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skyjack71

D B Cooper Unsolved Skyjacking

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I lived 17 yrs with this man - 17 mostly good yrs.

Why he told me he was Dan Cooper 11 days prior to his certain death after refusing further dialysis I will never know? Since I did not know who Dan Cooper was it would be 1 yr and 2months later before I knew that Dan Cooper was the name given by Cooper to the ticket agent.

I had related the circumstances regarding Duane's death to a gentleman who I was dating. He asked me if I had ever thought he might be D.B. Cooper and I he reminded of who Cooper was and what he did. There had been things during our marriage that involved D.B.Cooper and other strange things.

Two wks later on my way to the library to check out my usual books I called this man to verify the name and crime. I found only one book about Cooper - it was a fictional book, but the first 1/3 of the book was actually about the crime itself.

Fortunately. for me I did not read the book right away as I was taking my real estate test, but did take it with me. I did not intend to cram the night before, but after arriving at the testing site in another part of the state and attending a crash course the day before testing - I realized that I needed to study.

After returning home a couple of days later and successfully aced my exam, I started reading the book on May 24 th of 1996. I was only about 1/3 of the way thru the book and I was on the phone to the FBI. They treated me like a crank - wanted to know if I was drinking or on drugs. After talking to them I started to read again and got only about 13 pages over and I was back on the phone to the FBI. I couldn't believe what was happening - the flash backs of our life together and the puzzle pieces all fell into place.

I would try to talk to the FBI again on several occasions only to be rebuffed. So I set out on my own discovery program with nothing, but a phone and no computer and no knowledge of the internet.

What I found - family members who I had never known - and part of a criminal background. In my search I wrote to several people asking for their help in researching his background and one young man volunteered to help me. With his help spanning almost 3 yrs he convinced me to go public and maybe learn more. I had friends and acquaintances and family of my own urging me also to do this, simply to find out the truth. I had to know the truth - it was eating me alive.

I went public in June of 2000, feeling I had enough information to do so. Then the media was calling me - writers, producers - it was a circus, but all I wanted at that time was the truth and told them that if what they wanted to do might help me find more information then I would. I never took one dime for any of the documentaries that I did - I have spent a small fortune in my time and phone bills, but never have taken or asked for any compensation.

My search did escalate in 2000 in part because of the media and the fact that I purchased a computer.
Perhaps this answers many of your questions about WHY.

Due to this forum there has been some new information - and it is coming faster than ever before. So fast that it hard to digest it all.

I did not accept a movie contract that was offered to me and they kept revising it and I kept saying "No".
I was afraid that they might make my search into something it wasn't due to the language of the contracts and I would have NO control. The same with a book - all they wanted to do was capitalize on what information I had acquired without doing anything regarding more reseach.

Hopefully this answers the question of WHY. I do not want to die without knowing the truth - regardless of what that truth maybe. I am closer to the truth at this moment than I have ever been. Something I put aside a few yrs ago as it was not relative considering my limited knowledge of skydiving --- has shouted "Take a Closer Look at This".

Many people who know me and my story have told me that I was probably sitting on the answers and didn't know it. Now I believe that to be true.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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I watched the movie "The Pursuit of DB Cooper" last night and there was scene which may help you if there was any truth in it. Plus, I remember much speculation from the time that DB was ex-military, specifically Special Forces.

In the movie, the Robert Duvall character is interviewing the flight attendant who DB locked in the bathroom. He asked about DB's clothing, accent and other characteristics. The attendant said, "Well, he was wearing a bracelet." Duvall grins and replies, "...a transvestite hijacker?"

The attendant described the bracelet as being made of coarse, black wire. Duvall pulled up his sleeve and says, "Did it look like this?" and showed her a Montagnard elephant hair bracelet.

If the movie writers got that idea for the elephant hair bracelet from the investigators --FBI or others-- you could possibly send a Freedom of Information request for available information. If the investigation records that you find mention that DB had the bracelet it pretty much confirms that he was Special Forces or a Marine stationed with them in 'Nam.

It's possible to buy the bracelets on eBay for $49.00 but not in 1971...nor in 1992 when the movie was made.

Did your husband mention the movie? Can you confirm that he was in 'Nam and that he was with the Montagnards?

