Tag: db cooper

Previously Unreleased Audio Recording from D.B. Cooper Skyjacking Case Revealed

An incredible previously unreleased audio recording from the infamous D.B. Cooper skyjacking case has been revealed, allowing listeners to eavesdrop on some critical moments during the legendary caper. Researchers Nicholas Broughton and Ryan Burns received the remarkable relic from a source, who has asked to remain anonymous. The audio is derived from badly degraded cassette tapes, which this individual had in their possession for several decades. The duo were provided with around forty minutes of total audio, but only twelve minutes were able to be restored to a listenable condition with the hope that more of the recording can be recovered in the future.

Northwest Airlines, which owned the plane Cooper skyjacked that fateful 1971 Thanksgiving Eve, created the audio by splicing together recordings of two separate radio frequencies used when the passenger jet stopped at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). It was during this period that the passengers and most of the flight crew were released from the plane, the requested $200,000 ransom and parachutes were delivered to Cooper, and the airliner was refueled in anticipation of continuing the flight to Mexico City. In the newly released audio, Captain William Scott, Co-Pilot Bill Rataczak, and Al Lee, Chief Pilot for Northwest Airlines and chosen courier for the skyjacking spoils, can be heard initially discussing a “contingency plan” wherein the remaining crew would make a run for it “if that opportunity avails itself.”

Later in the recording, the tension of the moment is palpable as problems with the refueling process caused a considerable delay on the ground and consternation from Cooper. “We do want the fuel truck to come up, dammit,” Rataczak sternly relays to the Sea-Tac tower as the mounting issues required multiple vehicles. “He’s getting awfully antsy,” the co-pilot reports of Cooper as they wait for the airliner to be ready for takeoff. During the delay, Scott notes specific gear settings that the skyjacker requested for the flight and muses, “he seems to know a little bit about an airplane.” Shortly thereafter, the Sea-Tac tower suggests the incident could be a copy of a similar skyjacking involving a parachute that occurred on an Air Canada flight earlier in the month.

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D.B. Cooper Researcher Casts Considerable Doubt on Parachute Discovery Claim

A dedicated D.B. Cooper researcher has cast considerable doubt on the alleged discovery of the legendary skyjacker’s parachute, pointing out several flaws surrounding the suspected evidence which suggest that it did not play a role in the crime. The remarkable claim made earlier this week spawned worldwide headlines with many wondering if the longstanding mystery surrounding the 1971 caper was on the cusp of finally being solved. However, many in the diverse D.B. Cooper research community expressed skepticism at the fantastic development with one in particular, Ryan Burns, releasing a detailed video (seen above) wherein he makes the case that “this is unquestionably not” the parachute used by the skyjacker.

Citing contemporaneous media accounts and the voluminous FBI files concerning the crime, he noted that the parachutes provided to Cooper were repeatedly said to have been missing two specific features: D-Rings and capewells. Alas, these two pieces are present on the recently unearthed rig. Additionally, he indicated that the parachute harness model provided to Cooper during the caper was from the Navy rather than the Air Force, which is the case with the newfound alleged evidence. These three factors, among other aspects of the account, led Burns to conclude that the headline-making parachute could not have come from the 1971 skyjacking.

As to the possibility that it was used in the caper and then significantly altered sometime later, Burns dismissed that scenario as implausible. For that to be the case, he explained, suspect Richard McCoy Jr would have had to both keep a damning piece of evidence and subsequently enlist “a master parachute rigger to have all these modifications done to it.” If Burns’ assessment is correct, one wonders why the FBI seized the item since their own files would appear to indicate that it is not a genuine piece of evidence. While the agency could answer that question, previous instances of the federal government getting involved in longstanding mysteries, such as the still-contentious Pennsylvania treasure hunt from a few years ago, suggest that they may less than forthcoming on the matter.

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Suspected D.B. Cooper Parachute Draws FBI Interest

A parachute found on the family property of a longstanding D.B. Cooper suspect has drawn interest from the FBI, which seized the intriguing item that some contend could be a breakthrough clue in the legendary cold case. As detailed in a lengthy piece by Cowboy State Daily, the remarkable discovery was made by researcher and YouTuber Dan Gryder, who believes that the skyjacker was a man named Richard McCoy II. Permitted to search the family’s property a few years ago, Gryder unearthed the parachute from a crate in a shed. Last week, he revealed that his videos about the discovery had caught the attention of federal authorities, who asked to speak with the researcher.

