DB Cooper

[skyjack71 0]

377

I have a sneaking suspicion that the butts are not lost and never were. Just a hunch, but a hunch based on direct experience with FBI evidence handling in far less important criminal cases. They know the consequences of losing or even just mishandling potentially exculpatory physical evidence in criminal cases: DISMISSAL. They take considerable care not to give a free pass to a defendant.

Anybody can be a hero. All they need to claim the title is an admirer who thinks they deserve it. Take Duane for example...

377

Duh! If that was what he was trying to do - he told the WRONG person....I had NO idea who DAN Cooper was!

Duane was Cooper and IF he was NOT then he DAMN SURE knew who was.

Maybe the first to die was supposed to confess - just to set the other free. That is a thought that has entered my mind from time to time. The items appeared just after he started dialysis....but he I had no idea what they meant.

If I had know - do you not believe that I would have kept the items & have contacted the FBI right away.

Anyone who knows me knows exactly what I would have done.

I do believe they actually lost the cigarettes - otherwise why conceal them & not be able to provide viable DNA from them....the FBI would have been able to have easily have dismissed any & all suspect with that DNA rather than do expensive investigations...so it stands if the smokes where probably deteriorated or disposed of during the initial process.

If the incident was indeed an action on the part of someone working in coverts or in secret activities....or in someone connected to such a group....maybe then there would be a purpose to loose the most valuable piece of evidence they had.

In 1971 - DNA was in its infancy.

Remember my communication with a man in WA whose mission was to expose the truths - I have not given his name, but his brother told me after this person died that he was still trying to get the truths told & to acknowledge individuals who should have been acknowledge before....

Well, to this day it has not happened & the case goes unsolved. It was after I revealed my conversation with this person - ALL efforts to expose Cooper ceased.

Like I said if all Duane was trying to do was just trying to make a false confession he chose the WRONG person to make his confessions to.

His Clueless wife.

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

[Reichenbach 0]

Quote

My favorite heroes are the quiet, unsung ones, Like Bernie Rhodes and Russ Calame.

I dedicated my book to them today, in my final proof of the final proof. Over the phone with my editor.

I've come to realize that their book: "DB Cooper- The Real McCoy," is the most honest and revealing book in the Cooper firmament.

Are you guys serious? (Sorry, I'm new.) I can't tell.

These are the same heroes who were sued by McCoy's wife and LOST and had to pay her money as damages and kept it quiet out of the public to hide their shame behind a lawyer? And didn't she also sue the publisher of the "most honest and revealing book" and they also LOST and agreed to pay her money as damages? Doesn't "libel" and "defamation" mean that it is both "intentional" and "false?" I'm not an author but aren't those words opposites of "honest?"

"DB Cooper- The Real McCoy,"
(Here's to hoping your writing is more inspired than a shitty pun.)

[377 20]

Blevins wrote:

Quote

No one knows the amount of the settlement, but the sales records on Cooper books are not that good, historically. So it probably ended up costing them money to do the whole thing. Heroes? Maybe not. Crazy

The Cooper Vortex sucks money and time. Anyone who expects to turn a profit on a Cooper literary project will almost certainly be disappointed. Look at how many have tried and failed.

377

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

[BruceSmith 3]

Reichenbach

Quote

My favorite heroes are the quiet, unsung ones, Like Bernie Rhodes and Russ Calame.

I dedicated my book to them today, in my final proof of the final proof. Over the phone with my editor.

I've come to realize that their book: "DB Cooper- The Real McCoy," is the most honest and revealing book in the Cooper firmament.

Are you guys serious? (Sorry, I'm new.) I can't tell.

These are the same heroes who were sued by McCoy's wife and LOST and had to pay her money as damages and kept it quiet out of the public to hide their shame behind a lawyer? And didn't she also sue the publisher of the "most honest and revealing book" and they also LOST and agreed to pay her money as damages? Doesn't "libel" and "defamation" mean that it is both "intentional" and "false?" I'm not an author but aren't those words opposites of "honest?"