As I see it, your quest is tied closely to confirming if the 'real' DB was wearing the bracelet and if your husband served in 'Nam.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Jo... Has anyone suggested that you go to one of the local dropzones there in Florida and possibly make a tandem jump... just a thought..:)



I agree, I also am very very interested in how this story pans out, please PLEASE keep us posted.:)

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I GUESS YOU HAD TO BE THERE! I was jumping when DB did his thing. Being military it was assumed the jumper was military. It was years later Weber came out of the woods. The FBI was after him and had good reason to believe it was him I guess. At one time they were talking about a former SF captain who retired in Central America with to much money. With all the High Jackings and then DB the Feds were looking for some jumpers to put on retainer. I remember the Volplane was being sold at the time. One of the first squares. Like I said I guess you had to be around then to understand. I will attach photo of our guys then and they were all military.

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Can you confirm that he was in 'Nam and that he was with the Montagnards?

As I see it, your quest is tied closely to confirming if the 'real' DB was wearing the bracelet and if your husband served in 'Nam.



Jo Weber says, For the Record:
NO Way! My quest is not tied to a fictional movie nor to 'Nam' nor to such a bracelet. I do not know where you got that information.


I have never said he was in Viet Nam. The only thing ever said to me regarding Viet Nam by Mr. Weber was. "During war time anyone can get into the service, all you need is a SS card." This was said around 1981 regarding a remark I made commenting that he was never in the army after he had pointed out an area in Alabama/Georgia were he had lived in a duplex and an area that they jumped in.

This was all of the conversation. I made an attempt to ask something but he was very astute in changing the conversation and controlling it.

My inquiries to a facility in that area resulted in something I will not talk about here on a forum. The contact was one of the strangest in my search.
Our own government obviously was hiding something regarding Duane L. Weber .

I had already been told by another person from Duane's past and I quote the words "Back off, your husband knew people in high places and if you want to be around to play with your grandkid destroy all you have and don't look back".

Every no or evasive answer has driven me to keep going - to find the truth.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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Jo... Has anyone suggested that you go to one of the local dropzones there in Florida and possibly make a tandem jump... just a thought..:)



With my bones and the injuries from an auto accident in 2000 there is no way I would even try.

I would love to fly over the area in Wa. - not the areas that the media and the FBI searched, but the areas he took me too in 1979 and to release his remains there one day in the future.

Thanks for the offer, anyway.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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>>I GUESS YOU HAD TO BE THERE! I was jumping when DB did his thing. Being military it was assumed the jumper was military.<<

That's too big an assumption. The sport side of parachuting (non-military) was clicking right along in 1971. Relative Work was exploding all over the country and the military had nothing on the civilian side as far as skills go.

However, I "lean" toward DB Cooper being former military, with a small number of jumps from years ago, or someone with no parachuting experience at all.

If it had been an experienced sport jumper, or even a current military club or ops jumper, he'd have been better prepared. I would have done it – not to sound like O.J. – with one of Hank's big Piglets and would have had an ash-bag for the money.

The bad WX over the jump area and the way he obtained the parachutes both point to someone who didn't put too much emphasis on the jump. That sounds like someone with no parachute experience at all. The next question becomes could a complete wuffo contemplate, and then carry out such a thing?

With just a Hollywood knowledge of parachuting, he could have researched the particulars of the air stair on the 727 easily enough, and the rest was just good old fashioned highway robbery.

The person up-board who said, "I'm interested in how this pans out," wins understatement of the thread. The parachuting community has been waiting for 35 years . . .

NickD :)BASE 194

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Can you confirm that he was in 'Nam and that he was with the Montagnards?

As I see it, your quest is tied closely to confirming if the 'real' DB was wearing the bracelet and if your husband served in 'Nam.



Jo Weber says, For the Record:
NO Way! My quest is not tied to a fictional movie nor to 'Nam' nor to such a bracelet. I do not know where you got that information.


I have never said he was in Viet Nam.


--------------------------

Jo---

What I am saying is that after the hijacked plane landed all of the passengers and crew were interviewed by the FBI and other law enforcement investigators. I'm also saying that *somewhere* there is a record of the interviews that *maybe* the writer of the book "Free Fall" upon which the movie "The Pursuit of DB Cooper" was based talked to investigators or read their reports.

