DB Cooper evidence may finally solve 53-year-old hijacker mystery
The world is getting closer to unraveling one of the biggest enigmas in American history – the case of 'DB Cooper'.
From his seat, 18C, on the Northwest Orient flight, he informed a flight attendant that he was carrying a bomb. He demanded $200,000, which would be roughly $15.5 million in today's money, in exchange for releasing the 36 passengers on board.
And that's exactly what took place. He eventually donned a parachute and jumped from a nearly vacant aircraft over Washington. His remains were never discovered.
Over fifty years later, the family of a hijacker thought to be Cooper uncovered the parachute he employed during his robbery.
Richard Floyd McCoy attempted a similar hijacking and parachuted away just a few months after the Cooper incident. Nevertheless, the FBI dismissed him as a suspect because his appearance did not match the descriptions provided by witnesses.
The relatives of the deceased McCoy have now provided a modified military surplus bailout rig to FBI investigators, according to a video released today by amateur investigator and YouTuber Dan Gryder.
Gryder initially reached out to McCoy's family in 2020, and two years later, after the passing of McCoy's mother, he was invited to their office in North Carolina.
On November 19, he shared a video of himself in the storage unit belonging to McCoy’s mother, where he was seen with the parachute and equipment.
"We've figured it out," Gryder said. "To be precise, this is the rig because they’re aware of which one he utilized when he jumped that night. They provided him with the rigs."
Gryder mentioned that he has provided all the information and findings he has gathered since October 2023, including the parachute kit, to the FBI. He stated that the authorities have informally resumed their investigation into the hijacking.
In 2016, the agency concluded its search for Cooper, describing it as one of the longest and most thorough investigations they've ever conducted. The file related to the case measures an impressive 40 feet in length.
The FBI stated at the time that while they will stop their active investigation into this case, anyone who finds any physical evidence connected to the parachutes or the money taken by the hijacker should reach out to their nearest FBI office.
The Mystery Of DB Cooper Explained
Who knows the answer? Perhaps you do! Or if you're Cooper, feel free to send us an email.
According to the FBI, he was an unremarkable man with a calm demeanor, seemingly in his 40s.
Cooper would be in his nineties at this point. Let's wish that the $200,000 was invested in cheese to help him enjoy a longer life.
The name 'DB Cooper' likely isn't the real name of the person in question. It's simply the name he used when purchasing his $20 plane ticket. In fact, it wasn't even his original alias; he actually went by 'Dan Cooper.' However, a reporter misunderstood and misquoted it.
‘Dan Cooper’ was dressed in a black suit, a white dress shirt, and a black tie from JC Penney, which was later found by investigators.
The traveler preferred a bourbon mixed with soda. While enjoying his drink, he discreetly handed a note to one of the flight attendants.
"Miss, you should take a look at this note," he said. "I have a bomb." He opened his briefcase to show what might have been a bomb, tangled up among a chaotic mass of wires.
The traveler instructed the pilot to touch down in Seattle so that everyone could disembark. After that, he grabbed a bag filled with cash and four parachutes, along with a small crew, and they took off again, heading south.
Shortly after, the pilot noticed that the warning lights in the cockpit were blinking—someone had opened the luggage compartment at the back. Cooper had made his jump.
Neither the cash nor Cooper was ever discovered. However, in 1980, a child came across a bundle of decaying $20 bills by the Columbia River, amounting to $5,800, which had serial numbers that matched those of the ransom money.
If Cooper managed to survive his parachute jump from the aircraft, he would have plunged approximately 10,000 feet into freezing darkness. Authorities think he landed close to the tiny town of Ariel in the southwest.
The FBI has identified around 1,000 individuals as potential suspects in the case of D.B. Cooper. Among these are Ted Braden, a skilled skydiver with a criminal record; Kenneth Peter Christiansen, a former paratrooper whose sister firmly believed he was Cooper; and Lynn Doyle Cooper, a leather craftsman whose niece is convinced he could also be involved.
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