According to Gryder, he and McCoy’s son met with the FBI in September of last year wherein agents seized the curious canopy that could be connected to the Cooper caper. The following month, the agency conducted an extensive search of the property where the parachute had been found. Musing that “it’s a good sign that they’re taking this seriously,” McCoy’s son revealed that the FBI also collected a DNA sample from him with the suggestion that they may eventually have to exhume his father’s body should it prove necessary. To date, however, the agency has given no indication as to what their recent investigation has uncovered, though paperwork furnished by Gryder confirms that they did confiscate the parachute.

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Daughter of D.B. Cooper Suspect Calls on FBI to Release Necktie to Clear His Name

The daughter of a man suspected of being D.B. Cooper has called upon the FBI to provide access to the skyjacker’s necktie in the hopes that new DNA analysis of the evidence will clear her father’s name. The surprising development reportedly came about after researcher Eric Ulis made headlines earlier this month with his theory that microscopic metallic particles found on the object could help identify the mysterious individual behind the legendary cold case. He specifically pointed the finger at an individual named Vince Petersen, who worked as an engineer at the only facility that produced the alloy at the time of the skyjacking. As one might imagine, the man’s daughter was not too thrilled when she saw the news that her late father had somehow become a suspect in the Cooper case.

Explaining that she was surprised and dismayed by Ulis’ bold assertion, Julie Dunbar reached out to the researcher to express her considerable skepticism over his hypothesis. “I spoke to Eric about this clip-on tie,” she recalled, “as far as I know, my dad didn’t have one in his wardrobe.” While Dunbar conceded that “anything is possible” and that perhaps “it was something that he kept at work” that was subsequently borrowed by the skyjacker, she flatly dismissed the possibility that her father had anything to do with the 1971 caper. “As far as my dad being DB Cooper himself,” she declared, definitely not.”

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New evidence discovered in D. B. Cooper skyjacking case

A microscopic metal fragment found on the tie of infamous plane hijacker D. B. Cooper could help reveal his true identity. Private investigator and researcher Eric Ulis is ringing in the new year with new breadcrumbs to share.

“I would not be surprised at all if 2024 was the year we figure out who this guy was,” said Ulis.

This particle is part stainless steel, part titanium. Ulis believes the itsy-bitsy discovery can be traced to a sophisticated metal-fabric shop.

According to Ulis, after his legendary disappearance 52 years ago, the man known as D.B. Cooper left behind a critical clue: a clip-on tie. After the money and the man vanished without a trace, this possession was spotted on Cooper’s seat on the back row of the plane, 18-E to be exact. Ulis says the tie was purchased at a J.C. Penny around Christmas 1964 for $1.49.

The evidence is currently under federal lock and key, but scientists who examined it were able to pull more than 100,000 particles from it.

“He applied these sticky stubs, they’re like little carbon circles that he could apply to portions of the tie and then when you pull them off, you’re pulling off some of the particles from the tie,” explained Ulis. “You apply modern state-of-the-art technology to it, things they didn’t have back 1971 when this occurred, it tells a story.”

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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against FBI Over Access to D.B. Cooper’s Necktie

A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a D.B. Cooper researcher who hoped to force the FBI to hand over a necktie that had been left behind by the famed skyjacker. The legal challenge was brought back in March by Eric Ulis, who discovered that the piece of evidence featured an adjustable spindle that had allegedly been overlooked by investigators. The researcher argued that, if Cooper had used the mechanism, then there was a possibility that the skyjacker’s DNA could be extracted from the attachment. Ulis ultimately wound up suing the FBI in the hopes that they would be legally compelled to provide the piece to him so that the tantalizing theory could be put to the test.

