A parachute found in North Carolina could be the key to the decades-old mystery of D.B. Cooper-a breakthrough that could tie the infamous hijacker to Richard McCoy, long considered a suspect in his case.
The Hijacking That Captivated a Nation
On November 24, 1971, a man in a business suit boarded a flight to Seattle under the name Dan Cooper. After ordering a bourbon and soda, he handed a note to a flight attendant, threatening that he had a bomb in his briefcase and demanding $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.
He landed in Seattle, where his demands were acceded to, and the plane took off once again. It was somewhere between Seattle and Portland that Cooper jumped out of the aircraft into the night time with the money. Neither he, nor most of the ransom, was ever found, except for $5,800, which showed up years later along the Columbia River.
That hijacking was never solved and became one of the largest FBI investigations in history, amassing more than 800 suspects. Following exhaustive work, the case was declared inactive in 2016, leaving only speculation from amateur detectives and enthusiasts over who Cooper had been.
A New Break in the Case
Dan Gryder is a retired pilot and skydiver who claims he has uncovered critical evidence: a modified parachute presumed to be the one Cooper used. The equipment, linked to Richard McCoy, was found in a storage unit that belonged to McCoy’s late mother.
When McCoy orchestrated a strikingly similar hijacking in 1972, just a few months after Cooper’s jump, he did become one of the first suspects. Gryder’s discovery of the parachute and a logbook detailing parachute jumps that match the time of both hijackings renews interest for McCoy as a suspect.
In September 2023, Gryder and Rick McCoy, Richard McCoy’s son, turned the parachute, along with other items, over to FBI agents. It is the first active involvement by the agency since closing the case in 2016.
Is Richard McCoy the Key?
Richard McCoy was arrested in 1972 for hijacking an airplane using tactics very much like those of D.B. Cooper; he too was a Vietnam veteran and a highly accomplished Green Beret. Although sentenced to 45 years in prison, McCoy escaped and was later killed in a shoot-out with the FBI in 1974.
Despite the strong similarities, critics say McCoy was younger than what witnesses described Cooper and lacked some of the mannerisms attributed to the hijacker, which included smoking and drinking. Gryder, however, believes these inconsistencies may be explained by Cooper’s possible use of disguises or even a deliberate misdirection. ?
Could This Finally Solve the Mystery?
Although the FBI has yet to confirm any findings, renewed interest would indicate that progress is being made. Rick McCoy has provided a DNA sample, and it is speculated his father’s remains may be exhumed for further testing.
Advancements in forensic technology might bring investigators closer to the truth. If Richard McCoy is proven to be D.B. Cooper, this would mean the resolution of one of America’s greatest unsolved mysteries and the closing of a chapter in aviation history that has fascinated the public for over 50 years.