"DB Cooper- The Real McCoy,"
(Here's to hoping your writing is more inspired than a shitty pun.)

Yup, those are the guys.

McCoy's wife is quite a character study. I don't know the details of the law suits, but I believe you are correct as to the judicial findings.

I assume that the sticking point is that Calame and Rhodes name her as the getaway driver and an accomplice after the fact by helping stash the money and participating in the cover-up. Apparently she charged that C&R couldn't prove it, so it was deemed libelous.

Geoffrey Gray says he tried sorting this out, and went to Provo to find Mrs. McCoy, who has changed her name, it seems. She wouldn't talk, nor would her attorney. The kids, now grown, also stonewalled GG.

Nick O'Hara ain't talking either, specifically how he knew to find McCoy in Virginia Beach. His information was complete, even down to the street address. WHen I asked Nick about the wife's involvement he burst out laughing - loudest laugh I ever heard from a G-man - and he said he would never tell me, adding:

"Bernie has been asking me for years and I haven't told him either!"

As for lawsuits, Blevins says he is gonna sue my ass and blow my credibility throughout the literary industry, so, I guess I'll be in good company.

And all I'm doing is reporting what he and Geoffrey have reported on Kenny's harboring of runaway boys. I guess he doesn't want me to infer to the world that is naughty behavior.

Say Bobby, who took care of the kids when Kenny was flying to Asia?

Just askin'.

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...On the other hand, hardly anyone cares about the dedication in a book. It's the actual CONTENT that counts. Bruce's book would be the first since August 2010 (Skyjack) that covers all facets of the hijacking from the start until today. We will see. I look forward to purchasing and reading it...."

Thanks, Bobby.

BTW: Let's review Kenny's behaviors and your threats, shall we?

Here's what you just wrote me:

Bruce,
I don't mind supporting your upcoming book, but I want to warn you about something. I am going to examine it for any possible hint in it that alleges KC as a child molester. If I see even the slightest hint of that, I will NOT file a lawsuit with you, consult our attorney, or anything like that.

However...I WILL file protests with your print provider and/or publisher, whether it be Lightning Source, Lulu.com, Amazon Kindle, whatever. And I will hold THEM responsible for any possible libel.

Just saying. And whomever ends up being your print or eBook provider is going to come to you about this. Failure to provide any proof of such allegations would mean they would probably drop distribution, or they will request you drop such allegations from your book. This is the most fair approach with you, and I think I am doing you a favor by not making this stuff public. I want to give you a chance for success.

Don't make me do this. I've interviewed more than 30 people, of whom about half knew Kenny very well for decades. He did take in runaways occasionally, but not until later in life. And he never put a hand on them. For you to even hint such a thing is irresponsible beyond belief. And I will take the proper action if you do this. Otherwise, I fully support your book. I know you've worked on it for quite a while, but no provider will support such allegations and put themselves at risk unless you can prove such allegations.

Sincerely, Robert


And here is what I wrote about Kenny:

"However, Christiansen had a disturbing side to his personality that casts a harsh shadow - he invited runaway boys and young men to stay at his home in Bonney Lake for extended periods of time. This was revealed by Gray and confirmed by Blevins.

"Gray interviewed one of the young men, now an adult, who said that Kenny was generous with his money and returned from his travels with gifts. He also said that Kenny would treat him to meals in restaurants.

"Despite Christiansen’s questionable parenting skills, the young man who stayed at Kenny’s home told Gray - and Blevins in a follow-up interview - he had never been abused by Kenny in any way, and knew no one who had.

"Nevertheless, it is unclear what kind of supervision these at-risk kids received when Kenny was flying to Asia.

"Certainly, these behaviors do not rule out his candidacy to be DB Cooper, but they seem a more plausible explanation for a death-bed tête-à-tête with Lyle than stealing an airplane."

I guess I'll see you in court, Bobby. It's your play.

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"... Bruce's book would be the first since August 2010 (Skyjack)..."

Geoffrey's book was released to the public in August 2011. I know we had to WAIT a long time for it to be released, so it probably was ready for publication in 2010.

