Introduction:
This issue, we will be talking about the unsolved mystery of the disappearing man, DB Cooper. He got more than his fair share of publicity due to how impossible he was to find even after getting his DNA (but we’ll talk about that later on in the article).
Cooper:
On Wednesday, November 24th 1971, a man going by the name “Dan Cooper” bought a $20 one-way ticket on NorthWest orient airlines for flight number 305 going from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. Cooper was described as being in his mid-40s and wearing a business suit and overcoat, brown shoes, a white shirt and black tie. He carried a dark black briefcase and a paper bag. Before the plane took off, Cooper sat in
seat 18 C and ordered a soda.
D.B Cooper sketch:
The Hijacking:
After the plane took off at about 3 PM, Cooper handed the stewardess a note. At first, she just put it in her pocket without looking at it… But then Cooper said, “Miss, you better look at that note, I may or may not have explosives on board”.
Cooper said that the explosives were in his briefcase (which turned out to be a lie) and asked her to sit next to him. Cooper then asked her to write down what he was going to say and take it to the pilot. He dictated her, “I want $200,000 by 5 PM in cash put in a backpack, I want 2 back parachutes and 2 front parachutes. When we land, I want a fuel truck ready to refuel. No funny stuff or I’ll do the job.”
An odd detail is that Cooper asked for the $200,000 to be only in 20 dollar bill notes. The flight landed in Seattle, and Cooper let the 36 passengers on board go for the money and parachutes. Cooper kept some crew members on board and had the plane take off to Mexico City, requesting that the plane stays under 10,000 feet.
The escape:
During the second half of the flight, Cooper put on a pair of dark sunglasses. After 8 PM, when the plane was somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, Cooper jumped out of the rear doors of the plane with two of the parachutes and the money, never to be seen again. One thing worth noting is that Cooper took off his black tie before jumping off the plane, a piece of evidence that the FBI could get DNA from; however, they couldn’t get anything out of the DNA discovered.
The suspects:
Theory 1: Fingerprint Nightmare
“Duane Webber” was an ordinary man, but when he was on his deathbed with his wife, he said, “I have a secret to tell you: I’m Dan Cooper.” He died shortly after. Duane’s wife recalled him having nightmares where he would talk while sleeping about “leaving fingerprints on a plane”.
However, this theory was debunked due to him not fitting the physical descriptions of DB Cooper.
Theory 2: Zero Experience
This theory suggests that Cooper may have not survived the fall as he wasn’t an experienced jumper. The jump was on a pitch-black night in the rain with a 200-mile-an-hour wind in his face. He also jumped into a wooded area with no visibility due to cloud cover.
This theory is not reliable though, as neither his body nor his parachute were ever found anywhere near that area.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, DB Cooper is a mystery man who was never found. His actions are odd, with little details here and there that have always managed to throw officers off. It’s been 48 years since this shocking event, yet more theories are still floating to the surface.
Join us next time on another mysterious crime. Until then, thank you for reading!
