10 hours ago
7
NEWYou tin present perceive to Fox News articles!
A recently released batch of FBI investigative files successful the long-unsolved D.B. Cooper hijacking lawsuit shows that agents erstwhile examined a erstwhile aviator from occidental Maine arsenic a imaginable suspect.
The files, released by the FBI, bespeak that Raymond Sidney Russell, who besides went by R. Sid Russell and Sid Russell, was interviewed by the bureau successful 1972 arsenic portion of their efforts to place the antheral who hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines formation successful November 1971, collected $200,000 successful ransom and parachuted from the level determination implicit the Pacific Northwest.
The hijacker was ne'er caught, and the lawsuit remains 1 of the FBI’s astir infamous unsolved mysteries.
The Portland Press Herald says that Russell, a Norway, Maine, autochthonal calved successful 1923, served successful the subject and aboriginal worked successful aviation, including clip with the Flying Tigers and different freight airlines. He had lived connected the West Coast earlier returning to Maine successful 1971.
The FBI released these sketches aft a antheral named D.B. Cooper hijacked a level flying from Portland to Seattle connected Nov. 24, 1971 and past parachuted retired the backmost doorway with $200,000, ne'er to beryllium seen again. (FBI)
The FBI files bash not specify however Russell archetypal drew investigators’ attention, but the documents amusement agents reviewed his inheritance and interviewed him astatine his location successful September 1972. During that interview, Russell reportedly denied immoderate engagement successful the hijacking and said helium had returned to Maine months earlier the transgression to beryllium with his mother.
According to the newspaper, immoderate of the radical agents spoke with believed Russell could person committed the crime, portion others did not deliberation helium was susceptible of it.
The recently released information of the record includes a handwritten notation dated November 1972 that reads "ELIMINATE RUSSELL," suggesting the bureau decided not to prosecute him further.
SEND US A TIP HERE
Ryan Burns, a Mississippi transgression defence lawyer who runs a YouTube transmission called "D.B. Cooper Sleuth" and attends an yearly Cooper-focused gathering known arsenic "CooperCon," told the Portland Press Herald that helium has reviewed each the FBI’s released files.
"It’s benignant of the coolest transgression ever. This feline is wearing sunglasses, smoking cigarettes, drinking bourbon successful the backmost of a plane," Burns said. "And helium got distant with it."
Burns said astir 2 twelve radical look to person been investigated arsenic earnestly arsenic Russell. The adept said that helium doesn't judge Russell was the hijacker, citing differences betwixt Russell’s carnal characteristics and witnesser descriptions of Cooper. He besides noted that contempt decades of investigation, helium doubts the lawsuit volition ever beryllium solved, successful portion due to the fact that imaginable DNA grounds whitethorn person been destroyed.
"I don’t deliberation anybody successful the satellite wants it solved much than I do, fixed each the effort I enactment into it," Burns told the newspaper.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Money recovered successful 1980 that matched the ransom wealth serial numbers. (FBI)
Records reviewed by the paper amusement Russell was a standout precocious schoolhouse skier successful Norway and aboriginal received a $5,000 authorities assistance successful the precocious 1980s for an invention. Russell died successful 1989 and is buried successful Paris, Maine. The FBI redacted the names of witnesses and acquaintances interviewed successful transportation with Russell.
Fox News Digital has reached retired to the FBI for remark connected the case.
The canvas container that contained 1 of the parachutes fixed to D.B. Cooper successful 1971. According to the FBI, Cooper asked for 4 chutes successful all; helium jumped with 2 (including 1 that was utilized for acquisition and had been sewn shut). He utilized the cord from 1 of the remaining parachutes to necktie the stolen wealth container shut. (FBI)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
More than 5 decades aft the hijacking, the Cooper lawsuit continues to gully fascination, inspiring books and movies. Despite thousands of pages of released documents and countless theories, the individuality of the antheral who successfully hijacked the commercialized craft remains a mystery.
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Related Article
English (CA) · 
English (US) · 
Spanish (MX) ·