Remember how it was delayed repeatedly? Whew....

[BruceSmith 3]

Whoa, Jo, eleven guys died today off the Navarre beach. Seven Marines, and the four Army crew aboard a Black Hawk. Some kind of training mission out of Elgin AB.

Fog and weather are cited as causes.

[smokin99 0]

I'm neither for or against the McCoy is Cooper theory, and I'm no expert, but based on articles such as the one linked below from the day, the McCoy lawsuit doesn't seem to be quite as clear cut as some think.

According to published accounts: The authors agreed to settle out of court, but they said they stood by the book and never retracted anything. According to their attorney, they settled because that was the cheaper way out. And, fair or not, that happens a lot. As frustrating as it is sometimes to someone who wants to fight the lawsuit, an attorney tends to focus more on economics than emotion.

The book itself did not receive an injunction and this article asserts that the lawsuit actually helped sales of the book, such as they were.

The movie rights were restricted but only to the extent that the movie would claim 4 allegations that McCoy protested: That she threatened to throw her infant daughter under a passing truck, that she dated an FBI agent while married to Richard McCoy, that she drove a getaway car used by Richard McCoy in the Provo hijacking and that she conspired with the FBI to have her husband killed.

In fact, she had to modify her original lawsuit and withdrew the request for temporary restraint against the book because she finally admitted that she did have a part in the hijacking. [Judge] "Wilkinson said the revelation that McCoy participated in "a capital federal offense" was more damaging to her than any injury she may sustain by the continued publication of the book."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/211317/MCCOYS-WIDOW-ADMITS-HELPING-IN-72-HIJACKING.html?pg=all

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

[smokin99 0]

RobertMBlevins

Does this mean that if Bernie Geestman sued Adventure Books that our sales on Into The Blast would go up?

Umm..I doubt it and I probably wouldn't count on that as a sales strategy. As to your second part....maybe at this point Bernie just doesn't care.
Nothing against you, but face it, based on the mostly speculative elements of the KC story and pure speculation of involvement by Bernie, I'm not seeing any reason to run out and hire an attorney. To be successful in a lawsuit alleging defamation don't you also have to show injury or damage and not just whether something is true or untrue?
Believe it or not, regardless of how many views this forum gets, this case is really not the hot button with the majority of the rest of the world as it is with us diehards.

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

[Robert99 37]

RobertMBlevins

Of course, if he did decide to sue, then he would have to answer certain difficult questions in order to prove we lied, or the allegations are false.

Blevins,

Are you acting as your own lawyer here?

I believe the burden of proof is on you to prove that your allegations are true. And basically you don't have any proof.

If you think Geestman is going to have to prove a negative in court, I think you will be the one in for a big surprise.

Robert99

[Reichenbach 0]

I'd like to ask a very legitimate question to you "Cooper royalty."

No offense Robert but I can't even get past the fact that the very cover of Into The Blast, represents Cooper with a sport parachute.

If Gray had access to the FBI files, then OMG, where are they in his book? Surely that book would be the textbook, if not the end all reference book on Cooper. Plus the symposium I'm sure was fantastic but your admiration for him for organizing what I see as a successful marketing and promotional event for Skyjack, I don't get. Why are you carrying Gray on your shoulders?

Same with Tosaw, he connects his facts with creative narrative and you people are so eager to regurgitate his pablum as truth. Tosaw discovered what about Cooper?

And the real McCoy? Seriously? I think it's an insult to Dan Cooper to say McCoy was Cooper. McCoy was an obvious idiot. Identical MO?Fingerprints? jumpsuit? Handwriting? Blabbing up a storm? $400k+ in his house? Tina didn't say he's Cooper. Flo didn't say he's Cooper. Alice didn't say he's Cooper. Please.

Just because you CAN write a book about Cooper doesn't mean you know jack about Cooper or that you are close to being even a mediocre author.

So, why do you people have such baseless respect for people who write (entertaining) books about Cooper?