I'm assuming that *maybe* those writers would share any information that they dug up in their research for the book/film with you. Hell, with everyone following this 35 year old mystery!!

I'm speculating--pure speculation!--that there may be some factual truth to the scene in the movie in which the Montagnard elephant hair bracelet is mentioned. If, in fact, the reports relate that 'DB' wore such a bracelet which was described by the hostage flight attendant then tracking down anyone privy to the report would be to your benefit in your quest.

Have you read "Free Fall"? Have you seen the movie? Have you petitioned the gov't under FOIA for anything they have regarding the hijacking?

If people can request documents under FOIA for UFO info and CIA/NSA operations information or other material surely you could enter a FOIA request for documentation regarding the hijacking. I certainly would!

If you haven't requested information under FOIA it would seem to me it would be a good and very important action.

Again, have you requested information under FOIA from any government agency?

Has anyone reading this forum thread requested DB Cooper documents under the FOIA?

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Why in the Photo, do some of these men have their faces covered up?

In 1971 and from the mid-sixties there was concern from the Pilots and FAA regarding the saftey of the 727. With all of the skyjackings regarding Cuba - they voiced that the 727 was a potential target due to its design and wanted something done to prevent from happening what did happen in 1971.

It is rumored that - Around 1967 a group of such pilots and others of concern did make a concerted effort to devise a plan to force the government to
put in place some of the preventive programs that were put in place after 1971.


What if one of these individuals was an ex-con who conned his way into this group. He learned all he could about what they were doing - and having had a close contact in the late 50's to the schematics of the Boeings - (whether the schematics to the 727 was among them I would not know). It has been pointed out to me that the 727 did not make it's debut until the early 60's.

What if this individual was one Duane L. Weber using an alias because he was wanted by the FBI? The FBI find him and off to prison he goes for a couple of yrs.

After getting out of prison he is working menial jobs, nor being able to get on his feet and support his family - in 1970 he finds he has a kidney disease that is going to kill him (in those days you did not live long on the machines).

This man is defeated, but he has the information and plans with two yrs in prison to plan this. He had been involved since the 60's in covert and mob activities...from Las Vegas to Chicago to New Orlean to Miami to Texas and Tenn. In 1971 he is desperate - broke and his wife has left him. He has a disease that at that time was a death sentence.

The pictures I have ACQUIRED from that time show a very fit individual who had to have been working out. He was in Missouri and Columbia, S.C. and Atlanta, Ga during the yrs between 1968 and 1971. Known to spend a lot of time in AL. and Sandy Springs, Ga. Gone for wks at a time but sends money home.

Desparate and alone in the late fall of 1971 he decides to do the "Big One". If he dies - so what.
If the planned failed he would just die sooner.
I frankly don't know if he even thought he could survive. He already knew the locations where the 727 would be flying into smaller airports and he chose an area that was very far away from were he lived. but one he knew very well...from the 40's and 50's. An area he knew so well that he didn't need a map of even 10 yrs later.

You guys and gals think about this - do you think he could have done it with this set of circumstances. The circumstances and his knowledge of the Boeings are Fact. The rest of this has been gleaned from my research. I have enhanced nothing and left out most.

Also note this the insurance company, Pyarmid Life who carried the liability policy - Duane Weber worked for this company under the name of John Collins and was one of their top agents in the Kansas area.

He knew that $200,000 was the max limit on that policy for ransoms.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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Regarding FOIA and witnesses:

A journalist who helped me with much of the research interviewed the artist who did the composite and he said "You can't get any closer" up on seeing the photos of Duane L. Weber - especially the photo I found that was taken just prior to the jump and with dyed hair. He also divulged something that he was unable to depict in his composite...before the journalist told me what it was - I told him what it was.
This was the time when I knew there was no going back - that there was no question that Duane was Cooper.

The FOIA - they have very little and they even have errors in what they release. They can't even get the date correct. Go to the FOIA site. They have over 40 ft of files and this is all they can release - things that have no revelance at all.

Where is the hotel registration from a certain hotel in Portland just outside of the airport gate at that time - the agent tells me that they would have checked it out and then destroyed it. I would know Duane's handwriting regardless of what name he used. I believe that registration is somewhere in that file and the agents of today are just too overwhelmed to even look for it.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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Regarding FOIA and witnesses:

...

