DB Cooper

[DWeber 2]

1 hour ago, Coopericane said:

Looks like witnesses were shown photographs of both the Shelton and Egg Harbor suspects...

New pic of Catalano...

Is there any way to improve the quality of the Langseth pic? Looking at the files on a PC and it’s so much darker than the others 

[Coopericane 44]

2 hours ago, olemisscub said:

A letter found at a redacted address in Seattle in March 1972. No further info to give. They haven't yet started scanning the numbered suspect files (this is No. 260). So I assume we'll know more about this letter and it's provenance at some point in the future. Also, the numbered suspect files aren't all relating to actual named suspects. Often times leads such as this one were given a "suspect file". We might not ever know the outcome of this letter. It's almost certainly not to do with Cooper, but you never know I guess.

It's hard to make out some of it, but I've got:

"Points to remember when skyjacking....

A plane for money [redacted]

Ask for

- the money (important

- 2 person worth of parachute

Remember

- let passenger off but keep crew

- keep cool

- bring bomb fake or real

- jump only at night

- Don't ask for too ??? ???

- ???

- put crew in cab before jumping

Optional

- ??? Helmet

- Name [redacted]

"Don't ask for too..." much? I can't make out the last word. Money?
"Hundred thousand should do?"

[olemisscub 510]

4 minutes ago, Coopericane said:

"Don't ask for too..." much? I can't make out the last word. Money?
"Hundred thousand should do?"

Yeah you've got those. I can't make out the last word either. I think it might end with "stew", so maybe it's an abbreviation for "request of stew" or something like that. 

I think the helmet thing might be "suit ty helmet"

[olemisscub 510]

1 hour ago, DWeber said:

Is there any way to improve the quality of the Langseth pic? Looking at the files on a PC and it’s so much darker than the others 

No, there isn't a way to improve that. I may file a FOIA for a few of these, specifically the ones that the witnesses picked out (which wasn't many). The only ones I've ever seen get picked out are Catalano, Al Cooper, Newsweek hoaxer Donald Murphy, and an unidentified suspect from Ottawa whose photo unnerved Tina a bit because it was such a good resemblance. The guy from Ottawa isn't unknown because of a redaction, but it literally says on the 302 "unidentified". Weird they would even show that to her if that was the case.

I've tried to make Catalano's mugshot from his late 60's look a little younger. Didn't work so well. 

[SeventyWonderful 18]

High school yearbook photo of Robert Harry Boles (1936-2007).  He lived in Colorado and Texas, and was the only Robert Harry Boles I could find doing a quick search on Ancestry.com.

[Coopericane 44]

2 hours ago, olemisscub said:

No, there isn't a way to improve that. I may file a FOIA for a few of these, specifically the ones that the witnesses picked out (which wasn't many). The only ones I've ever seen get picked out are Catalano, Al Cooper, Newsweek hoaxer Donald Murphy, and an unidentified suspect from Ottawa whose photo unnerved Tina a bit because it was such a good resemblance. The guy from Ottawa isn't unknown because of a redaction, but it literally says on the 302 "unidentified". Weird they would even show that to her if that was the case.

Do we have any photographs of Al Cooper?

[olemisscub 510]

5 minutes ago, Coopericane said:

Do we have any photographs of Al Cooper?

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by olemisscub

[olemisscub 510]

Given that the Stews and Bill had such strong reactions to Don Murphy and Al Cooper, I feel it’s safe to say that Cooper very likely had a face/head shape like theirs: long thin face, high cheek bones, pointed chin.

[georger 244]

8 hours ago, olemisscub said:

A letter found at a redacted address in Seattle in March 1972. No further info to give. They haven't yet started scanning the numbered suspect files (this is No. 260). So I assume we'll know more about this letter and it's provenance at some point in the future. Also, the numbered suspect files aren't all relating to actual named suspects. Often times leads such as this one were given a "suspect file". We might not ever know the outcome of this letter. It's almost certainly not to do with Cooper, but you never know I guess.

It's hard to make out some of it, but I've got:

"Points to remember when skyjacking....

A plane for money [redacted]

Ask for

- the money (important

- 2 person worth of parachute

Remember

- let passenger off but keep crew

- keep cool

- bring bomb fake or real

- jump only at night

- Don't ask for too ??? ???