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...So, why do you people have such baseless respect for people who write (entertaining) books about Cooper?"

Reichs, here is my view:

1. Calame and Rhodes give more in-depth information on the Reno evidence retrieval, McCoy's travels on Nov 24-25, and McCoy's own copycat skyjacking than anyone else. It is critical information.

Bernie interviewed the main crew of FBI agents who worked 305 at Reno. He found incredible inconsistencies in who did what, what was retrieved, how the evidence was stored, and the behavior of the agents and their cognitive lapses.

2. Your description of Tosaw's writing style as "creative narrative" is astute, which begs the question, Who are You? You clearly have an advanced knowledge of the case and the folks writing about it.

Nevertheless, Tosaw's timeline work and detailed writing on the skyjacking is strong. Until we got Skyjack, Tosaw was all we had that was solid in this area.

3. Ralph got the ball rolling, so he deserves some credit despite his numerous factual errors, such as DBC in seat 18C, or the lack of resolution on the flight path, wind and weather.

[Robert99 37]

Reichenbach

I'd like to ask a very legitimate question to you "Cooper royalty."

No offense Robert but I can't even get past the fact that the very cover of Into The Blast, represents Cooper with a sport parachute.

If Gray had access to the FBI files, then OMG, where are they in his book? Surely that book would be the textbook, if not the end all reference book on Cooper. Plus the symposium I'm sure was fantastic but your admiration for him for organizing what I see as a successful marketing and promotional event for Skyjack, I don't get. Why are you carrying Gray on your shoulders?

Same with Tosaw, he connects his facts with creative narrative and you people are so eager to regurgitate his pablum as truth. Tosaw discovered what about Cooper?

And the real McCoy? Seriously? I think it's an insult to Dan Cooper to say McCoy was Cooper. McCoy was an obvious idiot. Identical MO?Fingerprints? jumpsuit? Handwriting? Blabbing up a storm? $400k+ in his house? Tina didn't say he's Cooper. Flo didn't say he's Cooper. Alice didn't say he's Cooper. Please.

Just because you CAN write a book about Cooper doesn't mean you know jack about Cooper or that you are close to being even a mediocre author.

So, why do you people have such baseless respect for people who write (entertaining) books about Cooper?

Reichenbach,

Assuming that you are addressing all those questions to Robert99, as opposed to RobertMBlevins, I'll try to answer the ones that I have direct information on.

First, there is no such thing as "Cooper Royalty".

Second, you will have to address RobertMBlevins about the square sports parachute on the cover of the dust jacket. And you might want to check into his statements on the back side of the dust cover.

Third, you will also have to address RobertMBlevins about his claims concerning Gray's book. While I have read Gray's book, I didn't find anything that would be of interest from an investigative standpoint.

Fourth, I have read Tosaw's book and it's probably the best book on Cooper from the point of a researcher. Tosaw was also a former FBI agent and he spent quite a bit of his own money investigating Cooper.

Fifth, from what I have seen, McCoy was not involved in the Cooper hijacking in any capacity.

Sixth, I agree completely with you about the vast majority of Cooper book writers.

Seventh, this thread (and an earlier one also on DZ) was set up originally to provide a discussion forum for people who were interested in helping the FBI in the Cooper investigation.

It was not set up to support the writing of books on Cooper. And it sure as hell was NOT set up to help RobertMBlevins peddle his book.

Blevins and one other person on this thread have accounted for about 50 percent of the posts here in the last few years. And these two people have been so disruptive that the real research on the Cooper hijacking has now been moved to another web page.

Robert99

[smokin99 0]

RobertMBlevins

******Does this mean that if Bernie Geestman sued Adventure Books that our sales on Into The Blast would go up?

Umm..I doubt it and I probably wouldn't count on that as a sales strategy. As to your second part....maybe at this point Bernie just doesn't care.
Nothing against you, but face it, based on the mostly speculative elements of the KC story and pure speculation of involvement by Bernie, I'm not seeing any reason to run out and hire an attorney. To be successful in a lawsuit alleging defamation don't you also have to show injury or damage and not just whether something is true or untrue?
Believe it or not, regardless of how many views this forum gets, this case is really not the hot button with the majority of the rest of the world as it is with us diehards.

