Will the real DB Cooper stand up? After more than half a century, the chase for this enigmatic skyjacker intensifies. Newly revealed FBI files shed light on the relentless hunt for the man who hijacked a plane, extorted a staggering $200,000 in cash, and vanished without a trace.
The 398 pages of documents underscore the FBI’s unwavering commitment to unravel this case. At the heart of the investigation, they meticulously pursued leads and tips—only to hit dead ends time and time again. Notably, one suspect was a wheelchair-bound man, whose implausibility underscored the absurdity of the chase. The report bluntly dismisses him as a hijacker: “A man confined to a wheelchair did not hijack the plane in this case.”
DB Cooper, the pseudonym for this dapper criminal, became infamous overnight. On November 24, 1971, he boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in Portland bound for Seattle. With a note claiming he possessed a bomb, he commanded the attention of flight attendants and passengers alike, demonstrating a calculated audacity that few could muster.
Upon landing, he exchanged 36 hostages for cash and parachutes, showcasing a cunning strategy that baffled authorities. And just like that, at 10,000 feet, he leaped from the aircraft, disappearing into the annals of history and leaving behind a tantalizing mystery that remains unsolved.
Despite exhaustive efforts, including hundreds of interviews, the FBI has yet to identify the man behind the mask. The files reveal a discouraging pattern: suspects surface, investigations ensue, and many are dismissed as “eliminated.” Prominent names like Richard McCoy Jr. are conspicuously absent from these documents, raising questions about the reliability of such claims.
Among the names that do appear is Donald Sylvester Murphy, who cunningly claimed to be DB Cooper—though his motivation was far from heroic. His fraudulent scheme, designed to extort money from a former editor, spiraled into a farcical tale marked by impersonation and deception. Murphy’s sham efforts to create the illusion of being Cooper involved disguises and counterfeit money, ultimately leading to prison sentences for both him and his accomplice.
The legacy of DB Cooper continues to provoke intrigue and speculation, drawing in amateur sleuths and investigators alike. With each new development, we inch closer to uncovering the truth of this legendary figure. One thing is clear: DB Cooper’s audacious heist and uncanny disappearance stand as a testament to the depths of human cunning and the enduring allure of unsolved mysteries.
