The Daring Hijacker Who Vanished into Thin Air with $200k

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• DB Cooper: Infamous hijacker who vanished with $200k ransom money in 1971.
• FBI’s search for Cooper continues, ruling out McCoy as a suspect.
• McCoy escaped from prison in 1974 but was killed in a shootout with FBI officers three months later

More than five decades have passed, and yet the identity of the audacious man who hijacked a plane and vanished with $200,000 in ransom money remains a perplexing enigma in the annals of FBI history.

The captivating DB Cooper case continues to confound investigators, as they cannot definitively identify the mastermind behind this daring heist.

It was on the fateful day of November 24, 1971, when an individual named Dan Cooper stepped aboard a Boeing 727 flight traveling from Portland to Seattle. What set this passenger apart from the others was the fact that he had purchased a one-way ticket with cash, an unusual transaction for that time.

Shortly after takeoff, the mysterious Dan Cooper approached a flight attendant and discreetly passed her a note.

To her astonishment, the message revealed that he was carrying a bomb and demanded a staggering sum of $200,000 in cash as ransom.

Cooper’s audacious plan unfolded before the eyes of the bewildered crew and passengers.

The plane was diverted to Seattle, where Cooper’s demands were met. As night fell, he exchanged the passengers for the money and ordered the pilot to set course for Mexico City, flying at a low altitude with the plane’s rear door open.

Then, somewhere over the rugged terrains of the Pacific Northwest, DB Cooper accomplished the seemingly impossible—he leaped into the night sky, equipped with a parachute, and disappeared into the darkness.

Despite extensive search efforts and an enduring investigation, no definitive trace of Cooper or the vast majority of the money has ever been found. His bold escape and the subsequent investigation became the stuff of legends, captivating the imagination of the public and earning him a place in the pantheon of America’s greatest mysteries.

To this day, DB Cooper’s true identity remains unknown, leaving investigators and amateur sleuths alike grappling with countless theories and speculations. Who was this audacious skyjacker? What became of him after he vanished into the night?

The DB Cooper case continues to captivate minds and fuel a persistent quest for answers, as we are left to ponder the actions and motivations of a man who forever eluded justice and etched his name into the annals of criminal lore.

According to the FBI, Cooper was a “quiet man who appeared to be in his mid-40s, wearing a business suit with a black tie and white shirt.”

Half a century ago, as the flight soared into the sky, a mysterious man seized control of the situation by slipping a note to a stewardess, revealing the presence of a bomb concealed within his briefcase. He commanded her to sit beside him, offering a glimpse of a tangle of wires and red sticks to accentuate the gravity of his threat. A subsequent note demanded four parachutes and an astonishing sum of $200,000 in $20 bills, intended to be handed over upon landing.

When the aircraft touched down in Seattle, the audacious hijacker traded the 36 passengers on board for the requested parachutes and the substantial ransom.

Yet, he detained several crew members, ensuring the plane resumed its flight towards Mexico City. However, an astonishing turn of events unfolded just after 8 p.m., somewhere amidst the expanse between Seattle and Reno—a feat that would etch this mysterious figure’s name into the annals of history.

With unparalleled daring, the hijacker leaped from the rear of the aircraft, equipped with a parachute and clutching his illicitly obtained fortune.

The courageous pilots successfully landed the plane with the remaining crew, but the enigmatic figure, known as DB Cooper, vanished into the obscurity of the night, forever eluding capture.

In the relentless pursuit of justice, the FBI meticulously scoured the land for this elusive fugitive, who cunningly obscured his true identity.

Within a mere five years of the audacious hijacking, over 800 suspects came under their scrutiny, narrowing down the pool to a mere two dozen viable contenders.

Yet, as time passed, the leads grew cold, leaving the case in an unsolved state.

While the DB Cooper saga continues to bewilder, both the FBI and amateur detectives have forged numerous theories in their quest for answers.

Each thread of speculation weaves its narrative, seeking to unravel the mystery that surrounds this captivating figure who defied the bounds of possibility and slipped into the realm of legend.

According to the FBI, one of their suspects, Richard Floyd McCoy is still a “favourite among many”.

While many are still convinced McCoy was DB Cooper, the FBI eventually ruled him out as a suspect because “he didn’t match the nearly identical physical descriptions of Cooper provided by two flight attendants and for other reasons.”