skyjack71

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

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

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

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

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

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

THANK YOU: TO THOSE WHO DEFENDED MY POSITION - THERE WERE SO MANY I CHOSE TO MAKE THIS VERY GENERIC AND ADDRESSED TO NO ONE SPECIFICALLY. I HAVE LEARNED MORE FROM THIS FORUM THAN ANY PLACE I HAVE BEEN - INFORMATION SENT TO ME IN PRIVATE EMAILS AND ONLINE. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO READ THE VIEWS OF SO MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS ALL OF WHOM ARE SKYDIVERS OR ASPIRE TO BE. REMEMBER THE TALES OF LONG AGO - STORIES RELATED ONLY BY THE SPOKEN WORD. SINCE THE TRUTH WILL NEVER BE TOLD IN MY LIFE TIME, I WILL TRY TO RELATE TO THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. JO WEBER Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Where did you get your information about Claude Webber. Can you put me in touch with this. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I just made a long Post and then lost it all. I suppose it is just as well. I had addressed a lot of the questions that many of you have, but now it is late and I just cannot do it over again. Tonight is the 35 th anniversary. Think about these things: The Vector that the FBI would later say was much farther South and East than the search zone. A trip Duane took me on in 1979 to the area only months before the money was found at Frenchmans reef. His not needing a map - and how well he knew the area and yet the FBI couldn't put him in WA at any time except for the time he spent in McNeil in the 40's - which I was able to prove with black and white documents along with the help of a reporter. The FBI had originally told me that Duane was never a resident of McNeil. They conceded only upon finding that I had documents to the contrary. I composed what I thought was my best description of the "Sentimental Journey" that he took me on in 1979 and then lost the whole thing. This is a bad omen. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Thank you for posting that photo. This was the one that I found early on in my search. The photos that I found later are the one that were not supposed to exist. I am axious to get them posted and get the feed back from those - and hope that someone shows them to an old timer who can help me. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I started this thread tonight, because I thought it should get its own slot. I kept getting lost trying to find the places that I had posted to. Due to illness I have not been able to get to the repair place that was going to extract my photos from my old computer - I am just not up to scanning them again and doing all of the work over that I had already done. Within a couple of wks I hope to be able to put them on the site. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

It has been thirty five yrs since Cooper took his flight out of Portland to Seattle. Departing from Seattle he jumped with a $200 K ransom. I am the widow of a man who claimed that he was Cooper 11 days before he died in 1995. I have been researching his past for 11 yrs now and I need the help of this forum to uncover his jump history. So far I have done everything for the FBI except put him in a parachute. The help of those who read this forum will be appreciated. I don't want to debate theories about how the crime was done and who else may have done it. All I want is to find information about sky jumping and any information I might be able to find about Duane Lorin Weber and any of his AKA's. If anyone is interested I will post photos of him on the forum from different areas of his life in hopes that someone knows an old timer who might recognize him. The old timers usually don't use computers so it will help me immensely if you guys would print the photos and take them to your meetings or anyplace that these old timers might be found. Perhaps there is a magazine for jumpers that might run some of the photos. Please help me in my search and once and for all to bury Cooper. Respectfully, Jo Weber, Widow of Duane L. Weber aka Dan Cooper as he told me, plus the many aliases that he is known to have used. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I am not a writer - I have tried. I don't know were to start - even took classes. At my age and with my health - I will settle for THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. I also believe that IF YOU DO THE CRIME YOU DO THE TIME. I am not at this site to debate McCoy, only to find information regarding skyjumping and information regarding the past of one Duane L. Weber. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

