Investigators from the FBI have suspended the effort to identify the hijacker who, in 1971, parachuted from the rear air-stair of an airborne Northwest Orient Boeing 727 after securing a $200,000 ransom.
The FBI resurrected the hunt for the hijacker – who became known as ‘DB Cooper’ – eight years ago, in a bid to solve one of aviation’s most extraordinary crimes.
Cooper hijacked flight 305 out of Portland, which subsequently landed in Seattle, where its passengers were exchanged for the ransom and a batch of parachutes. After it departed, with Cooper and a crew on board, Cooper jumped from the air-stair fitted underneath the 727’s aft fuselage. He was never located.
But the FBI says it will “no longer actively investigate” the case, designated ‘NORJAK’, because exhaustive inquiries into “all credible leads” have proven fruitless.
The FBI adds that the 45-year old case is tying up resources which it needs to allocate to other, more urgent, efforts.
“Although the FBI appreciated the immense number of tips provided by members of the public, none to date have resulted in a definitive identification of the hijacker,” it says.
These have included theories about the crime and tips about individuals who closely match the description of the perpetrator.
“In order to solve a case, the FBI must prove culpability beyond a reasonable doubt, and, unfortunately, none of the well-meaning tips or applications of new investigative technology have yielded the necessary proof,” the bureau states.
Evidence collected after the November 1971 hijack will be retained for “historical purposes”, the FBI says, and it is advising anyone uncovering specific physical evidence – particularly about the hijacker’s parachute or the ransom money – to contact local FBI offices.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