Oh...I would say Bernie Geestman cares VERY much. And here's why. He cared enough to tell a string of lies to History Channel producer Marisa Kagan. Then he called up his own sister and asked her to retract everything she said to me in her interview. (She told him no) After he told me in his own interview that there was 'no way' Kenny could be the guy...then he tells the Decoded cast that sure...Kenny could be the guy. Looks just like him (the sketch) he says.

Geestman has told soooo many lies that you need a scorecard to keep track. Now his own family is coming forward cause they have cable tv, too...and some of THEM were at the Jones' place in 1971 for Thanksgiving as well. In fact, I practically have a confession from his own family now.

Quote

"We'd rather wait until he (Bernie) is gone (passed away) before saying anything...' (about his involvement in the hijacking)

They understand this may not be possible now. They accept that.

Trust me...when I gave them both the preliminary and final reports on KC and Uncle Bernie, it didn't take them long to figure out a few things. I'm fairly convinced they know what happened now, but they are a little reticent because Bernie after all...is family. His own niece is prepared to testify to the FBI that she saw Kenny working on what some folks might call a phony bomb...at Geestman's own house a couple of weeks prior to the hijacking. It isn't ALL circumstantial evidence anymore. Some good witnesses and solid testimony are inside that report now.

I think that if Geestman were actually dumb enough to sue AB of Seattle for libel, that our book sales would skyrocket overnight, once that happened and the full report on KC hit the media. At least in the Northwest, anyway. I've always hoped he would do that, not for booksales, but so he could be questioned in depositions. But he's not dumb enough to do that. We keep hoping, though...

Let's see...you practically have a confession from the family but they had to get a report from you before they figured out a few things. Still scratching head over that one.

I'm truly not being facetious but do you know the meaning of circumstantial evidence? No one witnessed Bernie or Kenny commit a crime. You do not have a single direct witness to the actual crime being committed by Kenny and Bernie. You have indirect witness statements from 40 years plus ago (statements that you admit in some cases you've had to prime). You say it's not ALL circumstantial because you have witness testimony. By their very nature indirect witness statements would seem to be purely circumstantial. Even to draw inferences from the totality of what you do have at this late date would be hard because there are just too many reasonable alternatives that have been proven by documentation.

Four guys walk in the 7-11. Two rob the clerk. He can't identify the robbers. Three people at the bar down the street 40 years later know that it had to be Jim and Bob because they remember that they both went to the bathroom at the same time and stayed a really long time... and when last call came around Jim bought the bar a round of drinks and you know how he was usually such a tightwad. Oh yeah, and Susy remembers how the week before that Bob was talking about how easy it would be to rob a 7-11 and Sally swears one day she saw Jim's wife knitting a ski mask.
No gun, no prints, no dna, no one saw Jim and Bob enter the store or commit the crime or drive the getaway car. I could go on but you get my drift....This is circumstantial and some times it means absolutely nada.

Carry on

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

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...I notice the article on McCoy says FBI agent 'Joseph Smith' was the one who killed McCoy. That could be a minor mistake. I think it was agent Nick O'Hara..."

You are correct, Bobby.

It is my understanding that SA Joseph Smith was in the bushes and was the first to get to McCoy, while Nick pulled the trigger on his shotgun, killing McCoy.

Apparently, death was not immediate, and Smith called for towels to stem the bleeding on McCoy, but O'Hara and the rest of the team chose not to respond, as far as I know.

[BruceSmith 3]

smokin99

I'm neither for or against the McCoy is Cooper theory, and I'm no expert, but based on articles such as the one linked below from the day, the McCoy lawsuit doesn't seem to be quite as clear cut as some think.

According to published accounts: The authors agreed to settle out of court, but they said they stood by the book and never retracted anything. According to their attorney, they settled because that was the cheaper way out. And, fair or not, that happens a lot. As frustrating as it is sometimes to someone who wants to fight the lawsuit, an attorney tends to focus more on economics than emotion.

