D.B. Cooper case closed

Sneakylong

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/12/world/d-b-cooper-fbi-closes-case/

The FBI closed the case after 45 years. One of the great whodunits. The History Channel had a good show on it this week.

Bangoman

Sneakylong

Amazing stuff. I remember that well. Personally I believe he died during the jump.

Sneakylong

Bangoman

I was 16, but remember it also. Back then hijacking a plane was a much different scenario.

Subsonic

Did the show draw any good conclusions?

Sneakylong

Subsonic

http://www.history.com/shows/d-b-cooper-case-closed

The show was about two investigative reporters who had put together a team to investigate the case. They ended up focusing on a Robert Rackshaw and claimed they had 93 pieces of evidence. He's still alive and was a suspect at one time. What the History Channel did was hire a former FBI Asst. Director and a crime journalist to look into the case and see if the two reporters had a case to take to the FBI.

Long story short the FBI wasn't interested having spoken to one of the reporters a few years ago. Basically said unless people have the money or a parachute the FBI is not interested.

The History Channel did get the flight attendant Tina Mucklow who spent most of the time with Cooper. She hadn't spoken to anyone in 45 years. They also had one of the pilots on also.

Very well done IMO. My opinion is the guy named McCoy was a strong suspect because he actually pulled the same crime off, but was caught. He was killed by the FBI in 1974. They talk to the former agent. McCoy used similar language when he did his hijacking that was not known by anyone at the time. He got $500,000.

Bangoman

Sneakylong

SL....today it's much scarier! They take everybody with them....to wherever they think they're going! And I see no end in sight. These people are nuts. You don't see the people that are brainwashing these 'human instruments' blowing themselves up.

PA-PLAYA

I'm just surprised at the seemingly trivial amount of money. Even back in those days, 200k wasn't enough money to really risk one's life for.

But I think he survived, if he took some skydiving classes he could pull that off. He may have even had some help, although that angle hasn't been detailed too much. Very interesting though.

Sneakylong

PA-PLAYA

In the show the expert parachute guys said he knew what he was doing because he picked the best parachute out of the 4. The experts say he could've survived the jump although one famous smoke jumper said he wasn't dressed for the elements that night. They also say a military parachutist would've buried the chute etc. Because they never found the chute.

In 1971 with $200,000 dollars you could've bought between 10 to 15 houses on Cape Cod (where I grew up) that would be worth a fortune today. It was a lot of money back then. In 1977 I played softball with a guy who bought several acres on the coast of Chatham (Cape Cod) for $25,000. That would be worth millions today. For those unfamiliar with Cape Cod it has become more like the Hamptons (very expensive) over the years.

The money that was found is an interesting twist. Science says rubber bands don't last too long. But the money found had the bands intact. It's one of the greatest whodunits in my lifetime.

Par4QC

PA-PLAYA Even back in those days, 200k wasn't enough money to really risk one's life for.

Is $1,000,000 today worth it, which is kind of a 'standard' ransom ask?

In '71 I was making about $11K/yr. in a job with what was considered a very high wage for this area. Today, that job would pay/does pay about $50K+/yr..
I could buy a new car for $2500/2800 then, or pay around $25K for a similar car now.

PA-PLAYA

Sneakylong

I was too young to follow it, only 2 years old when it happened. But I'd heard about it here and there and although I never have been a conspiracy theorist or anything of the sort - this definitely had all of the ingredients. It does cause one to ponder the thought whether the guy is still alive today.

Sneakylong

PA-PLAYA

Absolutely. Anyone familiar with the case even if slightly would enjoy this program. Just a side note. The hijacker bought his ticket as Dan Cooper, but the media mistook it for D.B. Cooper, hence it became the D.B. Cooper case.

The conflicting thing is they never found a body or the parachute. But they found $5800 of the money buried inches beneath the sand along a river. Did he die in the jump and some of the money make it down river? And where is the rest of the money?

Looks like we'll never know.

Bangoman

I saw a FBI program on this and one expert parachutist stated that a plane that large had to be going at least 150 to 200 MPH or it would stall out. One of the chutes was a dummy chute, picked by mistake (or was it?), for packing purposes was one of 2 he chose. More importantly, jumping at that speed in heavy rain and the wind would cause him to go end over end blacken both eyes and more than likely knock both of his dress shoes off. Also, unless he was an expert jumper in that type weather at night and without proper gear...he also most probably would not have known up from down. Canopy: is so heavy in that area...it is also believed that he maybe just be stuck in the tops of the trees......with the parachute and the $$$. And to prove a point by the announcer...it is said that since the 20's in the Pacific Northwest alone over 20 single engine planes have been lost in these dense forests and never a trace found. No matter what you believe... makes for interesting viewing and reading.

Sneakylong

Bangoman

The expert parachute guys on the show say he definitely could've survived. They explain all the particulars and show visually how the parachute would've opened after he jumped off the stairs. They have a name for it, but it escapes me.

Sneakylong

Par4QC

It was a huge amount of money back then no question about it. My first new car was a 1973 Mustang that cost $3600. $200,000 in 1971 would be equivalent to $1,170,000 today.

Par4QC

Has it ever been confirmed that D.B. Cooper was a man?

Bangoman

Par4QC

You're probably the first one to ask!

Sneakylong

Par4QC

Actually one of the suspects in the show was a woman, but was a man before 1969. He was the first to have gender change surgery in the state of Washington

Par4QC

Bangoman

Yep, ol' Debbie Cooper could have been living right next door to any of us all these years with a different last name thru marriage.

Bangoman

Sneakylong

Actually one of the suspects in the show was a woman, but was a man before 1969 Said SL

So, does that mean (To quote a mint commercial): Two! Two! Two suspects in One!

Sneakylong

Bangoman

https://themountainnewswa.net/2012/02/23/suspects-in-the-db-cooper-skyjacking-sketches-pictures-and-comparisons/

Bobby / Barb Dayton. This list is from 2012.