DB Cooper

[377 21]

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Again,forgive me if its been asked or mentioned before , but the library book ..with the handwriting.If it went down as we were told , did it occur to anyone that is where Duane got his info to spin his tale ?

If the book really was annotated by him I've always wondered if Duane was planning a con involving the Cooper cash. DBC wouldn't have needed to read a library book about his own caper.

Which is more likely:

Duane actually being Cooper?

Duane lieing and conning about being Cooper?

Jo, I know you believe Duane was Cooper. You have equivocated a few times but when you referred to yourself as "Cooper's widow" just the other day it's clear that's what you believe.

Duane's health, serial dishonesty/thievery and lack of parachuting experience make it extraordinarily unlikely that he would be chosen by others to do the skyjack. Who in their right mind would trust a con man thief with $200,000 in cash?

Could he have done it as a loner? Sure, but his history shows ordinary crime dumbly executed. His arrest and conviction record spells bumbler to me and I am sure to anyone else with experience in the criminal justice system. How likely is it that Duane could have thought up such an innovative caper, executed it and evaded arrest? It would sure have been out of character.

Your pursuit of proof has been frustrating and you have referred to the quest as wasted years, blaming the FBI etc. You might look at it another way. You have a deep passion and you've spent the last few years pursuing it with a vigor that is intense and unwavering. Even if proof eludes you, your life has been one of passion. It has kept you active and in communication with others daily. That beats the dreary isolated life many people your age live. The thought of you trekking to the NW last year could be looked at as tragic, pitiful or inspiring. I like inspiring.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[ExBlue 0]

Mr Blevins,

Thanks for the reply. I actually like your theory--at least it has some meat on it--but I've never read your book. I have no clue why there is so much animosity between you and some others and I don't want to know. I enjoyed listening to your theory as much as the others put forth here. Who really knows?

EVickiW,

Thanks. But I'm not retired, just former. But sometimes I wish I'd stayed to retire!

Longtimelurker,

Way back in the thread--like 56 million pages ago--there was discussion about the guy not actually jumping. It was ruled out in some rather scientific jargon but the experts concluded something called "bump" showed that he indeed jumped.

[Farflung 0]

Joining Robert99 will be smokin99,

The contestant with the devastating Southern charm.

Smokin99 cautiously reflects:

“...I would take Hot Nuns for 200,000.....but that just sounds..... so.......wrong. So Alex, I'll take Denial for 1600.”


and the Coopardy answer is….

[EVickiW 0]

Hairy Arms - What is LD Cooper's arms?

Melvin Luther Wilson - Missing Person since September 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs

[smokin99 0]

Ummmm....... I'm torn....

Hairy Arms: What did Galen Cook's suspect have that Blevins' suspect didn't?

Hairy Arms: What was REALLY under that suit coat?

but....A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.....Winston Churchill

[longtimelurker 0]

Good points 377 and ExBlue , Exblue i jumped aboard the no jump scene too quickly without considering something caused that aftstair to bounce.It's a solid point.

377 , the book or books Duane had read , i agree if he were Cooper he would have no need of a book nor would he want that book anywhere around.If he were or somebody was planning a Duane Weber Legacy "One last Con" "The big one" then Yes , the book or books were vital.

In looking for details on this incident one does come across other forums where there is a Mrs Cooper character and many many lengthy posts,i see some of the names i was somewhat accused of being there so i'm assuming i can guess who is Mrs Cooper there.
If Duane were married 5 times or even just twice is it not then fair to suggest the wife in 1971 is the real Mrs Cooper if in fact Duane had done it which seems highly unlikely.
Regardless i agree with the thought it doesnt matter what anyone says or proves , he will always be DB Cooper to at least one person.
Technology has come leaps and bounds since the time of Duanes passing and the following events,i mean the available research materials to the entire planet,that couldnt be anticipated nor planned for.

[Robert99 37]

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Jo doesn't come right out and ask, but I believe she wants to know the meaning behind the 'codes':

The idea that Duane Weber's Navy serial number (if he was actually in the Navy) and/or his Army serial number can be rearranged to represent some kind of meaningful "code" is an imaginative piece of nonsense.

[Farflung 0]

Ohhhh, that was close Vicki. But the category is ‘Denial’. A subject presented as fact sans verification.

Smokin99 is correct.

Also acceptable was, Who is Sasquatch? … Sasquatch also of some related fame.

Either of you can select your next Coopardy subject. Good Luck!

[G_Jones 0]

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Entirely plausible. One thing, however, neither Tina or any member of her friends and family have ever told me that Tina has been silent because she was sick and tired of talking about the skyjacking.

Rather, what I hear is a mantra along the lines of - "Leave it in the past."

That said, some individuals complain about the stream of phone calls to themselves, but I have not heard anyone say that Tina has been overwhelmed by pesky media types, and I would consider myself to be on the short list of these guys.

At least that is my impression.