The book itself did not receive an injunction and this article asserts that the lawsuit actually helped sales of the book, such as they were.

The movie rights were restricted but only to the extent that the movie would claim 4 allegations that McCoy protested: That she threatened to throw her infant daughter under a passing truck, that she dated an FBI agent while married to Richard McCoy, that she drove a getaway car used by Richard McCoy in the Provo hijacking and that she conspired with the FBI to have her husband killed.

In fact, she had to modify her original lawsuit and withdrew the request for temporary restraint against the book because she finally admitted that she did have a part in the hijacking. [Judge] "Wilkinson said the revelation that McCoy participated in "a capital federal offense" was more damaging to her than any injury she may sustain by the continued publication of the book."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/211317/MCCOYS-WIDOW-ADMITS-HELPING-IN-72-HIJACKING.html?pg=all

Thank you Smok, AGAIN, for this wonderful tidbit and link. Karen has had quite a journey.

That road trip might need a slight detour to the salty lake....

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...First, on the cover. It looked cool. We knew it wasn't the 'right' type of chute but frankly, we just didn't care..."

Bobby, you're priceless. Your mother must love you To The Sky!

As Billy Crystal said a long time ago: "It's better to look marvelous than it is to be marvelous."

[BruceSmith 3]

The DropZone is proud to announce a new feature of the Cooper forum: Bobby-isms:

Tonight's tidbit:

Quote

I swear I don't understand where some of you get this weird idea I can prove Kenny was the hijacker. I can't..."

[BruceSmith 3]

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"...First, there is no such thing as "Cooper Royalty"...."

Roberto Nine-Nine! How can you say that?

I thought my regal status was self-evident.

Although my therapist wants me to talk more about that...she keep using words like delusions, fantasies, grandiosity, etc, but I simply consider my beliefs as "visions of greatness."

Don't you?

She did stump me last session when she asked, "So, Bruce, when you can levitate, where are you going to go, and what will do when you get there?"

So, I'm going back tomorrow. I don't have an answer for her, per se, but it's a process, ya know....

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...You are much of the reason why I decided to keep the final report on Kenny confidential, as well as finally blocking you from emails and PM's. Doesn't make you a bad person. Just an untrustworthy one...."

That's not quite accurate, Bobby. I am VERY trustworthy. You can always trust me to keep stirring the pot, putting your feet to the fire, and keep holding you to an ideal of excellence.

[Robert99 37]

BruceSmith

Quote

"...First, there is no such thing as "Cooper Royalty"...."

Roberto Nine-Nine! How can you say that?

I thought my regal status was self-evident.

Although my therapist wants me to talk more about that...she keep using words like delusions, fantasies, grandiosity, etc, but I simply consider my beliefs as "visions of greatness."

Don't you?

She did stump me last session when she asked, "So, Bruce, when you can levitate, where are you going to go, and what will do when you get there?"

So, I'm going back tomorrow. I don't have an answer for her, per se, but it's a process, ya know....

Bruce,

Stick with your shrink. And see if she can help get Jo Weber to another one.

Robert99

[BruceSmith 3]

Quote

"...Nobody cares about your adventures with your therapist or your efforts at levitation..."

Not true, 377 cares.

[BruceSmith 3]

Robert99

***

Quote

"...First, there is no such thing as "Cooper Royalty"...."

Roberto Nine-Nine! How can you say that?

I thought my regal status was self-evident.

Although my therapist wants me to talk more about that...she keep using words like delusions, fantasies, grandiosity, etc, but I simply consider my beliefs as "visions of greatness."

Don't you?

She did stump me last session when she asked, "So, Bruce, when you can levitate, where are you going to go, and what will do when you get there?"

So, I'm going back tomorrow. I don't have an answer for her, per se, but it's a process, ya know....

Bruce,

Stick with your shrink. And see if she can help get Jo Weber to another one.

Robert99

So may miracles, so little time.... sigh.