The FOIA - they have very little and they even have errors in what they release. They can't even get the date correct. Go to the FOIA site. They have over 40 ft of files and this is all they can release - things that have no revelance at all.

...


-----------------------

I'm sorry, Jo, but if *you* have not filed multiple FOIA requests *yourself* on this issue you are not doing an investigation. IMHO.

I follow and study the UFO abduction phenomenon. Researchers for that topic spend years filing FOIA requests. Most often, the FOIA docs are redacted and meaningless or worthless.

Do *you* have docs like that? Do *you* have 'over 40 ft of files'?

It seems to me that you should be exhausting every possible opportunity available.

I was hoping that your response to my question about filing FOIA requests would be that you have done that and you could describe to those of us who are quite interested just what the gov't *did* send you.

It astounds me that you haven't filed any. If you have filed FOIA requests--and I am misunderstanding your response--please correct me.

Not speculation. Not innuendo. Not exaggerated talk. Written documents: affidavits, investigation reports or what ever.

I'll go one step further, I'll even create a totally new website on your behalf *FOR NO CHARGE* with the FOIA *documents* that you have available. Maybe you could get "InSearchOfDBCooper.com" or something similar.

Let the world see where you are on this. Go for it.

Send me a PM with a list of what you have received from the US gov't in response to your FOIA requests.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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You are most definitely a class act there Bernie! B|

And Jo, if it would make anything easier for you, I'll be in Fla. in a couple weeks on business,
perhaps we could get together and I could help you scan said info to help organize and get up on a web site.










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I just listened to that program you were kind enough to put up. I couldn't remember much of it...I am not one to talk in public. I got tickled at the mistakes I made - like "I was dressing him to take him to the airport" duh? hospital is correct.

The interviewer took liberties with the introduction but that is all right...many liberties have been taken by many.

He did not "whisper" on his death bed but told me matter of factly. He couldn't make me understand what he was talking about - I did not grasp who Dan Cooper was and the jumping out of a plane just wasn't making sense. I was not thinking - my husband had just been told that he would die in 5 days and I didn't want to listen to a tale, but he had never been one to tell tales.

During this time he gave me instructions about where to find certain things and that to be sure to check the van. I was too busy assuring him that I would be find and could handle thing to grasp very much.

He got very angry because I didn't understand who Dan Cooper was and shouted "Oh, F--- let it die with me". We were just outside the nurses station and they came rushing in thinking he was upset with his situation after hearing that remark. This is when they started sedating him. Prior to this he was NOT sedated.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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I do not have 40 ft of files - the FBI does I have been told and has been in news articles.

My research is more than 8 ft long

The FOIA - is a joke. Others who have requested and recieve these documents - there is nothing there. I have reason to believe these individuals and have seen most of it. I only have copies of very few things and the errors in what I reviewed did not encourage me to pay the fees required .

One of the reasons only garbage will be made available is because the case is still open - some of the material is considered "sensitive" and "incriminating" and will never be available.

Freedom of Information Act - they wiil not divulge names of others that they investigated, names of those who have called saying they know who Cooper is and the testimony of the witnesses as given to the FBI and the artist doing the composite.

These are the things I need to see along with that precious hotel registration they claim they don't have or they just don't want to look for it . If they did have it I can assure you they would never want anyone to see it - it might mean that they missed the best clue they had been given.

The agents recieving the registration told the night clerk not to handle it and he said they put it in a plastic bag - all I want is a copy to review so that I can see if Duane was one of the register guest that night (regardless of the name he used I would know his handwriting).
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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Thank you for your offer - I just don't have that kind of time to manage a web site. Just posting to this is diffcult. Takes me forever to get a photo posted.

I have gone to many web sites about "D.B. Cooper" and what you find is crazy and mostly kids.
I don't know how these things work and there are huge fees to pay that I could never afford. I did look into this at one time.
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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I am really sorry you started that thread. Those sites are old and full of misinformation.

The site that you guote from in 1998 (in your thread) has only the very 1st photo I could acquire - it was distorted and not near the age he was when he made the jump.

