D.B. Cooper's potential identity back in focus after parachute & logbook unearthed in family home

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Images: Federal Bureau of Investigation / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) and Oleh Bilovus | Dreamstime.com

 

Could it be that one of America’s greatest mysteries is finally coming in for a landing? In a new twist to the decades-old D.B. Cooper case, investigators may have found the lead they’ve been chasing for over fifty years. A parachute and a logbook, both potentially linked to the infamous 1971 hijacking, have surfaced, reigniting hope of finally revealing the identity of the elusive skyjacker.

 

The discovery was made by Dan Gryder, a YouTuber and amateur investigator who has been researching the Cooper case for more than two decades. Gryder, along with the family of Richard Floyd McCoy II, stumbled upon the parachute in an outbuilding on McCoy’s family property in North Carolina in July 2022.

 

The parachute—described by Gryder as a “one-in-a-billion” find—contained unique modifications that match descriptions provided by Earl Cossey, who had supplied the chutes used in the original heist.

 

The logbook, found by McCoy’s sister Chanté, also aligns with the timeline of both the Cooper hijacking and another hijacking in Utah that McCoy was convicted of in 1972.

 

 

D.B. Cooper became a household name after the now-legendary hijacking on November 24, 1971. Using the alias Dan Cooper, the man boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 in Portland, Oregon, bound for Seattle, Washington. After slipping a note to a flight attendant, Cooper claimed he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. The plane landed in Seattle, where he received the money before taking off again with only the crew. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, Cooper jumped from the plane into the night sky, leaving behind little more than a black clip-on tie and a whole lot of speculation.

DB Cooper wanted poster. Image: Federal Bureau of Investigation / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) 

 

Despite extensive searches and numerous theories, Cooper’s identity and his fate remained shrouded in mystery, leading to decades of speculation and investigation. The FBI officially closed the case in 2016, deciding there was not enough evidence to continue, but the recent discoveries have prompted a renewed interest. In September 2023, agents collected the parachute and logbook from Gryder, marking the first significant progress in the case in years. The renewed focus has brought McCoy back into the spotlight as a potential suspect.

 

Richard Floyd McCoy II has long been a person of interest. McCoy was arrested and convicted of a similar hijacking just five months after Cooper’s disappearance. Though he later escaped from prison and was killed in a shootout, many have speculated that McCoy might have been D.B. Cooper. This newly discovered evidence may be the most concrete connection yet, and investigators are cautiously optimistic that they could be closing in on answers.

 

• https://www.newsweek.com/db-cooper-update-why-fbi-reopened-case-1991589 
• https://tribune.com.pk/story/2511830/parachute-linked-to-db-cooper-found-reigniting-mccoy-hijacking-theory