Parachute linked to DB Cooper found, reigniting McCoy hijacking theory

The decades-old enigma surrounding DB Cooper, the notorious hijacker who vanished after parachuting from Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 with $200,000 in cash, may finally be unraveling. 

A parachute discovered on the property of Richard Floyd McCoy II’s family has sparked new interest in the case, suggesting McCoy might have been the elusive fugitive.

The renewed investigation in the 53-year-old case began in 2020 when McCoy’s children, Chanté and Richard III “Rick” McCoy, reached out to YouTuber Dan Gryder. Gryder, an amateur investigator who had long been researching the case, was invited to their family property in North Carolina in July 2022. There, inside their late mother’s storage, Gryder uncovered a modified military surplus parachute rig. He described it to Cowboy State Daily as “one in a billion,” speculating it was used in DB Cooper's daring escape.

McCoy’s children shared Gryder’s belief, suspecting their father might have been DB Cooper. However, they had refrained from coming forward until their mother’s death, fearing her involvement in their father’s crimes. Gryder’s findings prompted the FBI to unofficially reopen the case, marking its first significant movement since the investigation was tabled in 2016. This breakthrough has now shifted the focus back to McCoy, whose name has long been whispered in true crime circles as a potential match for Cooper.

In a video released Monday, Gryder revealed that FBI agents had contacted him after viewing his earlier videos documenting the parachute discovery. Agents met with Gryder and Rick McCoy, collecting the parachute and its harness as evidence. The FBI also expressed interest in a logbook Chanté found, aligning with the timeline of Cooper’s hijacking over Oregon and a later hijacking in Utah that McCoy was convicted of in 1972. The logbook could prove pivotal, as it provides another potential link between McCoy and the DB Cooper case.

The FBI’s actions didn’t stop there. A month after collecting the parachute, agents conducted a thorough search of the McCoy family property. Rick McCoy recounted how dozens of agents inspected “every nook and cranny” for additional evidence, while Gryder and his colleague, retired airline pilot Laura Savino, documented the four-hour search from a distance. This marked the first time the FBI had dedicated such resources to the case in years.

Despite the apparent breakthroughs, the FBI has yet to confirm any updates. Rick McCoy provided DNA samples to the agency, but no results have been shared with the family. The parachute itself bore unique modifications consistent with those described by Earl Cossey, who supplied the chutes for the original 1971 heist, further bolstering Gryder’s theory that McCoy was DB Cooper.

Richard Floyd McCoy II has long been a suspect among sleuths due to his near-identical heist months after the Cooper case. In April 1972, McCoy hijacked a United Airlines flight, demanding $500,000 before parachuting to escape. The FBI apprehended him within 72 hours, thanks to fingerprints on a note and an eyewitness account. However, the FBI's rushed raid on his home without a warrant likely hindered further evidence linking him to the Oregon heist. McCoy was sentenced to 45 years in prison but escaped months later, only to be killed by police in Virginia in 1974.

The discovery of the parachute, along with the children’s testimony and the logbook, has reignited interest in McCoy as the possible culprit. However, some skeptics remain. Retired FBI Special Agent Larry Carr, who briefly oversaw the case in 2007, doubts the hijacker could have survived the parachute jump. Others argue McCoy’s age—he was younger than Cooper’s reported profile—makes him an unlikely match. Gryder dismisses these claims, suggesting McCoy used a disguise during the heist.

Adding to the mystery, true crime investigator Eric Ulis has proposed an entirely different theory. Ulis believes DB Cooper was Vince Petersen, an aerospace engineer from Pittsburgh. After studying microscopic evidence from Cooper’s clip-on tie, which was left behind before the hijacker parachuted from the plane, Ulis discovered particles consistent with metals used in the aerospace industry. Ulis has linked these metals to Petersen’s work as a Boeing subcontractor. However, his Freedom of Information Act requests for Cooper’s DNA records were rejected, leaving his theory unresolved.

While these conflicting theories continue to stir debate, Gryder remains steadfast. He is convinced that the parachute, with its unique modifications, will finally provide the concrete evidence needed to solve the DB Cooper case. Despite the growing body of evidence, the FBI’s silence leaves many unanswered questions, keeping the mystery of DB Cooper alive. As new discoveries emerge, one thing is certain—the hunt for DB Cooper continues to captivate the public’s imagination.