Perhaps I missed this, but does anyone know if there are any actual published interviews with Tina or Flo? I assume there are recordings or transcript of their questioning after the hijack held by the FBI. The attendants were the only ones in a position to really get a read on the guy and all the info I have seen is extremely vague.

[Robert99 37]

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Joining Robert99 will be smokin99,

The contestant with the devastating Southern charm.

Smokin99 cautiously reflects:

“...I would take Hot Nuns for 200,000.....but that just sounds..... so.......wrong. So Alex, I'll take Denial for 1600.”


and the Coopardy answer is….

I guess I'll have to go for $1200:

Attics - What are inaccessible spaces above the living area in some houses that are needed to help explain improbable theories?

[ExBlue 0]

Mrs. Weber,

Did you ever wisely accept the advice some suggested and hire a PI?

All of your questions about where your husband was and who he associated with can be found if you have the right person doing the job. The FBI will never look at any of your information because your husband has been ruled out--they don't want the information for a reason.

If you really want to know the truth about your husband, hire a reputable PI and I'm sure paperwork can be found. You won't like what is found--he was a wandering man who was in and out of jails and nothing more--but you can put all of this behind you.

[G_Jones 0]

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Why is everyone so sure that he left the plane? Are you 100 percent sure he jumped? If you answer yes, explain to me why.

1. The plane was thoroughly searched when it reached the ground, if I recall correctly dogs were even used and those wouldn't miss a hidden person. There's only so many places to hide on a plane anyway, was he supposed to crawl up into the overhead bins?

2. Something heavy enough left the stairs of the plane which caused them to spring back up and close and create the noted pressure wave. This effect was recreated in later tests. I don't see how this could be spoofed unless some other 200lb object was missing from the plane.

3. If Cooper did hide on the plane, he would have had to have thrown out the parachutes and briefcase or kept them with him and later escaped with them. He would have to take the parachutes off, and untie anything secured by the ropes from the chute he dismantled. If planning on not jumping, would he really have bothered to go through the charade of cutting up the other chute? Then he would have had to either throw out the money as well, or go back several years later to plant some in a place where it was likely never to be found, but was.

[skyjack71 0]

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It would be fair to say on the strength of that book and possibly any earlier ones unknown about to yourself , he would be extremely learned on DB Cooper and flight 305.
I believe Duane was married 5 times ? It isnt unreasonable to think he may have read earlier books if there were any,it seemed of interest to him.

Stop the cock and bull! I was married to the man for 17 yrs.
How many times he was married prior to 1971 is not relevant.

Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

[longtimelurker 0]

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It would be fair to say on the strength of that book and possibly any earlier ones unknown about to yourself , he would be extremely learned on DB Cooper and flight 305.
I believe Duane was married 5 times ? It isnt unreasonable to think he may have read earlier books if there were any,it seemed of interest to him.

Stop the cock and bull! I was married to the man for 17 yrs.
How many times he was married prior to 1971 is not relevant.

It's not anything but seeking the truth , something you are not always keen to hear , so it was 5 times. My point being he had ample time for bookreading before you came on the scene in 1978.
Also i did not say or ask how many times prior to 1971 , i just asked if it was 5 in total.I believe it is relevent , in those previous marriages is there one other person that at any point supported the idea that Duane was Cooper ? No disrespect intended as i realise some of those ex wifes are possibly deceased.

[377 21]

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Thanks. But I'm not retired, just former. But sometimes I wish I'd stayed to retire!

So what does a smart former street cop do next?

The pressure bump indicates something was going on with the stairs and it was most likely Coopers exit. It's a real stretch but if he were a scheming aero engineer or experienced jumper he could have bounced on the stairs to create the bump, climbed back up, waited ten or twenty minutes then gone over the side of the stairs or dived straight off nearer the top. The moment arm is less up there than on the bottom and his departure would create far less rebound. A spoofed early exit would have everyone looking in the wrong area.

Occam says the pressure bump was coincident with his exit. Who am I to argue with Occam?

I don't think he stayed on the plane, the FBI probably searched every possible hiding place. In looking at my 727 manuals I don't see any "behind the panel" spaces with enough volume to hide Cooper. There are such places underneath the plane but unless he was Spiderman he couldn't have accessed them from the cabin.

I do think he jumped. I do thonk if he managed to pull the ripcord he landed alive. I don't think there was a crew conspiracy.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[ExBlue 0]

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So what does a smart former street cop do next?

Earn a Master's on Uncle Sam's dime and start teaching at a community college.

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Who am I to argue with Occam?

Indeed. Occam's a smart dude.

[EVickiW 0]

WTF for $800.00......

(For Jo....... WTF = What the F*@$)

Melvin Luther Wilson - Missing Person since September 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03QLnFvk8Fs

[longtimelurker 0]

377 , i know in past posts here there was much debate on the parachute , i read a recent article that had alledgedly quoted Cossey as the parachute being questioned was an NB8 packed in an NB6 container.This Cossey apparantly said would result in a 'hard pull" speculataing the user would require two hands to pull , if this is accurate and ive no reason to think it isnt,would that have made things any different given the circumstances of the jump ?, if Cooper had little jump experience

[Farflung 0]

Robert99 responds:

“Attics - What are inaccessible spaces above the living area in some houses that are needed to help explain improbable theories?”

