Two illustrations of D.B. Cooper.
Share this @internewscast.com

NEW FBI files have shed light on one of the longest-running unsolved hijackings in US history.

A 398-page dossier consolidates years of information about DB Cooper, the enigmatic figure who in 1971 hijacked an airplane and disappeared with $200,000 in ransom after parachuting away.

Two illustrations of D.B. Cooper.
Sketches of DB Cooper, the man who hijacked a plane in 1971 and parachuted out with the ransom moneyCredit: FBI
Photo of the interior of an airplane, showing overhead compartments and an airplane seat.
Cooper sat in the last row of the plane and ordered a bourbon and 7UPCredit: FBI
Black and white photo of Northwest Airlines crew at a press conference following a 1971 hijacking.
The crew of the Northwest Airlines jet after the hijackingCredit: AP

Dan “DB” Cooper is the alias of the man who hijacked Northwest Flight 305 over Portland, Oregon, in November 1971, en route to Seattle.

Identified as a man with dark hair, approximately in his mid-40s, Cooper handed a flight attendant a note stating he possessed a bomb, revealing a briefcase filled with wires and red sticks as proof.

After the Boeing landed in Seattle, Cooper released 36 passengers in exchange for $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.

The plane then took off with several crew members, heading towards Mexico City under Cooper’s orders.

Somewhere in the airspace between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, at an altitude of roughly 10,000 feet, Cooper jumped out of the rear of the aircraft with the ransom, vanishing without a trace.

The document, released by the FBI on Tuesday, reveals that despite interviewing hundreds of suspects, the agency remains at a dead end.

One suspect was even a man in a wheelchair, with the report concluding: “A man confined to a wheel chair [sic] did not hijack the plane in this case.”

While multiple suspects are named in the files, further investigation – including showing photos to witnesses – often led agents to mark their files with a handwritten “eliminated”.

The files include the well-known claim by Donald Sylvester Murphy that he was DB Cooper.

Murphy made this claim to a former Newsweek editor, but it was later revealed to be part of an extortion scheme.

New DB Cooper ‘suspect’ and DNA unearthed as pressure piles on FBI to act now and identify skyjacker to solve mystery

The elaborate plot saw Murphy posing for photographs “wearing a wig and glasses and otherwise appearing much like the widely circulated ‘artist’s conception’ of ‘D.B. Cooper,’” according to a court document included in the files.

Murphy and a conspirator were sentenced to prison for the fraud, according to a 1973 report by The New York Times.

Notably, Richard McCoy Jr., whose children claimed he was DB Cooper last year, does not appear in the files.

In fact, most suspects remain unknown to the public.

Black and white photo of a Northwest Airlines plane on a runway at night.
The hijacked Northwest Airlines jetliner is seen in this file photoCredit: AP

They range from an Alabama man who died of cancer just months after the hijacking, to airline pilots, parachutists and Boeing employees.

The Sun previously reported on independent investigator Eric Ulis’ probe into the DB Cooper case.

In August last year, Eric identified Vince Petersen, a deceased metallurgist from Pennsylvania, as his leading suspect – a theory he has pursued since 2022.

Eric and forensic expert Tom Kaye discovered dozens of rare titanium particles on a clip-on tie left behind by the hijacker.

Tracing the particles led them to the now-defunct Crucible Steel plant in Midland, Pennsylvania, where Petersen worked for several years.

Meanwhile, a passenger aboard the plane shared their memory of the elusive criminal with The Sun.

Michael Cooper, a then 31-year-old teacher traveling home for Thanksgiving, remembered the hijacker as a suave and level-headed man who exuded authority.

“He was probably in his 40s, and he was wearing a jacket and a tie and he was just real quiet,” Michael said in January last year.

Black tie with tie clip.
Cooper’s tie is one of the only items of evidenceCredit: FBI
Flight attendant Flo Schaffner at a press conference discussing the D.B. Cooper hijacking.
Flight attendant Flo Schaffner was one of the crew members of the hijacked Northwest Airlines flight 305Credit: Getty
Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Caribbean police work to ID body found during search for missing American as nearby security guard was killed

Caribbean Authorities Seek to Identify Body Found During Search for Missing American After Nearby Security Guard Killing

A security guard was killed about 9 miles from where an American…
Driver arrested after attempting to drive through fence at US military base: authorities

Authorities Detain Driver for Trying to Break Through Fence at US Military Base

Officials in Virginia said an unauthorized individual attempted to enter Joint Base…
Motorcycle police officer writing a traffic ticket.

New Law Imposes ‘$5 Per Mile’ Fine for Drivers from August 1, Alongside Increased Parking Ticket Fees

TICKET fees are about to face a major hike for certain drivers…
High-rise building engulfed in smoke and fire.

17-Storey Towerblock Engulfed in Flames, Sending Massive Smoke Plumes Skyward as 70 Firefighters Battle the Blaze

A WOMAN has been rushed to hospital and others treated at the…

Eyewitness to Idaho Tragedy: Missteps, Misunderstandings, and the Unveiling of the Real Culprit

EDGING open the door to the student digs, Hunter Johnson felt something…
Video still of a protestor appearing to fire a gun at agents.

Stunning Incident: Protester Allegedly Shoots at Officer During California ICE Raid on Cannabis Farm; FBI Offers $50k Reward for Information

A MASKED protester opened fire on federal agents during a tense immigration…
Car crashed into a care home.

Elderly Women Lose Lives as BMW in Police Chase Crashes into Nursing Home; Two Men Detained

TWO women have died after a BMW which was being chased by…
Ghislaine Maxwell follows prison fitness routine, video shows, as DOJ's Jeffrey Epstein memo draws heat

Ghislaine Maxwell Seen Adhering to Fitness Routine in Prison, Footage Shows, Amid Controversy Over DOJ’s Jeffrey Epstein Memo

July 2025 – Completion of Review Yields Limited Details The Justice Department…
Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the English Channel.

Russia’s Sole Ailing Aircraft Carrier, Once Struggling Through the Channel, Set to Be Retired

VLADIMIR Putin’s only rustbucket aircraft carrier that struggled through the Channel is…
Mugshot of a man in a yellow shirt.

Justin Mohn Convicted of Murdering Father and Posting Disturbing Video Online

A SICK man who slashed his dad’s head with a machete and…
El Chapo's son pleads guilty to US drug trafficking

El Chapo’s Son Admits Guilt in US Drug Trafficking Case

As part of a plea agreement, Guzman Lopez admitted to helping oversee…
Boeing settles with Paul Njoroge, man whose wife, 3 children died in 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in 2019, averting trial in Chicago

Boeing Reaches Settlement with Paul Njoroge, Man Who Lost Family in 2019 Ethiopian 737 Max Crash, Avoids Chicago Trial

Boeing has reached a settlement with a Canadian man named Paul Njoroge,…