D.B. Cooper, one of the 20th century’s most compelling masterminds, hijacked a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport in 1971 and held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb
The FBI is looking at an ‘odd bit of buried foam’ as possible evidence in the cold case investigation into criminal mastermind D.B. Cooper, according to private investigators.
The potential evidence was handed over to authorities last week by the team of sleuths who believe the foam made up a part of Cooper’s parachute backpack, the New York Daily News reports.
Cooper, one of the 20th century’s most compelling masterminds, hijacked a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport in 1971 and held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb.
Once his demand of $200,000 cash – the equivalent of $1,213,226 today – was reached and transferred onto the plane, Cooper had the crew take off before he parachuted out over the dense Pacific Northwest woods and disappeared.
The discovery of the foam comes just weeks after the FBI uncovered what is believed to be part of Cooper’s parachute strap, which private investigators claim could lead authorities to his stolen fortune.
In addition, the FBI also received three ‘unknown’ pieces of fabric that were found close to where the alleged parachute strap was located.
The team of private investigators is headed by TV and film executive Thomas Colbert and his wife Dawna. They established the dig site where the alleged items were found after receiving tips from what they claim are credible sources.
TV and film executive Thomas Colbert (right) is seen holding what he believes is a strap from Cooper’s parachute, which was found somewhere in Pacific Northwest woods
Hijacking: Cooper got the money threatening to blow up this plane in Seattle-Tacoma airport. Colbert says a ‘credible source’ told him the money was buried near where the strap was found
Colbert said earlier this month that the strap was found ‘right where a credible source claimed the chute and remaining money are buried.’
He wouldn’t publicly reveal the location to the media but said the potential evidence would be handed to the FBI for analysis.
Colbert said an unnamed couple led him to the site, which was corroborated by reports he had obtained from the FBI.
The amateur investigator sued the FBI for the documents after they announced they would no longer be investigating the case in July 2016.
He has spent several years conducting his own investigation into the mysterious crime, writing a book and producing a documentary series on it in the process.
It’s widely believed that Cooper – whose real identity remains unknown and who was never seen again after the heist – died of exposure in the woods between Oregon and Washington.
Vanished: Cooper told the plane’s crew to fly after the money came in, then parachuted out over woodland. It was November and he was wearing only a suit, so many believe he died. Some $5,800 of the money was found in a river by a young boy in 1980
It’s widely believed that Cooper – whose real identity remains unknown and who was never seen again after the heist – died of exposure in the woods between Oregon and Washington
He parachuted from the plane wearing just a suit in late November – hardly ideal conditions for surviving in the thick, chilly vegetation.
And until now, the only convincing evidence of his crime that has been found were three packets of $20 bills totaling $4,900. They were found by a river on the states’ borders in 1980, and confirmed to be from the hijacking.
‘DB Cooper’ is believed to have merely been a pseudonym used by the hijacker and not his real name.
Last September, Colbert announced that he believed Cooper’s real identity was Vietnam veteran Robert Rackstraw, a highly decorated pilot who faked his death in 1978 to avoid a fraud trial.
Rackstraw, who is now 73 and lives on a yacht named ‘Poverty Sucks’ in San Diego, denied Colbert’s claims.
His lawyer called the accusation ‘the stupidest thing I ever heard.’