Well played again, you’ve added $1200 to your total.

Some truly skilled players with Vicki selecting WTF for $800 and your Coopardy answer is….

[ExBlue 0]

Speaking of "expanding the Cooper franchise," it occurs to me that Winston Groom and Robert Zemeckis missed an opportunity to add a great piece of American folklore to "Forrest Gump."

Imagine a scene where Forrest is in the Pacific Northwest for a ping pong tournament and ends up sitting next to Cooper.

He might even help him chute up.

As Cooper exits, Gump shouts (now use Gump's voice here):

It was nice meeeting yooou!

[377 21]

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So what does a smart former street cop do next?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Earn a Master's on Uncle Sam's dime and start teaching at a community college.

VERY cool ExBlue. I am a big supporter of public education and I think community colleges are an incredibly important component. My wife left a lucrative career in finance to pursue her passion, teaching. She teaches math at a community college and has never looked back. She loves her job and is very inspired by the second chance success stories that happen all the time at community colleges. I'll bet you've seen a few of those yourself.

The Dan Cooper comic issue interests me not only for the possible (but highly speculative) DBC link but also as a study in information flow and idea adoption. Snowmman introduced it as I recall and has researched it extensively. The FBI picked up on it from this forum and featured it on their website. We now have Marla Cooper allegedly recalling her uncle LD cooper posting Dan Cooper comic covers on his wall. It has become part of the legend although there is zero evidence of a DBC connection.

The Ted Braden story seems to have faded from this forum but I cant remember why. Perhaps Orange recalls. He was a hell of a suspect from the skills and motive standpoint. He was a Special Forces experienced HALO jumper who had deserted and was a federal fugitive. He needed money and had the skills to make the jump and survive. Was he too short, strong alibi, wrong eye color or? Why did he get off our radar?

I am so amazed and equally pleased to see how strong the public interest still is in DB Cooper. This story has legs that go on for miles. It must strike a resonant chord in our psyche.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[Robert99 37]

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377 , i know in past posts here there was much debate on the parachute , i read a recent article that had alledgedly quoted Cossey as the parachute being questioned was an NB8 packed in an NB6 container.This Cossey apparantly said would result in a 'hard pull" speculataing the user would require two hands to pull , if this is accurate and ive no reason to think it isnt,would that have made things any different given the circumstances of the jump ?, if Cooper had little jump experience

Some sources also state that the back parachute left behind was a "sports" parachute. Some people state that it was a ParaCommander backpack.

Has anyone on this thread ever seen a 1970 era "sports" parachute or a ParaCommander backpack that didn't have D-rings for a belly reserve?

[377 21]

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Robert99 responds:

“Attics - What are inaccessible spaces above the living area in some houses that are needed to help explain improbable theories?”

Well played again, you’ve added $1200 to your total.

Some truly skilled players with Vicki selecting WTF for $800 and your Coopardy answer is….

You well executed Cooperdy screen is going up on my refrigerator Farflung. I hate to take down your hot nuns, but I know there will be more of those coming.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[G_Jones 0]

Could there be any significance to the plain black clip-on tie? I've read it here suggested that a clip-on might make sense for somebody that was going to jump. Hard to get a good look at the fabric from the FBI photos and Special Agent Carr video, but it does not appear particularly decorative.

I am not sure of the fashions of 1971, perhaps a plain black clip-on was a normal fashion accessory available in any department store, but it seems like it could be something that would be part of a uniform, like for police, a military dress uniform, or for uniformed security.

[owleye 0]

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Please excuse my double posting , i hope you'll indulge me for a moment. Wouldnt it have been so easy if there was no Dan Cooper ? The flight crew never left the c/pit so who is to say who was really in there ? The hijacker was able to stay calm and collected throughout , quite "at home" as one might say.
Chuck the money out with extra cushioning might explain lack of 2 parachutes,helpful if theres a tracking device on the bundle for recovery.It might go some ways in explaining how the $5800 got where it did ..ie..burst open on impact.It doesnt explain the missing 200 from 1 bundle but maybe someone needed spending money before dropping it. This hijacker was very comfortable in his surrroundings , enough so to order a couple of drinks.A casual hijacker indeed.My one stumbling block is that means a conspiracy with the flight crew all in. It could be this is why TM wont discuss the event also , i cant think of many things scary enough to make me hide my entire life away.Not even a bomb.

Do feel free to shred my post , it's probably been suggested many times but it does make some sense to me right now.
Its even to the point it is in the crews best interest to say Cooper jumped at the most unlikely place to ever be found.

Occam's razor prefers an actual hijacker. But i've always liked this theory as a movie ending, or a nice joke, like the sting.