- ???

- put crew in cab before jumping

Optional

- ??? Helmet

- Name [redacted]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .... interesting.

[Math of Insects 98]

I think that says “saf[e]ty helmet.

[northern flight path 2]

46 minutes ago, Math of Insects said:

I think that says “saf[e]ty helmet.

Clearly says "slutty helmet"

It would be interesting to know what info on this list was public as it appears to be pretty close to the actual cooper hijacking

Also that pic of the hoaxer looks like a more rugged William J and somewhat Vordahl

[olemisscub 510]

9 hours ago, northern flight path said:

 

It would be interesting to know what info on this list was public as it appears to be pretty close to the actual cooper hijacking

All of it was public knowledge at that point. The first copycat attempts employing all the elements of the “Cooper heist” were happening as soon as a month later. In fact, the first copycat was exactly a month later on Dec 24, 71. Also involved an NWO 727. Hijacking took place in Chicago. Everett Holt was the name of the skyjacker. 24 years old.  I’m writing a book on the copycats so I tried to figure out how to contact him to interview him.  He’s sadly STILL institutionalized as best I can tell. 

[SeventyWonderful 18]

20 hours ago, olemisscub said:

Given that the Stews and Bill had such strong reactions to Don Murphy and Al Cooper, I feel it’s safe to say that Cooper very likely had a face/head shape like theirs: long thin face, high cheek bones, pointed chin.

Would you be willing to photoshop the nose from composite B onto the face of composite A for a comparison to the photos shown above?

Of the two drawings, composite A does a better job of depicting the long thin face and high cheekbones.  Save for the mosquito nose and the coloring, it seems to be an otherwise good likeness overall.

 

[olemisscub 510]

5 hours ago, SeventyWonderful said:

Would you be willing to photoshop the nose from composite B onto the face of composite A for a comparison to the photos shown above?

 

He's a bit older, not as friendly looking, eyebrows don't look manicured, and has Comp B's nose. 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by olemisscub

[olemisscub 510]

[olemisscub 510]

Older pic of Al Cooper on left. I feel confident in saying that Cooper almost certainly had this same head/face shape. Should effectively rule out blockheads like Reca (not that he needed to be ruled out visually)

 

[c99acer 7]

On 4/22/2023 at 11:45 AM, olemisscub said:

What about the Initial Sketch? Nobody has compared that first version next to Reca. Doesn’t seem as far-fetched as you are letting on.

[olemisscub 510]

13 minutes ago, c99acer said:

What about the Initial Sketch? Nobody has compared that first version next to Reca. Doesn’t seem as far-fetched as you are letting on.

Ever given any thought as to why they never released that sketch?

 

[c99acer 7]

1 hour ago, olemisscub said:

Ever given any thought as to why they never released that sketch?

 

Yes sir. I have pondered that quite a bit. Even dug around in the FBI releases searching for some answer.

[olemisscub 510]

Just now, c99acer said:

Yes sir. I have pondered that quite a bit. Even dug around in the FBI releases searching for some answer.

They didn't release it because the person who probably got the best looks at Cooper, Florence, threw a fit and said the sketch was terrible and looked nothing like him.  That's right, Florence likely had the best look at Cooper, not Tina. 

Throughout the FBI files, Tina repeatedly indicates that she did not get a good look at Cooper. She claims that she never saw him head on and only saw him briefly a few times from his side profile. It’s possible that she failed to get a good look at Cooper on purpose. Just as it might be wise to avoid staring down a bank robber, it's likely that she intentionally avoided looking directly at him. This is why the FBI appeared to put so much stock into Florence Schaffner’s opinion on the sketches. She was, after all, the only stewardess to see him without his sunglasses on and the only stewardess to interact with him as a passenger, and not just as a hijacker. She had multiple different interactions with Cooper before the hijacking started and all before he put his shades on. 

Aside from Reca's square shaped head not being a match to the sketches and also not matching the photos that the stews thought bore a resemblance to Cooper, Reca's nose is quite bulbous. Alice described Cooper's nose as "small". She said that Comp B's nose was too "rough and lumpy looking". Florence said that Cooper's nose was somewhere in between the nose the comp A and comp B sketches. 

