New Lead in DB Cooper Case
In November 1971, a man who called himself Dan Cooper, also known as D.B. Cooper, hijacked a plane and succeeded in getting authorities to give him $200,000 cash and parachutes in return for letting passengers off the plane. Cooper asked to be flown to Mexico, but jumped out of the back of Northwest Orient Flight 305 somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada. Authorities have yet to be able to prove whether he survived the jump or what his actual identity was.
When Cooper boarded the plane, he ordered a drink, bourbon and soda, while he was waiting for the flight to depart. He then handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb in his briefcase he asked her to take a seat next to him. She did as she was told, and Cooper opened his briefcase to show her a mass of wires and red-colored sticks and demanded that she write down what he told her. Per Cooper's request, the flight attendant wrote a note for the captain of the plane demanding four parachutes and $200,000 in $20 bills.
Once the flight landed in Seattle, Cooper made an exchange for the flight's 36 passengers and received the money and parachutes. Cooper kept most of the crew members on board. The plane took off when Cooper ordered it to fly to Mexico. Unexpectedly, Cooper then jumped out of the plane on the flight with the money, never to be seen or heard from again.
Over the years, many people have claimed to be DB Cooper. Duane Weber, while on his deathbed, claimed to be Cooper. Weber was later eliminated as a suspect through DNA testing. A second man, Kenneth Christiansen claimed to be Cooper. Christiansen did not match the physical description of Cooper and he was also a skilled paratrooper. Cooper jumped out of the plane in the middle of the night, in bad weather, with loafers and a trench coat on. This is something a trained paratrooper would not do. A third person claimed he was Cooper, Richard McCoy. McCoy also did not match the description and was reported to be at home the day after the hijacking, which could not have happened if he didn't have any help.
The new information in this case involves a suspect who has been dead for more than 10 years. Since every lead the FBI has received in this case has lead nowhere, they are working on this new lead to help them solve this case. Family members of this new suspect have been cooperating with authorities, granting them access to property that belonged to the deceased. The FBI is most interested in items that may have fingerprints of new suspect.
If this new suspect were still alive, he would need to consult with a good criminal defense lawyer to help him with his case. He would face serious charges relating to the hijacking and ransom money.
If you or someone you know is facing serious criminal charges, it will be wise to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in your area. Call one of the federal criminal lawyers at The Mace Firm for a free consultation.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a federal crime please call one of our good criminal lawyers. Our federal criminal lawyers are here to help you and your family in your time of need. Please call The Mace Firm to schedule a free consultation with a South Carolina criminal defense lawyer.
