Robert H. Edwards's Blog: Great 20th century mysteries, page 9

Robert Nicholson, a highly experienced researcher of the case of Flight 305, and a frequent contributor to dropzone.com and The DB Cooper Forum, reviewed "D. B. Cooper and Flight 305" on amazon:

"A masterpiece ... Dr. Edwards' book is the most detailed, comprehensive, and professional analysis of the hijacking in existence. It is a masterpiece and is the only book on this matter that you will ever need. If Dr. Edwards had been the FBI consultant on the hijacking in 1971, the whole event would have been resolved within a year."

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...

A correspondent, who has the unique perspective of being both a former FBI agent and a former smokejumper, has sent me a colleague's drawing of a night jump, made in 1966. It was part of a response by several teams of smokejumpers to a wildfire covering 80,000 acres.

I think that the point is that, as far back as the 1960s, night jumps were no big deal.

On November 25, 1971, the FBI interviewed an unidentified male passenger who had travelled on Northwest Flight 305 on November 24. Their record of the interview reads, inter alia, as follows:

"He was exhibited the Facial Identification Catalog and he picked therefrom the facial characteristics which most closely resembled those of the man who hijacked Northwest Airlines Flight 305 on November 24, 1971.
A. Head, oval, KA1-11
B. Eyes, average, OB1-5
C. Eyebrows, average, KC1-11
D. Nose, narrow base, KD4-4
E. Mouth, average, KE1-16
F. Chin, pointed, KF3-15
G. Ears, close set, OG3-7
H. Cheek and cheekbone, average, OHl-4
I. Hair, curly or wavy, OJ2-1
J. Facial lines, forehead OK1-11; between eyes, OK2-11; nose to corner of mouth, KK3-13; side of face, OK4-6; around eyes, KK5-4; chin and neck, OK6-12."

From all the images that this passenger selected, I thought that it would be useful to build an independent facial profile of the hijacker. Perhaps we might find that the result was different from any of the various artists' impressions that the FBI had circulated. To this end, on January 6, 2022 I submitted a FOIA request for copies of the images mentioned above. On January 15, 2022 I received the reply: "... your request is being closed ... Records potentially responsive to your request were destroyed."

This seems to imply that the FBI destroyed all copies of the entire Facial Identification Catalog, 1971 edition.

This catalog occasionally shows up on eBay. Perhaps a reader knows where a copy of the catalog might be found.

My conversation with Ed Opperman of "The Opperman Report" on D. B. Cooper and Flight 305 is live:

https://www.spreaker.com/user/opperma...


Image credit: The Opperman Report.

Here's a comment from a member of the D. B. Cooper Forum:

"I give Robert Edwards book a 5 Star ! He takes the topic from a more Mathematical angle giving us a perspective of likelihood of something happening. Being a Math Geek, I found it to be a very accurate perspective of what might have been most likely to have happened. Do I buy into everything presented ? No but Mr. Edwards didn’t expect us to. He has no suspects and neither do I."

Subsequent to the publication of D. B. Cooper and Flight 305 (Schiffer Publishing, 2021), several correspondents asked whether I had a view on specific individuals proposed on internet forums as the hijacker of Flight 305.

I have to admit that I know nothing about the various persons proposed as suspects, beyond what is on the Wikipedia page for "D. B. Cooper".

For what it's worth, I quote former FBI Special Agent Larry Carr:

"... there are 1057 sub files in the DB Cooper case, each representing a subject that has been investigated. To my knowledge, not one has been linked in any direct way to the hijacking."
"Ckret" [Larry Carr], post on dropzone.com, January 6, 2008.

In order for me to write productively about any individual, I think the minimum criterion would have been that the person could reliably be located in Portland, Oregon on November 24, 1971. To the best of my knowledge, no such person has been identified in the public domain. My feeling is that on the basis of the data currently in the public domain, the hijacker cannot be identified. Only new data might enable an identification.

What would be rewarding for me as a writer would be if any law enforcement agency, or for that matter any private citizen, would visit some of the locations that I proposed, and search for evidence of the hijacker's passage.

Even better would be if the nonagenarian hijacker were to call me up and tell me that he had read D. B. Cooper and Flight 305; and what I got right and wrong.

Following Dan Gryder's re-enactment of the hijacker's jump on 11.24.2021, Jennifer Kocher of "Cowboy State Daily" in Wyoming picked up the story:

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2021/12/...


Image credit: Dan Gryder.

I received the following comments on D. B. Cooper and Flight 305 from a correspondent who has the unique perspective of being both a former FBI special agent and a former smokejumper:

"I have an idea how DB [Cooper] could have survived the jump. If he managed to get a large cargo item on the flight in a easily identifiable container, he could have changed clothes and used a steerable parachute, radio, altimeter, compass, letdown rope and maybe even a light.
... DB [Cooper] offered money to the flight attendant . I knew a Top Jewel thief that would do this if he was encountered during a burglary. Throwing a few thousand away would support the drowning theory. I remember receiving some water landing training ..."

and: "I called a former SF LTC [Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel]. He said ... Halo jumps have been around since the Sixties ... Halo jumpers had water wings and high altitude air supplies and steerable chutes. SEALS would also have dive suits to handle cold water. ... I know Army Airborne soldiers were trained in Forest Jumps at our base in Cave Junction Oregon."

A HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump. Image credit: Tactical Life Magazine.

If you have 1 hour 40 minutes, here's a link to my conversation with Darren Schaefer of The Cooper Vortex, on "D. B. Cooper and Flight 305".

https://thecoopervortex.podbean.com/e...


Image credit: Darren Schaefer / The Cooper Vortex

... 8,559 downloads so far ...

I received the following comment on D. B. Cooper and Flight 305 from a former top official of both the FBI and the CIA:

"As the former Director of the FBI Academy and Laboratory not to mention my time at CIAHQ as Director of Public Affairs, DB Cooper has been a hot topic of debate for years. I have talked to many experts/scientists in an attempt to understand or explain the challenges of such a jump. Lot's of theories and imagination, not to mention a few drinks, has not produced a viable theory that everyone can agree to. S**t luck had to play an important role!!"