1 00:00:00,633 --> 00:00:02,267 [suspenseful music playing] 2 00:00:06,606 --> 00:00:09,274 So the FBI's official story is... 3 00:00:09,309 --> 00:00:10,376 Wrong. 4 00:00:10,410 --> 00:00:12,044 That's a bombshell. 5 00:00:15,615 --> 00:00:17,449 Who do you think D.B. Cooper is? 6 00:00:17,484 --> 00:00:19,351 I know who D.B. Cooper is. 7 00:00:20,253 --> 00:00:21,020 It's this young man. 8 00:00:21,554 --> 00:00:22,521 [metal detector beeps] 9 00:00:22,555 --> 00:00:24,556 Hey, Josh. I think I got something here. 10 00:00:24,590 --> 00:00:26,558 I think it could be a serial number off a parachute. 11 00:00:26,593 --> 00:00:28,660 Oh! Look at this! 12 00:00:28,694 --> 00:00:30,429 I know the precise spot 13 00:00:30,463 --> 00:00:32,965 where the money was buried. 14 00:00:34,267 --> 00:00:35,134 There he goes. 15 00:00:36,669 --> 00:00:38,470 Careful, careful, careful, whoa! 16 00:00:38,505 --> 00:00:39,972 [bleep] 17 00:00:43,576 --> 00:00:45,778 Eric! Look at this! 18 00:00:46,646 --> 00:00:49,081 That looks like it's off a briefcase. 19 00:00:56,056 --> 00:00:59,625 There aren't many cold cases that could still captivate a nation 20 00:00:59,659 --> 00:01:00,959 after half a century. 21 00:01:00,994 --> 00:01:05,864 But then again. D.B. Cooper has always been one of a kind. 22 00:01:05,899 --> 00:01:10,736 A daring criminal who hijacked a domestic flight in 1971. 23 00:01:10,770 --> 00:01:12,838 He grabbed hundreds of thousands of dollars in ransom, 24 00:01:12,872 --> 00:01:16,742 before parachuting into the realm of legend. 25 00:01:17,577 --> 00:01:20,412 Despite a massive FBI man hunt, 26 00:01:20,447 --> 00:01:22,681 Cooper's whereabouts and identity 27 00:01:22,715 --> 00:01:24,416 are a hotly-debated mystery. 28 00:01:24,451 --> 00:01:27,519 And it remains the only unsolved skyjacking 29 00:01:27,554 --> 00:01:28,654 in American history. 30 00:01:28,688 --> 00:01:31,156 Perhaps, the perfect crime. 31 00:01:32,792 --> 00:01:36,462 A few years ago, I decided to enter what experts call 32 00:01:36,496 --> 00:01:38,897 the Cooper vortex. 33 00:01:38,932 --> 00:01:42,468 A virtual blackhole, swirling with theories pursued, 34 00:01:42,502 --> 00:01:44,570 by obsessive citizen sleuths. 35 00:01:44,604 --> 00:01:46,483 Hell, I became one myself. 36 00:01:46,507 --> 00:01:48,340 - [man 1] To D.B. Cooper. - [man 2] To D.B. Cooper. 37 00:01:48,374 --> 00:01:49,374 - Yeah! - Hear! Hear! 38 00:01:49,409 --> 00:01:51,210 [Josh] I searched low, 39 00:01:51,244 --> 00:01:51,543 and high. 40 00:01:51,578 --> 00:01:53,011 Oh my God! 41 00:01:53,046 --> 00:01:57,616 And helped uncover some of the most momentous evidence in decades. 42 00:01:57,650 --> 00:02:00,519 The discovery of rare element particles 43 00:02:00,553 --> 00:02:02,454 on Cooper's necktie. 44 00:02:02,489 --> 00:02:06,191 And now, the case is churning hot yet again. 45 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,329 Recently uncovered audio recordings 46 00:02:10,363 --> 00:02:12,297 are revealing a new suspect 47 00:02:12,332 --> 00:02:13,899 and an unexplored search area. 48 00:02:13,933 --> 00:02:18,337 Meanwhile, a high-tech discovery is re-writing the story 49 00:02:18,371 --> 00:02:20,172 of the missing ransom money. 50 00:02:20,206 --> 00:02:23,809 And one resolute investigator with FBI documents 51 00:02:23,843 --> 00:02:26,512 believes he's honed in on the true location 52 00:02:26,546 --> 00:02:28,413 of Cooper's daring jump. 53 00:02:29,883 --> 00:02:33,452 So grab a parachute and join me if you dare 54 00:02:33,486 --> 00:02:35,821 as we dive back into the vortex 55 00:02:35,855 --> 00:02:39,224 in pursuit of the real D.B. Cooper. 56 00:02:42,295 --> 00:02:44,129 My name is Josh Gates. 57 00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:45,464 Hello! 58 00:02:45,498 --> 00:02:48,400 Explorer, adventurer... 