, and ensuring no passengers were harmed. After receiving his ransom at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and additional precise demands for the plane's operation, Cooper plunged from the aircraft over the dense wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, leaping into legend.

The FBI, who continued their investigation well past skyjacker Richard McCoy's apprehension and death, never managed to identify DB Cooper or recover the complete sum of the stolen money. Suspects were profiled as probable military-trained men, with specific knowledge of parachutes, flight operations, and the local terrain suggested by Cooper's interaction during the hijacking.

The hijacker, known as DB Cooper, demanded a ransom of $200,000 and four parachutes, then jumped from the plane mid-flight and disappeared without a trace

Cooper's precise instructions and evident preparation suggested a careful methodology, but his fate remains a matter of speculation. Some suggest he may not have survived the perilous nighttime jump, and possibly his remains and the bulk of the ransom lie undiscovered, reclaimed by nature.

The FBI conducted a decades-long i ...

The mysterious case of D.B. Cooper remains a captivating enigma, and over the years, several individuals have been suspected of being the infamous hijacker. Their connections to the crime have sparked debates, investigations, and conflicting theories.

Richard McCoy, a former Green Beret and experienced parachutist, carried out a nearly identical hijacking several months after DB Cooper

Richard McCoy, a former Green Beret, was identified through an anonymous tip as the perpetrator of a hijacking that occurred five months after the DB Cooper case, using a method almost identical to Cooper’s. McCoy, who possessed military training and expertise, included being a pilot, a demolition expert, and a skilled parachutist, could have potentially carried out both hijackings. His sister-in-law and mother-in-law recognized the unique black clip-on tie left on Flight 305 as being similar to McCoy's style. Despite this, doubts about his involvement were fueled by his younger age, notably his smooth-faced appearance at 29, which conflicted with the middle-aged description of Cooper.

Kenneth Christiansen, a Northwest Orient Airlines flight attendant in his 40s, was proposed as a suspect by his brother

Kenneth Christiansen, a former military parachutist and Northwest Orient Airlines flight attendant, was another suspect proposed when his brother suggested he could be DB Cooper. Christiansen had all the prerequisite skills and knowledge, along with a history of jumping out of planes for fun during his military service in Japan. The physical evidence included a black tie, similar to one Christiansen would wear, found on Flight 305 and the acquisition of a house near the suspected landing zone of Cooper within a year following the hijacking. After Christiansen's death in 1994, a hidden collection of newspaper clippings about Northwest Orient Airlines ending just before the hijacking was also found. Despite these intriguing connections, the FBI insisted the hijacking was not an inside job and dismissed him largely due to discrepancies in physical characteristics compared to eyewitness descriptions of Cooper.

Robert Rackstraw, a former Army sergeant with a criminal history, was investigated ...

Citizen sleuth Tom Colbert and others have fervently pursued the true identity of the infamous skyjacker known as DB Cooper, but their endeavors have clashed with the FBI's reluctance to reopen the case.

Tom Colbert, a private investigator, launched his own extensive investigation into the DB Cooper case and identified Robert Rackstraw as the likely perpetrator

Tom Colbert, a private investigator, and his documentary team carried out a deep investigation into the DB Cooper hijacking, identifying Robert Rackstraw as the probable suspect. They collected DNA samples, examined hidden codes in letters that were supposedly penned by Cooper, and gathered testimony from people who claimed to be former associates of Rackstraw.

Colbert found numerous circumstantial connections between Rackstraw's background and the details of the hijacking, including his military service, parachute training, and criminal history

Colbert discovered various circumstantial links tying Rackstraw's background to the specifics of the DB Cooper case. Rackstraw's military service, parachute training, and criminal history appeared to align with details known about the hijacker.

Colbert presented his evidence to the FBI, but they declined to reopen the investigation, leading Colbert to accuse the Bureau of a cover-up

After mounting evidence, Colbert presented his findings to the FBI, but the Bureau was unmoved. They informed him that the DB Cooper case was no longer active and would only reconsider if crucial evidence like the missing parachute or cash with matching serial numbers turned up. This reaction spurred Colbert to allege that the FBI was covering up information, specifically regarding Rackstraw's alleged clandestine activities with the CIA in Vietnam.

After a FOIA lawsuit, a federal judge compelled the FBI to release their DB Cooper files. Tom Colbert's team pored over thousands of pages, declaring ...