The 'Infamous' D.B. Cooper
Parachutes, comic books, cigarettes, and rivers. The case of D. B. Cooper seems to be ever more expanding rather than coming to a point with each added year of investigation.
I have been working with Edge West Production Company on our latest documentary for National Geographic and I have to say, this seems more like investigative reporting than your classic documentary.
The story goes as I'm sure you well know, a man named Dan Cooper paid $20 for a airplane ticket on November 24th, 1971. He was flying the route from Portland, OR to Seattle, WA- the afternoon flight full of people traveling home for Thanksgiving. After a series of details- which our documentary well covers, Dan Cooper receives his demands for $200,000 and four parachutes, sets the plane in the direction of Reno, NV, filled only with himself, pilot and co-pilot and one stewardess.
The plane lands in Reno, empty. Dan Cooper seems to have disappeared from the plane, and the FBI's grasp, but certainly not the media.
Dan Cooper, later known as D. B. Cooper, is indeed legendary. The man seems to have been transformed from a true criminal who threatened the lives of individuals and forever shifted many aspects of airport regulations, to a uniquely fascinating character full of mystery. A story of great folklore.
The town of Ariel, Washington, the center of the first search area, celebrates D. B. Cooper with an annual gathering; people travel from all over to share their ideas and stories of friends and relatives they believe could have been D. B. Cooper.
The question in my mind is what continues to fuel the thirst to celebrate D. B. Cooper? Undoubtedly it's the continued and valiant efforts of the FBI, constantly uncovering new ideas and sharing them with the public to spark possibility links to clues that may at last solve the case.
The first collection of evidence contained 8 cigarette butts, a clip-on tie with tie clasp, a dismantled parachute, and a few other items. At the time there was no information on DNA testing. Fortunately today the FBI was able to obtain DNA tests on the items, this unveiled the reality that he was indeed male. If the FBI were able to obtain DNA of suspects, they may very well be able to match it to the DNA from the evidence.
Next, a young boy finds a collection of D. B. Coopers money on the bank of the Columbia River, 20 miles away from the original search zone.
Currently the FBI has the help of a team of scientists who are going through the evidence in detail- recalculating the drop zone, analyzing the money. They are finding that the drop zone may have very well been directly over the Columbia River, D. B. Cooper disappeared, yes, he may have been washed out to sea.
Let's add some excitement to the "legend" status. It appears there is a comic book collection from the 1970s of a character named "Dan Cooper". Dan Cooper is a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and flies the adventurous skies filled with parachuting, jet fighters, and more. Is it possible that our D. B. Cooper, our Dan Cooper, was a fan of comics?
It has been quite a ride for me and much of our team as we have set about the creation of this film- it seems as though we are right along side the rest of the nation, ever more hungry for new clues and ultimately solving the case.
I confess although I did not know about D. B. Cooper prior to this project (it was a bit before my time), I will certainly think of him the next time I'm standing in line at airport security!
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1 Comment
Good afternoon.
Enough, already! The mystery is no longer a mystery.
Please, please, please, will someone take a look at a book called "Alive, Alaska"?
Briefly, the book is a comical look at the story (fictional? Not so, I say) of a young African-American named Roland David Hunter. The man was hard-work, determined, the true definition of a "law-abiding citizen"....yet, he was lonely beyond lonely, sad, depressed and suicidal.
He was close to taking his own life when God intervened.
Roland saved the life of a man that "rewarded" him with an all-expenses paid vacation to a very remote area of Alaska.
This had long been a dream of Roland's and it picked his spirits up, to put it mildly.
The story, however, is about what Roland discovered while on his fishing trip.
Roland had everything at his disposal, including transportation to explore the many lakes and streams in Alaska. Well, one morning he took a wrong turn, happily riding along until he came to the end of a road. The road was blocked by a long, long, fence.
Roland's curiosity was peaked, as there was no reason for a fence to be there in the first place.
Bravely, he got out and walked the length of the fence, praying that he didn't run into any bears.
What he came across was a slew of beautiful mansions on this enclosed property, exclusive and very secluded from prying eyes.
There were (are) some very interesting people living in this area.
But, the owner of this wide expanse had been there since the early seventies. He bought the property dirt cheap, paid cash for it, had two homes built for himself, fenced the place in, then opened it up to others just as reclusive as himself.
The people that moved in are all stories by themself.
But the name of the owner of that area, aptly named "Alive, Alaska"?
Mr. D.B. Cooper.
That's right. Mr. D.B. Cooper.
That was in the mid to late nineties. Is he still alive? No telling. You'd have to ask a very happy Roland David Hunter, who moved up to "Alive, Alaska" at the request of the residents.
You see, these are some very famous people who "should" be dead. They've "died" young or suspiciously, then somehow relocated to "Alive, Alaska".
Roland discovered this little secret and he knew that he'd found the goldmine of all stories.
But, that's why you need to read the book
Please go to mountainmistproductions.com, or Google the book, "Alive, Alaska".
Trust me, it's not just another fantasy.
Thank you.
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