59 00:02:48,434 --> 00:02:48,667 This is sick. 60 00:02:48,701 --> 00:02:50,002 Help! 61 00:02:50,036 --> 00:02:52,905 ...and a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 62 00:02:52,939 --> 00:02:53,438 - [exclaims] - [bleep] 63 00:02:53,473 --> 00:02:54,907 Whoo! That was exciting. 64 00:02:54,941 --> 00:02:58,544 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained... 65 00:02:58,578 --> 00:02:59,578 [exclaims] 66 00:02:59,612 --> 00:03:01,446 I travel to the ends of the earth, 67 00:03:01,481 --> 00:03:04,750 investigating the greatest legends in history. 68 00:03:04,784 --> 00:03:05,684 Okay, let's punch it. 69 00:03:05,718 --> 00:03:08,420 This is Expedition Unknown. 70 00:03:18,264 --> 00:03:20,599 Thanksgiving eve, 1971. 71 00:03:20,633 --> 00:03:23,502 A mysterious figure behind dark sunglasses 72 00:03:23,536 --> 00:03:26,338 carries a briefcase aboard North-West Orient 73 00:03:26,372 --> 00:03:27,606 flight 305. 74 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,676 A domestic hop from Portland, Oregon to here, 75 00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:31,777 Seattle, Washington. 76 00:03:31,811 --> 00:03:35,347 Home of Boeing, and the inspiring museum of flight. 77 00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:40,252 The name on his ticket: Dan Cooper. 78 00:03:41,554 --> 00:03:42,754 An unassuming looking man 79 00:03:42,789 --> 00:03:44,690 later described as in his mid-40s. 80 00:03:44,724 --> 00:03:47,659 And about 5 foot 10 inches tall. 81 00:03:47,694 --> 00:03:50,229 He takes his seat in 18E. 82 00:03:52,832 --> 00:03:55,500 Upon takeoff, he informs the flight attendant 83 00:03:55,535 --> 00:03:57,736 his briefcase contains a bomb. 84 00:03:58,571 --> 00:04:00,806 Once back on the ground in Seattle, 85 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,408 Cooper agrees to release the passengers 86 00:04:03,443 --> 00:04:05,510 in exchange for $200,000, 87 00:04:05,545 --> 00:04:06,678 four parachutes, 88 00:04:06,713 --> 00:04:09,314 and promise of safe passage to Mexico. 89 00:04:11,417 --> 00:04:13,619 Back in the air, the pilots informed Cooper 90 00:04:13,653 --> 00:04:16,455 they'll need to stop in Reno to refuel. 91 00:04:16,489 --> 00:04:17,556 But before they can get there, 92 00:04:17,590 --> 00:04:19,524 a light goes off in the cockpit 93 00:04:19,559 --> 00:04:21,693 indicating that a door has been opened. 94 00:04:21,728 --> 00:04:26,732 You see, D.B. Cooper chose the Boeing 727 for a reason. 95 00:04:26,766 --> 00:04:29,968 It's unique aft staircase. 96 00:04:31,571 --> 00:04:34,206 Jumping from the side door of a commercial jet 97 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:35,641 could kill a skydiver. 98 00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:38,610 But Cooper simply had to walk out the back. 99 00:04:38,645 --> 00:04:41,046 Outside, a storm is raging. 100 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,150 And somewhere in the darkness above the Pacific north-west, 101 00:04:45,184 --> 00:04:47,152 Cooper jumps. 102 00:04:48,554 --> 00:04:50,455 And that's where the mystery deepens. 103 00:04:50,490 --> 00:04:52,691 Because by the time the plane lands in Reno, 104 00:04:52,725 --> 00:04:56,328 both the hijacker and the money have vanished. 105 00:04:57,230 --> 00:04:58,363 Who are you? 106 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:03,535 Over the years, there have been countless suspects 107 00:05:03,569 --> 00:05:04,670 fitted for Cooper's shades. 108 00:05:04,704 --> 00:05:07,706 Marvel fans even saw Tom Hiddleston's Loki 109 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:09,608 take credit for the crime. 110 00:05:09,642 --> 00:05:13,612 Today though, I'm trying to answer the $200,000 question, 111 00:05:13,646 --> 00:05:15,681 who is D.B. Cooper? 