[Reichenbach 0]

RobertMBlevins

These are VERY legitimate questions:

Quote

First, on the cover. It looked cool. We knew it wasn't the 'right' type of chute but frankly, we just didn't care because the book isn't about which parachute Cooper used. It's about Kenny Christiansen. And you should not depend on that book beyond a general guide regarding him, because we found out a LOT more about Kenny and Uncle Bernie since it came out in January 2011. In fact, I offer the PDF up for free on request.

I feel I can shoot from the hip with you right? You seem to be able to take criticism and move on. Although you are saying it's an investigation into KC and it's out there and one can make up one's own mind but really your book is about Kenny Christiansen possibly being DB Cooper. When you say "we just didn't care," that's what I thought too. I said, you don't care to get the chute right on the cover, why am I to trust any of the contents?
I will say that your book however, is a true investigation. The ex-FBI'ers put together a string of know facts about McCoy. You did the legwork, interviews, presentation of KC. I don't believe KC is Cooper but yours is the better book when it comes to personal research.

***
Gray wasn't allowed to copy the files he was allowed to access on the case. He merely got to look and then make notes. He concentrated mostly on the actual timeline of events during the hijacking, and the witness reports that were taken in Seattle and Reno.

People, Gray's book is a complete failure. Stop adoring it. At most, it is an excellent, entertaining read for the general public on the Cooper case with some glitter thrown in for you afficiandos but that's what it's supposed to be.
If any of you had access to the Holy Grail would you put the timeline together (for the nth time) or would you hunt for all those answers the FBI won't release? Hmm?

[smokin99 0]

Reichenbach

I'd like to ask a very legitimate question to you "Cooper royalty."

No offense Robert but I can't even get past the fact that the very cover of Into The Blast, represents Cooper with a sport parachute.

If Gray had access to the FBI files, then OMG, where are they in his book? Surely that book would be the textbook, if not the end all reference book on Cooper. Plus the symposium I'm sure was fantastic but your admiration for him for organizing what I see as a successful marketing and promotional event for Skyjack, I don't get. Why are you carrying Gray on your shoulders?

Same with Tosaw, he connects his facts with creative narrative and you people are so eager to regurgitate his pablum as truth. Tosaw discovered what about Cooper?

And the real McCoy? Seriously? I think it's an insult to Dan Cooper to say McCoy was Cooper. McCoy was an obvious idiot. Identical MO?Fingerprints? jumpsuit? Handwriting? Blabbing up a storm? $400k+ in his house? Tina didn't say he's Cooper. Flo didn't say he's Cooper. Alice didn't say he's Cooper. Please.

Just because you CAN write a book about Cooper doesn't mean you know jack about Cooper or that you are close to being even a mediocre author.

So, why do you people have such baseless respect for people who write (entertaining) books about Cooper?

I agree with some of what you say though I think "you people" paints with a pretty broad brush.
I, for one, thought Gray wasted a tremendous opportunity. He had access to the actual files and I think he squandered that trying to be clever. I was left not knowing what was an actual quote from a witness or fact from the file and what was creative license.
But then, I still don't understand what it is that gives some access to the files but not others -- but I think I've mentioned before that life ain't fair.
As far as the books in general....I didn't end any thinking "this is the one", but I think we discuss them because, aside from the transcripts, news articles, and the items that came from the museum, that is all we have.
I've read almost all of them and they all have factual errors and yes, a couple are kind of out there. With that said, I think Larry Carr, SA who had total access got at least one thing wrong on this forum.

The FBI could probably paper the walls with FOIA requests but they ain't giving up what I think is probably a non-winnable case -- so, maybe we just have to take our fun where we can get it.
Okay so, no offense either - because this will no doubt come across as sounding smartass which is not the intent -- but do you know jack about Cooper? Cause seriously, this forum can always use some fresh knowledge, ideas, and discussion as you can no doubt tell. And since you seem to be pretty sure that all of the authors out there are full of it, just between us, what do you know that all those guys that wrote about Cooper don't?

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