The decades-long enigma of DB Cooper, the mysterious hijacker who vanished in 1971, has gained new momentum. The FBI has reportedly reopened its investigation after a parachute, believed to be linked to the infamous case, was discovered.
The parachute was found on a North Carolina property belonging to a family connected to Richard Floyd McCoy II, a prime suspect in the DB Cooper case. McCoy was previously arrested for a hijacking that bore striking similarities to Cooper’s daring escape. According to Newsweek, this new piece of evidence could provide new answers into one of America’s most baffling cases.
The discovery came to light thanks to Dan Gryder, a YouTube investigator who has spent over two decades researching the DB Cooper case. Gryder located the parachute on the McCoy family property and documented his findings in a series of videos, sparking renewed interest in the case.
On November 24, 1971, a man known only as Dan Cooper boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle. After takeoff, he passed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner, claiming he had a bomb in his briefcase. The note demanded $2,00,000 in $20 bills and four parachutes, says the FBI report.
Schaffner informed the plane’s captain, William A. Scott, and the crew complied with the hijacker’s demands. Cooper maintained brief communication with the flight crew but eventually stopped.
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When the plane landed in Seattle, Cooper released the passengers in exchange for the money and parachutes. He then instructed the crew to take off again, heading south. Somewhere over the Pacific Northwest, Cooper opened the plane’s rear stairs and jumped into the night with the ransom money strapped to his body.
Despite extensive searches and investigations, authorities could never pinpoint where or when Cooper exited the plane. A few $20 bills ($5,800 in all) was found in the area where he jumped but the hijacker was never identified or captured.
The parachute discovery has reignited speculation about the case. Experts believe it could offer critical clues about Cooper’s fate after he leapt from the Boeing 727. It remains unclear whether Cooper survived the daring escape, as no confirmed remains or evidence of his landing have ever been found.
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The FBI’s initial investigation into Cooper involved interviews with over 800 suspects by 1976. Despite numerous leads, including evidence of ransom money found along the Columbia River in 1980, the case went cold. The FBI officially closed its investigation in 2016, citing the need to focus resources on more pressing matters.
Richard Floyd McCoy II has long been a key figure in theories surrounding D.B. Cooper. McCoy was arrested in 1972 for hijacking a plane in a manner almost identical to Cooper’s heist. He demanded a ransom, jumped from the plane with parachutes, and survived. However, the FBI has never confirmed McCoy’s involvement in the Cooper case, maintaining that the two incidents are unrelated.
The discovery of the parachute on McCoy’s family property has renewed speculation about whether he and Cooper could be the same person or if McCoy had knowledge of Cooper’s escape.
(Image: FBI)