Alas, the Cooper hunter had his proverbial day in court on Monday and it reportedly did not go well as a judge ruled in favor of the federal government’s request that the case be dismissed. In explaining her decision, Judge Jia M. Cobb observed that “regardless of the intrigue and mystery that shrouds the case of D.B. Cooper,” the necktie at the center of the lawsuit falls outside of the purview of the Freedom of Information Act, which Ulis cited in reasoning for why he should receive the piece. She explained that the FOIA “only compels production on ‘records,’ not tangible objects.” She went on to posit that the necktie could not be considered a ‘record’ because it “is incapable of replication or copying.”

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NEW suspect in case of DB Cooper is named as Pittsburgh engineer Vince Petersen – 52 years after hijacker got away with $200,000 ransom by parachuting out of the plane

A sleuth has named a new suspect in the case of DB Cooper – the hijacker who got away with a $200,000 ransom by parachuting out a plane 52 years ago never to be seen again.

Eric Ulis, a citizen investigator who sued the FBI for access to the case’s files and evidence, claims the man behind the November 24, 1971, mystery was engineer Vince Petersen from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Petersen worked as a Boeing subcontractor at a titanium plant and fits the evidence left behind by the infamous hijacker, the DB enthusiast told told The U.S. Sun. He would have been 52 at the time of the crime and has been long dead.

Ulis – who was five when the plane-jacking occurred – first landed on Petersen’s name after analyzing microscopic evidence left on the clip-on black tie DB left before he parachuted out of the plane.

Several of the particles found were consistent with specialty metals used in the aerospace sector, such as titanium, high-grade stainless steel and aluminum, Ulis explained.

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Amateur D.B. Cooper investigator leading new search for parachute in skyjacking case

Fifty-two years after a plane heading to Seattle was hijacked by a man known as D.B. Cooper, an amateur investigator is leading a new search for evidence — claiming more details in the unsolved case have been revealed.

Amateur investigator, Eric Ulis, claims new information was revealed by the Seattle air traffic controller who managed the skyjacked Northwest Orient Flight 305, two US Air Force F-106 chase jets, and an Oregon Air National Guard T-33 during the 1971 skyjacking.

The search comes years after no trace of DB Cooper has ever turned up — no parachute, briefcase, clothing or body.

On Oct. 26, small search team led by Ulis will search a “treacherous” tree-and blackberry-lined trench where it is believed Cooper’s parachute may have been dumped.

Ulis says the trench is near the location where money connected to the heist was found in 1980. The cash was found on the banks of the Columbia River west of downtown Vancouver by 8-year-old Brian Ingram — discovering $20 bills with serial numbers traced to Cooper’s ransom, a total of $5,800.

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In 1971, a mysterious hijacker parachuted out of a plane with $200,000 and vanished. This man is suing the FBI to get potential new clues

Eric Ulis was only 5 when a dapper man in a suit and sunglasses boarded a commercial flight in Portland, Oregon, ordered a bourbon and soda from his seat in 18E and then handed a flight attendant a handwritten note saying he had a bomb.

It was November 24, 1971, and the unidentified man, who later became known as D.B. Cooper, had a one-way ticket on the flight to Seattle.

Cooper opened his carry-on bag to reveal a jumble of wires and red sticks and demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in cash. After the plane landed in Seattle he swapped three dozen passengers for the cash and parachutes, then ordered the pilot to fly to a new destination: Mexico City.

But soon after takeoff, Cooper did something incredible: With the money strapped to his waist, he parachuted out of the rear of the plane and into the night, vanishing over the vast wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

Cooper has not been seen or heard from since. His audacious stunt made him a folk hero, triggered an FBI investigation, led to tightened security at airports and inspired dozens of books and TV documentaries. It remains the only unsolved hijacking in US aviation history.

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50 Chilling Unsolved Mysteries Of The 1970s 

The 1970s were full of glorious parties at Studio 54 and post Vietnam celebrations, but it was also a decade full of chilling crimes that remain unsolved to this day. From gruesome murders to raucous heists and supernatural sightings, the mysteries chronicled here will leave you scratching your head and wondering exactly what happened in each of these stories.

Many of these stories are too upsetting for younger readers, so keep younger eyes shielded from the gruesome stuff. Keep in mind that many of these unsolved mysteries are cases that remain open, if you or someone you know can shine a light on these eerie crimes from the ’70s don’t be afraid to reach out… you could change everything.

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