In the latest twist of the enduring D.B. Cooper mystery, newly unveiled FBI files reveal that the bureau once considered a former pilot from western Maine as a potential suspect. This revelation adds another intriguing layer to one of the most perplexing unsolved cases in American criminal history.
The documents disclose that Raymond Sidney Russell, known alternatively as R. Sid Russell or simply Sid Russell, came under FBI scrutiny back in 1972. This was part of the ongoing investigation to unmask the elusive hijacker who, in November 1971, commandeered a Northwest Orient Airlines flight, secured a ransom of $200,000, and made a daring escape by parachuting into the unknown over the Pacific Northwest.
Despite exhaustive efforts, the infamous D.B. Cooper has never been apprehended, leaving the case shrouded in mystery and speculation. The case remains a captivating chapter in the annals of FBI investigations.
According to the Portland Press Herald, Russell hailed from Norway, Maine, and was born in 1923. His background includes military service and a career in aviation, notably with the Flying Tigers and various freight airlines. Prior to returning to his home state in 1971, Russell had spent time on the West Coast, a detail that likely piqued investigators’ interest.
While the FBI files do not specify the initial reason for suspecting Russell, they do document that agents conducted a thorough review of his history and interviewed him at his Maine residence in September 1972. During this meeting, Russell reportedly denied any connection to the hijacking, asserting that he had relocated to Maine months before the incident to care for his mother.
The FBI files do not specify how Russell first drew investigators’ attention, but the documents show agents reviewed his background and interviewed him at his home in September 1972. During that interview, Russell reportedly denied any involvement in the hijacking and said he had returned to Maine months before the crime to be with his mother.
According to the newspaper, some of the people agents spoke with believed Russell could have committed the crime, while others did not think he was capable of it.
The newly released portion of the file includes a handwritten notation dated November 1972 that reads “ELIMINATE RUSSELL,” suggesting the bureau decided not to pursue him further.
Ryan Burns, a Mississippi criminal defense attorney who runs a YouTube channel called “D.B. Cooper Sleuth” and attends an annual Cooper-focused gathering known as “CooperCon,” told the Portland Press Herald that he has reviewed all the FBI’s released files.
“It’s kind of the coolest crime ever. This guy is wearing sunglasses, smoking cigarettes, drinking bourbon in the back of a plane,” Burns said. “And he got away with it.”
Burns said roughly two dozen people appear to have been investigated as seriously as Russell. The expert said that he doesn’t believe Russell was the hijacker, citing differences between Russell’s physical characteristics and witness descriptions of Cooper. He also noted that despite decades of investigation, he doubts the case will ever be solved, in part because potential DNA evidence may have been destroyed.
“I don’t think anybody in the world wants it solved more than I do, given all the effort I put into it,” Burns told the newspaper.
Money recovered in 1980 that matched the ransom money serial numbers. (FBI)
Records reviewed by the newspaper show Russell was a standout high school skier in Norway and later received a $5,000 state grant in the late 1980s for an invention. Russell died in 1989 and is buried in Paris, Maine. The FBI redacted the names of witnesses and acquaintances interviewed in connection with Russell.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI for comment on the case.
The canvas bag that contained one of the parachutes given to D.B. Cooper in 1971. According to the FBI, Cooper asked for four chutes in all; he jumped with two (including one that was used for instruction and had been sewn shut). He used the cord from one of the remaining parachutes to tie the stolen money bag shut. (FBI)
More than five decades after the hijacking, the Cooper case continues to draw fascination, inspiring books and movies. Despite thousands of pages of released documents and countless theories, the identity of the man who successfully hijacked the commercial aircraft remains a mystery.
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