Plan B Forum

FBI closes books on legendary D.B. Cooper skyjacking of 1971

Reasoning that its crime-fighting resources would be better used elsewhere, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Tuesday that after almost 45 years it was closing the investigation.  The decision on the case of D.B. Cooper — a moniker given to the skyjacker by the media after he hijacked a Northwest Orient 727, demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in cash, and then vanished into folklore and legend after jumping from the aircraft over the Pacific Northwest on a November night in 1971 — ensures that this saga will likely endure as one of America's great unsolved mysteries.

-"BB"-

Yeah, I bet good ol' Dan got away with it... for about 5 minutes or 10,000 feet -- whatever came first. Between the elements and the local forest denizens I have a gut feeling he landed up looking like some of the cash that was eventually found in the area.

Here's a sample:


1971 Darwin Award Winner:
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2000-19.html

The local rags around here claim he is in his mid seventies and living in Scotts Valley (near Sta. Cruz) CALIFORNIA.

Or he moved to Hollywood.

You mean - gulp! - he was "Lost"?

How much, I wonder, did the FBI spend over 45 years attempting to find a perp who stole $200k? I don't even want to know . . .

And hijacked a plane, placing the lives of dozens at risk (and helping lead to the first airport security protocols). I have to imagine that after the first year or so, there was minimal effort put into the case except when reasonable leads were presented.

I am surprised that they never figured out who he was. When someone disappears it leaves a hole in the fabric of society and there are only so many of those left by people who completely disappear. At least when someone is looking for them.

He was born, probably had a birth certificate. Might have had a SS number. He had parents, family, school records. Based on his apparent age he would have had some kind of work history. The picture was widely shown on TV and in print media. Was t here really no one who came forward and knew him?


yrs,
rubato

It happens to the best of us, Richard.

rubato wrote: Was t here really no one who came forward and knew him?

My recollection is that there were at least a few who did, e.g., looks like Uncle So and So who we were never close with but haven't seen for X years. None of those leads lead to a definitive conclusion, though. The only solid evidence in the investigation is the money found by a kid on the banks of the Columbia River, which was a portion of the ransom funds given to Cooper, and leads to more questions with no answers. The mystery is what has kept the story interesting all these years.

The mystery is what has kept the story interesting all these years.

Long Run wrote: "... The mystery is what has kept the story interesting all these years.

Well that is fairly obvious. It was never resolved.

The green river kiler case became less interesting when it was resolved.

yrs,
rubato