I am waiting for some more information regarding this Claude Webber before I move on. Richard McCoy was not in WA or OR nor accessible for the skyjack as has been tooted by a certain ex-fbi agent trying to sell a book. There is documentation to this in the FBI files. Ever wonder how McCoy's wife sued the author of that book and won out of court? Because the ex-agent couldn't prove it! Thank all of you for your help in my quest for the truth. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Snowwhite - Thank you. Any help at all is appreciated. One of the members Air Wharto has been very helpful and has pointed out something that I was unaware of - a research that should have been done yrs ago, but I didn't even have a computer back then. Didn't get one until 2000 and have I been making up for lost time. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Mr.Eco mentioned a diver number 92 by the name of Claudia Webber N.C. Do any of you have the accessibility to find out who this man was. He was listing divers from the 60's/70's and this is why I am here for the duration. Claudia Webber This is a name that Duane L. Weber AKA DB Cooper used during his criminal yrs. Since he was known to use variation of Webber and the fact that is father's name was Claudia and other identification I have in my possession also uses Claude and Claudia. Also known as John Claudia Collins, John C. Collins, Dwayne Webber, Wayne Weber and the list goes on. I know he was in North Carolina and South Carolina during the yrs 1968 thru 1971 off and on. Lived in Columbia for sometime. Frequented piano bars or any place that would let him sing. Had a voice like Englebert Humperdink and sang the following songs.SanFrancisco and You'll never know, were his favorites if the piano player could play them. Please see if you can help me. You guys have access to more than I do. The FBI has just sat on it hauches and also took credit (on a TV program) for reseach and information that I and a news journalist provided to them. They retrived DNA from me in March of 2003, but I have not heard anything and they never returned the item. I was not foolish enough to give them all that I had. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Ah, come on John, just join in the fun I am not into the technology - I am here for information because this is the best place to get that information. TEACH me the lingo, tell me anything you think I need to know. I am DEAD serious. I am here to learn. A Mr.Eco mentioned a diver number 92 by the name of Claudia Webber N.C. Do any of you have the accessibility to find out who this man was. He was listing divers from the 60's/70's and this is why I am here for the duration. CLAUDIA WEBBER N.C. This is a name that Duane L. Weber AKA DB Cooper used during his criminal yrs. Since he was known to use variation of Webber and the fact that his father's name was Claudia and other identification I have in my possession also uses Claude and Claudia. Also known as John Claudia Collins, John C. Collins, Dwayne Webber, Wayne Weber and the list goes on. I know he was in North Carolina and South Carolina during the yrs 1968 thru 1971 off and on. Lived in Columbia for sometime. Frequented piano bars or any place that would let him sing. Had a voice like Englebert Humperdink and sang the following songs.SanFrancisco and You'll never know, were his favorites if the piano player could play them. Please see if you can help me. You guys have access to more than I do. The FBI has just sat on it hauches and also took credit (on a TV program) for reseach and information that I and a news journalist provided to them. They retrived DNA from me in March of 2003, but I have not heard anything and they never returned the item. I was not foolish enough to give them all that I had. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

LOLOLOLO. Grabgrass, Crabgrass, grabass - I actually got tickled with my error. SO SORRY! At least I got a laugh out of my boo boo. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

REGARDING DUANE L. WEBER AKA D.B.COOPER DATE OF DEATH ERROR It has been brought to my attention that I posted Duane Weber's death date as 1996 when it was 1995. He died on March 28, 1995, 11 days after his deathbed confession. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

My research has been mostly into his sordid past and I have not dwelled on the skyjumping. Forgive me if I don't have the terminology down. I just need information - the information about old skydivers in Ga, Al, and NC. I need to find a media to circulate some photos of him never seen on the news media (he changed his looks like a chameleon) for the oldtimers to view and see if anyone remembers this man. There was a Claude Webber shown as a diver in N.C. and I want to find someone who knew this man. This was one of Duane's AKA's along with many others. Duane Loren Weber, John Claude Collins, John C. Collins, Dwayne Webber, Wayne Webber. On some occassions the Claude was Claudia? As for Military records - I have all they are going to give me. The file came up "Classified - Access Denied" The officer assisting me said he would need to go to another office and when he came back he opened a file and told me that I was not listed as a beneficiary. I informed him that I was only 3 yrs old in 1943 . All I have ever recieved from the Navy and Army are the papers that show when he entered and when he left and the conditions of leaving. They have denied me any details regarding his training and locations. I do know he was at Camp Siebert because I have a letter that his brother gave me that was written to his mother while he was there - we have the post marked envelope and letter. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

