Theories about DB Cooper

[zack007attack]

What is your guys' opinion on what became of DB Cooper?

I think he survived the jump, if he picked one of the three parachutes that would open instead of the one that was stitched closed. He must have planted the money discovered in order to throw authorities off, making it seem like he did not survive the jump. As for the rest of the money which has never turned up in circulation, I see these as possibilities:

1) DB Cooper was a drug dealer, or involved in some sort of valuable antiques or artifacts business, exchanged the money he got on the plane with bills or some valuable objects from a business partner, killed that partner, and destroyed the money.
2) He altered the serial numbers on the bills to be able to use them.
3) He went to some foreign country to spend the money.

But if he died, I believe he lost the money later discovered while descending, and landed with a crash, killing him, maybe in the mountains or a lake which is a common unvisited area or geographically unfamiliar, which could account for his remains never being found.

[Mastermind]

1) DB Cooper was a drug dealer, or involved in some sort of valuable antiques or artifacts business, exchanged the money he got on the plane with bills or some valuable objects from a business partner, killed that partner, and destroyed the money.

It has been long thought that DB Cooper may have been a career criminal. Though I think his most likely prior occupation would be that of bank robber or money launderer.

2) He altered the serial numbers on the bills to be able to use them.

I don't know if that was feasible back then or today.

3) He went to some foreign country to spend the money.

I don't see how the bills wouldn't wind up in US circulation at some point.

[joshypiano]

I've just always thought there were so many factors working against D.B. Cooper being alive.

1) He jumped in the middle of a thunderstorm with no light source.
2) The remoteness of the area he jumped into
3) The fact that one of the reserve chest chutes was a dummy that wouldn't open.
4) The fact that none of the money has ever turned up into circulation
5) The finding of some the money on the banks of the Columbia river years later by the little boy.

[browneyes106]

I think Cooper was a career criminal who probably died the night of the jump.

[johnnyangel]

Originally Posted by browneyes106

I think Cooper was a career criminal who probably died the night of the jump.

DOes anybody know the name of the person/actor who played Cooper in that 1988 Unsolved Mysteries episode? I have been unable to find it, and being that its 21 years later, the actor could even be dead as he appreared slightly older as it was in that episode.

[TracyLynnS]

2) "He altered the serial numbers on the bills to be able to use them."

"I don't know if that was feasible back then or today."

Mastermind,

Back when this happened, weren't some counterfeiters using a method of soaking smaller bills in some kind of a solution to remove a lot of the inks so they could apply new numbers or denominations on them?

I think I've heard of something like that, so that the counterfeiter could use the high quality paper to make their fake bills.

But in Cooper's case, how many bills did he have, and in what denominations? If he had a lot of money, he would have been very, very busy trying to alter each bill individually, just to be able to get the cash into circulation, undetected.

[Mastermind]

Quote:
2) "He altered the serial numbers on the bills to be able to use them."

"I don't know if that was feasible back then or today."


Mastermind,

Back when this happened, weren't some counterfeiters using a method of soaking smaller bills in some kind of a solution to remove a lot of the inks so they could apply new numbers or denominations on them?

I think I've heard of something like that, so that the counterfeiter could use the high quality paper to make their fake bills.

But in Cooper's case, how many bills did he have, and in what denominations? If he had a lot of money, he would have been very, very busy trying to alter each bill individually, just to be able to get the cash into circulation, undetected.

I'd have to look into it, but it sounds possible.

But if that's true it points to a couple of things:

1. That DB Cooper was avery experienced criminal and had a very detailed plan. Which leads to him being a career counterfeiter, bank robber or intellingence officer.

2. It also points to DB Cooper having potential accomplices.

3. It also opens the possibiliy that DB cooper kept the money hidden somewhere (safe, trunk, safe deposit box, heck maybe his mattress) while he converted the bills slowly over a period of time.

[mozartpc27]

I think he died the night he jumped.

[mozartpc27]

On a completely different note, why is my posts number moving steadily backwards?

[moonshinegrrl]

How sure can they be none of the money was spent that was before computers, I heard they sent a list of the serial numbers for people to check bills against but overworked, underpaid cashiers and such, how diligent are people really? They burn bills after they have been in circulation for time period I think that is done by government contractor. I thought the money was current issue at the time not some kind of silver or gold certificate that would stand out

[joshypiano]

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

On a completely different note, why is my posts number moving steadily backwards?

Sounds like some sort of "Time Regression Phenomenon". It would make a good Unsolved Mysteries segment.

[TeresaB24]

Personally I think he died the night he jumped, if not he died several days later.

There was someone who use to post on here that claimed her deceased boyfriend/husband was DB Cooper because he admited to it close to death or some such like that. I just never brought that story, seemed off to me.


TeresaB24.

[zack007attack]

Originally Posted by joshypiano

I've just always thought there were so many factors working against D.B. Cooper being alive.

1) He jumped in the middle of a thunderstorm with no light source.
2) The remoteness of the area he jumped into
3) The fact that one of the reserve chest chutes was a dummy that wouldn't open.
4) The fact that none of the money has ever turned up into circulation
5) The finding of some the money on the banks of the Columbia river years later by the little boy.

1) The hijacking was most likely not the first time DB Cooper had ever used a parachute. He seemed to have known a lot about aviation so he was probably also a paratrooper or skydiver or something like that, so he probably knew how to dive at night, and also probably knew the area in which he would have landed.
2) He might have been familiar with the area or type of area.
3) They should have revealed which chute he took. If out of the 3 chutes left on the plane, one of them was the dummy chute, then that means he strapped on a real chute and more likely survived.

[freshwater]

I think the FBI has said they don't believe this was a jump an experienced skydiver would have attempted. Are they to have us believe that this is exactly the type of jump that an INEXPERIENCED skydiver would attempt?

It was a very difficult jump, given the weather conditions, but I believe it's a jump that an experienced, yet cocky, skydiver would have attempted.

[Mastermind]

I think he died the night he jumped.

I think the FBI has said they don't believe this was a jump an experienced skydiver would have attempted. Are they to have us believe that this is exactly the type of jump that an INEXPERIENCED skydiver would attempt?

I agree, but it leads to two points,

1. why DB Cooper has not been identified yet. Someone has been missing for all this time, why has that disappearance not been connected to Cooper.

2. I find it hard to believe that DB Cooper would try this without a reasonable belief that he would could escape and survive the jump. i wonder if peoplke are looking to much into the dummy parachute. professionals have been unknown to make egregious errors in times of pressure. There was alson no reason for DB Cooper to jump at that particular moment. Other than he had his cash and knew he would be arrested once the plane landed.

That to me is the reason why i believe there is a slim