[c99acer 7]

1 hour ago, olemisscub said:

Aside from Reca's square shaped head not being a match to the sketches and also not matching the photos that the stews thought bore a resemblance to Cooper, Reca's nose is quite bulbous.  

I know you have been able to insert names into the released documents. Any chance you can figure the witness that gave this info about broader face and nose? This from FBI document 11.    

[olemisscub 510]

Don’t know who that is. One of the passengers. Not sure it helps you much because he’s saying Cooper had a broader face and a broader nose than those of a suspect, not of a sketch. 
 

You will come across some witness statements saying he had a broader nose than the sketch, but that’s generally a reference to the Bing sketch with his Michael Jackson nose. I do believe there is one passenger witness who said Cooper had a broader nose than Comp B sketch.

But let’s be real. Reca’s nose was unique. It’s like Weber’s ears. It’s a disqualifying feature IMO. No witness ever said anything about Cooper’s nose being unique. 

[georger 244]

8 hours ago, olemisscub said:

They didn't release it because the person who probably got the best looks at Cooper, Florence, threw a fit and said the sketch was terrible and looked nothing like him.  That's right, Florence likely had the best look at Cooper, not Tina. 

Throughout the FBI files, Tina repeatedly indicates that she did not get a good look at Cooper. She claims that she never saw him head on and only saw him briefly a few times from his side profile. It’s possible that she failed to get a good look at Cooper on purpose. Just as it might be wise to avoid staring down a bank robber, it's likely that she intentionally avoided looking directly at him. This is why the FBI appeared to put so much stock into Florence Schaffner’s opinion on the sketches. She was, after all, the only stewardess to see him without his sunglasses on and the only stewardess to interact with him as a passenger, and not just as a hijacker. She had multiple different interactions with Cooper before the hijacking started and all before he put his shades on. 

Aside from Reca's square shaped head not being a match to the sketches and also not matching the photos that the stews thought bore a resemblance to Cooper, Reca's nose is quite bulbous. Alice described Cooper's nose as "small". She said that Comp B's nose was too "rough and lumpy looking". Florence said that Cooper's nose was somewhere in between the nose the comp A and comp B sketches. 

Flawless Flo Perfection,  seemed to have a knack for throwing fits and becoming speechless-hysterical. I am not sure I would trust her 'judgements'. She may be the weakest link. Was she on or off medications? What was her 'mood' when and if she allowed herself to have a mood ?  Perfection is always difficult to obtain and maintain.... with every hair in place and everyone else wrong!

Edited May 6, 2023 by georger

[olemisscub 510]

19 minutes ago, georger said:

Flawless Flo Perfection,  seemed to have a knack for throwing fits and becoming speechless-hysterical. I am not sure I would trust her 'judgements'. She may be the weakest link. Was she on or off medications? What was her 'mood' when and if she allowed herself to have a mood ?  Perfection is always difficult to obtain and maintain.... with every hair in place and everyone else wrong!

Just found this sketch in the Vault. It's uncanny.

 

 

[c99acer 7]

8 hours ago, olemisscub said:

They didn't release it because the person who probably got the best looks at Cooper, Florence, threw a fit and said the sketch was terrible and looked nothing like him.  That's right, Florence likely had the best look at Cooper, not Tina. 

Throughout the FBI files, Tina repeatedly indicates that she did not get a good look at Cooper. She claims that she never saw him head on and only saw him briefly a few times from his side profile. It’s possible that she failed to get a good look at Cooper on purpose. Just as it might be wise to avoid staring down a bank robber, it's likely that she intentionally avoided looking directly at him. This is why the FBI appeared to put so much stock into Florence Schaffner’s opinion on the sketches. She was, after all, the only stewardess to see him without his sunglasses on and the only stewardess to interact with him as a passenger, and not just as a hijacker. She had multiple different interactions with Cooper before the hijacking started and all before he put his shades on. 

It's amazing Florence would trump Tina on the sketch matter regardless of her looking directly at him, or not. I estimate Tina had almost 15 times the conatct time with the hijacker (Florence 20 mins? / Tina 290 mins?).

I still question why the Initial Sketch wouldn't be circulated like every version after.