More likely it was hang gliding. Close enough to cliff jumping for a whuffo to think they're the same. Mark Mark, I guess at 66 I am a whuffo whatever that is. I am researching my deceased spouse who made a deathbed confession. This is one of the few times during our marriage that skyjumping or related sports was mentioned or an advent attended. I have 10 ft of research - he told me he was Dan Cooper in 1995 , 11 days before he died. I did not know who Dan Cooper was. It would be 1 yr and 2 months before I had a clue and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. D.B.Cooper! Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

This is Skyjack71, Crabgrass I did not understand your post. Stand alone? Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Airtwardo - Thank you for directing me to this site. Please do not remove the introduction - it works for me. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

The FBI only did a brief review and the information that they reported on the TV was information that I had found. The agent did little or no investigation at that time 1998. March of 2003 they obtained DNA for what purpose I know not and I have heard nothing since. Also I have found more pictures and more information that makes this more than incidental. He claimed all photos of him had been destroyed, but I have found things he did not know existed. Copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 by Jo Weber

Jerry, this is Jo Weber and this is my story: I would really like to talk to you in person or by phone, but don[t know how to do that due to forum rules. Folks, I need your help. I need to find out about skyjumpers in Georgia and S.C. and AL in 1968-1971. My handle tells the story - I am a 66 yrr old widow of a man who claimed he was D.B.Cooper or as he put it Dan Cooper. I have no knowledge of skyjumping, but when we were in Colorado we went into the mountains and there were jumpers jumping off of the cliffs - I don't remember what it was called, but that is not important. What is important is that he told me everything that they were doing and why they were doing it - this was in 1978 or 1979 and he was over a 50 yrs of age at that time. It was not until his deathbed confession that I understood why he knew all of this. Now after 12 yrs of research I hope I have found the place that can help me. I am not sure where he learned to skydive, but he did - he kept something called a D-ring which was bought off of me at a garage sale after he died and the man paid me a quarter for it and told me what it was...I didn't know the significance of the item because I did not understand what he was trying to tell me in 1996 when he die nor did I know who Dan Cooper was. The purpose of this post is HOW DO I FIND RECORDS OF JUMPERS FROM THAT TIME FRAME IN THOSE AREAS AND/OR PHOTOS OF JUMPERS FROM 1968 TO 1971? Can anyone help me? The FBI has not been of any help at all although they did take his DNA almost 4 yrs (MARCH OF 2003) ago after I had gone public, just to keep me quiet. My old puter crashed and I am having the photos pulled off next wk. I would like to circulate the photos of him from various times in his life to skyjumpers to see if anyone can recognize this man. My research of 10 feet deep is detailed and does everything except put him in a parachute. This is the one thing that will end this. This man I was married to for 17 yrs had been in 6 federal prisons in 7 states for a total of almost 17 yrs before I met and married him. I did not know of his criminal past and we had a good marriage. I found an old alias he used on an article from a Mr. Echo - the name was Claude Webber. This was a known alias of Duane L. Weber, Dwayne Weber and Webber, John Claude Collins, John C. Weber, and many other variations. of Collins and Weber. I need to know if this Claude Webber in N.C. could have been Duane. So many facts about the crime itself have been distorted - such as the location he landed in. Due to an error in the vector cause by the winds he landed much further SE of the search location. The weather conditions have also been distorted. It was bad weather only for a few seconds - the ground temperature was in the 40's and kids were camping and fishing the next morning as the search was conducted and this search area was further north than the area he landed in. I have an actual weather detailed report of the weather conditions and flying conditions from the time of the crime. Can anyone help me with any information regarding others who may have been interviewed and the fact that I am looking for skyjumping history from 1943 while he served in the Navy and was stationecd in Jax, Fl. The Navy and Army will not reveal any detail information to me - other than the standard forms. The Army came up "Access Denied" Classification Code Required. The man got the code and then told me that I was not listed as a relative - I told him of course not as I was only 3 yrs old at the time. Duane was 17 yrs older than I. They never sent me any detail information about his time in the service. Folsom and SanQuentin and McNei Island federal Prison had fire jumpers due to the shortage of manpower due to the war - and used prisoners. I can get no information of any of that. Duane had told me he had Ranger training - of course I thought he meant forest ranger - ranger meant nothing else to me.