After 54 years, D.B. Cooper hijacking mystery deepens as FBI releases unseen case files

Time of India

05-07-2025

The FBI has released a 398-page case file on the 1971 D.B. Cooper hijacking, providing new details but no definitive answers. The documents include hundreds of tips, false leads, and suspect profiles—ranging from a man in a wheelchair to a fraudster who impersonated Cooper in an extortion attempt. Forensic analysis of Cooper's tie revealed rare industrial metals, suggesting he may have worked in aerospace or electronics.
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The 1971 Hijacking
What the Newly Released Files Reveal
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The Titanium Clue and Occupational Theories
The McCoy Theory
The FBI has released a detailed 398-page case file related to the D.B. Cooper hijacking , shedding light on one of America's most baffling criminal cases. Despite the extensive documentation and decades of investigation, the identity of the hijacker remains unknown, more than 50 years after the daring mid-air escape.On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias "Dan Cooper" boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 in Portland, Oregon. Shortly after takeoff, he handed a note to a flight attendant, claiming he had a bomb in his briefcase. The suspect demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. Upon landing in Seattle, he released 36 passengers in exchange for the ransom and then ordered the flight crew to take off again, this time heading toward Mexico City.While the plane was flying at a low altitude between Seattle and Reno, Cooper opened the rear stairway and parachuted into the night, carrying the money with him. He was never seen or heard from again. A media error during early reporting referred to him as 'D.B. Cooper,' a name that became etched into public memory.According to the NY Post, the newly declassified FBI documents outline numerous leads and suspects the agency pursued. One noteworthy tip described a suspect who used a wheelchair. However, agents quickly ruled him out, with a note in the file stating plainly that a person confined to a wheelchair could not have carried out such a hijacking.Another significant name in the documents is Donald Sylvester Murphy. In 1972, Murphy impersonated Cooper in an elaborate hoax intended to extort $30,000 from a former Newsweek editor. He altered currency to match the serial numbers from the ransom bills and even dressed to resemble the sketch of the hijacker. He was eventually arrested and convicted of fraud.The files also mention dozens of other suspects, including pilots, parachutists, and Boeing employees. Many of these individuals were investigated, with agents showing their photographs to witnesses. However, the majority were ultimately eliminated from the inquiry, and no concrete leads emerged.One intriguing detail found in the files is the examination of a tie left behind by the hijacker on the plane. Forensic analysis revealed over 100,000 microscopic particles on the tie, including rare industrial metals like unalloyed titanium, bismuth, and strontium sulfide. This discovery led investigators to speculate that Cooper might have worked in industries such as aerospace or electronics, possibly even with access to Boeing facilities.Although not covered in the latest file release, speculation has long surrounded Richard McCoy Jr. Less than five months after Cooper's hijacking, McCoy carried out a similar crime involving a parachute escape and ransom demand. He was captured two days later and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Despite the similarities, the FBI ruled him out in the Cooper case, citing mismatched physical descriptions and an alibi placing him in Utah.Years later, McCoy's children publicly claimed he was D.B. Cooper, stating they waited until their mother's death to speak out. They pointed to a parachute allegedly found in her storage and other circumstantial evidence. Still, this claim does not appear in the newly released documents, and the FBI has maintained its position.The FBI officially closed the Cooper investigation in 2016 due to a lack of new credible evidence. The latest document release, while rich in detail and previously unseen tips, offers no breakthrough in solving the mystery. Cooper's identity, fate, and the whereabouts of the ransom money continue to puzzle law enforcement and true crime enthusiasts alike.