Statements made regarding that Duane had been eliminated was 1998 --- the FBI agent in 2000 went on national TV and took credit for information that Doug Pasternak of the US News and World Reports and I had found.

This same agent had not even done a cursory background check on Duane - he repeated back to me what I had told him and claimed that Duane was never in Mc Neil and some of the other prisons. Well, I had the documentation in Black and White. That agent cooked his own goose that Thanksgiving.

Why did the FBI ask for Duane Webers DNA in March of 2003?[/b
Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

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Why did the FBI ask for Duane Weber's DNA in March of 2003?


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Well I can probably answer that one Jo~

'Dan Cooper' allegedly was smoking like an old train on board the aircraft, back when you COULD do such things.:ph34r:

There are no doubt many of his cigarette butts gathered up and in some evidence locker somewhere, they wanted Duane's DNA to compare against DNA likely on those butts left behind by the hijacker.

Again, no surprise you haven't heard anything from them...they may be hesitant to acknowledge that the untold millions of taxpayer money they spent in the fruitless search
proved 'wasted' when you made your initial call to them explaining what you'd found.

Much better to 'save face' and say he couldn't have survived the jump!:S











~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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This is an excellent thread!

Makes you wonder though, while the FBI are reading this if they are actually reading other threads in the forums.




Ever met a Lawyer or an Accountant that COULD READ ?! :S


Much less one on the Federal Teat??? :P










~ "Pack Fast, Pull Low... and Date Your Riggers WIFE!" ~

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This is an excellent thread!

Makes you wonder though, while the FBI are reading this if they are actually reading other threads in the forums.




Ever met a Lawyer or an Accountant that COULD READ ?! :S


Much less one on the Federal Teat??? :P




:o:o:o


~ I N C O M I N G ! ! ! ~

















:ph34r::ph34r::ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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This is an excellent thread!

Makes you wonder though, while the FBI are reading this if they are actually reading other threads in the forums.




Ever met a Lawyer or an Accountant that COULD READ ?! :S


Much less one on the Federal Teat??? :P




:o:o:o


~ I N C O M I N G ! ! ! ~



No. O U T G O I N G !!!...I'm done...

This thread has lost its interest for me.

It is beyond my understanding why the person who started it steadfastly refuses to file FOIA requests...and then bitches about the information that is not provided.

Good luck, Jo, I have better things to do with my life.

I think I'm going to rake leaves.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Neutral third party viewpoint here. This will help explain the argument. This will help explain why we need to stay polite and continue to do benefit-of-doubt.

With a specific government department (i.e. American IRS or Canadian CCRA), I have heard of many horror stories as well as many success stories. Someone got audited, someone got a tax refund.

Another example: Cellphone companies. Don't forget there are many happy Cingular customers who have been pampered by very nice people working there, while there are many angry Cingular customers that have been abused by seemingly brainless customer service, and people actually don't sign up for Cingular because of the bad stories they hear.

And don't get me started regarding presidents, prime ministers, and other leaders (of many countries, Canada, America, wherever). We all totally agree that some of us love them, some of us hate them, and some are anywhere in between.

There is enough polar-opposite experiences with any ONE government department that I understand both sides of the argument. You are intelligent enough to understand that multiple-person entities (government, companies, etc) can often exhibit the behavior of one hand not knowing know what the other is doing, and the usual inefficiencies and inconveniences that sometimes occur... And that word-of-mouth is very powerful, especially when told by close friends.

Shame given Jo's apparent grief (let's not worry about if DB is real or not), you aren't using more polite statements such as "While I understand there has almost certainly been negative experiences with FOIA, the problem happens with just about any federal department. If you come across a financial situation where you are able to afford to try and make the 'gamble' to do so, you should try approaching FOIA sometime anyway to make a request. There are occasionally good stories -- it's worth a gamble in the odd chance you get some useful info, which is certianly possible -- Here's a success story with FOIA, someone got a..." .... Instead you chose to say something inflammatory such as "It is beyond my understanding why the person who started it steadfastly refuses to file FOIA requests" Yes, there is emotional reaction, but remember Jo is the one who had the dying husband, not you -- even if you don't think he's real, you need to give understanding of that. Hear, hear!

I continue to watch this story. It is one of the most interesting threads on dropzone.com lately.

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