Newly Revealed DB Cooper Files Uncover Wheelchair Suspect in FBI’s Hunt
New FBI Files Shed Light on the D.B. Cooper Case
Recent declassified FBI documents offer fresh insights into the enduring mystery of the notorious hijacker known as D.B. Cooper. The 398 pages reveal the FBI’s persistent efforts to uncover the identity of the man who hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in 1971, leaping from the aircraft with $200,000 in ransom money and disappearing into history.
Among the evidence reviewed were various suspects, many of whom were eliminated after investigation. Notably, one document dismisses the possibility of a wheelchair-bound individual being involved, stating, “A man confined to a wheelchair did not hijack the plane in this case.”
Cooper, described as a well-dressed man in his mid-40s who called himself Dan Cooper, gained infamy after the incident. During a flight from Portland to Seattle on November 24, 1971, he handed a note to a flight attendant, claiming he had a bomb. He then opened his briefcase to reveal a tangle of wires and red sticks, heightening fears of a deadly threat.
The hijacker persuaded the crew to land in Seattle, where he released 36 passengers in exchange for the ransom and four parachutes. After receiving the money, he took off again, heading toward Mexico City. At an altitude of 10,000 feet between Seattle and Reno, he parachuted into the night with the cash, vanishing forever.
The case has remained unresolved despite an extensive manhunt and numerous investigations. The FBI’s files show a pattern of probing suspects, photographing witnesses, and ultimately ruling many out. Prominent suspects like Richard McCoy Jr., who was recently suggested by his family, are notably absent from the new records.
Interestingly, an individual named Donald Sylvester Murphy claimed to be Cooper in a bid to extort money from a Newsweek editor. Murphy, who posed for photographs resembling the famous artist’s conception of Cooper, was later convicted of fraud and served prison time. Most other suspects remain anonymous, their identities lost in the depths of unresolved history.