112 00:05:15,715 --> 00:05:18,617 By enlisting the A-team of Cooper researchers. 113 00:05:18,651 --> 00:05:21,753 Mark Meltzer, criminal defense attorney 114 00:05:21,788 --> 00:05:24,723 with over 50 years of skydiving experience. 115 00:05:24,757 --> 00:05:27,559 A top authority on Cooper's jump. 116 00:05:27,593 --> 00:05:28,694 Joe Koenig. 117 00:05:28,728 --> 00:05:31,530 Lead investigator in the Jimmy Hoffa case. 118 00:05:31,564 --> 00:05:34,566 Twenty-six-year veteran of the Michigan state police. 119 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,536 And Bruce Smith, veteran sleuth, 120 00:05:37,570 --> 00:05:40,572 and author of D.B. Cooper and the FBI. 121 00:05:40,606 --> 00:05:42,908 Oh, and me. I'm here too. 122 00:05:43,843 --> 00:05:46,411 All right, guys, I've got a lot of questions. 123 00:05:46,446 --> 00:05:47,612 - We got answers. - I hope so. 124 00:05:47,647 --> 00:05:48,980 Let's start with this. 125 00:05:49,015 --> 00:05:51,583 Most books that I've read about D.B. Cooper, 126 00:05:51,617 --> 00:05:52,951 have a suspect. 127 00:05:52,985 --> 00:05:54,586 Mark, I know, you're an attorney. 128 00:05:54,620 --> 00:05:58,457 Does it seem strange to you how many potential suspects there are in this case? 129 00:05:58,491 --> 00:06:00,859 It's very unusual, the FBI 130 00:06:00,893 --> 00:06:02,694 has said there have been hundreds of confessions. 131 00:06:02,729 --> 00:06:04,463 [laughs] Right, you don't normally have 132 00:06:04,530 --> 00:06:06,398 hundreds of guys confessing to the crime. 133 00:06:06,432 --> 00:06:07,432 - Correct. - Right. 134 00:06:07,467 --> 00:06:10,435 Gotta remember the D.B. Cooper sky jacking was... 135 00:06:10,470 --> 00:06:11,503 Was innovative. 136 00:06:11,537 --> 00:06:13,538 No one else had even done it. 137 00:06:13,573 --> 00:06:15,640 In fact, skydivers the next day were saying, 138 00:06:15,675 --> 00:06:17,342 why didn't I think of that? 139 00:06:17,377 --> 00:06:19,611 [laughs] Right. Exactly. 140 00:06:19,645 --> 00:06:22,614 So, okay, let's start where the FBI started. 141 00:06:22,648 --> 00:06:24,683 The primary witness 142 00:06:24,717 --> 00:06:27,285 to the skyjacking is the flight attendant 143 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,921 who sat next to D.B. Cooper. 144 00:06:29,956 --> 00:06:30,756 - [Josh] Tina. - [Mark] That's Tina Mucklow. 145 00:06:30,790 --> 00:06:31,990 [Josh] Right. 146 00:06:32,024 --> 00:06:34,726 [Mark] And she and the FBI, dug to come up with a sketch. 147 00:06:34,761 --> 00:06:38,029 And this was the first sketch. 148 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:38,697 Okay. 149 00:06:38,731 --> 00:06:40,766 However, over the next year, 150 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,170 a lot of other people came forward, like, passengers. 151 00:06:45,204 --> 00:06:46,037 And so they came up 152 00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:49,040 with a different composite sketch. 153 00:06:50,643 --> 00:06:51,710 Are they accurate? 154 00:06:51,744 --> 00:06:55,514 Is eyewitness testimony for composite sketches 155 00:06:55,548 --> 00:06:56,748 really valuable? 156 00:06:56,783 --> 00:06:59,818 I never found it to be all that valuable. 157 00:06:59,852 --> 00:07:04,623 So much depends on the eyewitnesses ability. 158 00:07:04,657 --> 00:07:06,691 To recall an image. 159 00:07:06,726 --> 00:07:09,494 Right. So, let's wipe the slate here. 160 00:07:09,529 --> 00:07:11,630 Let's talk about actual suspects. 161 00:07:11,664 --> 00:07:13,498 Who are some of the people 162 00:07:13,533 --> 00:07:14,966 that really rose to the top, 163 00:07:15,001 --> 00:07:17,335 and where the greatest hits in this case? 164 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:19,638 Well, the very first guy was Ted Mayfield. 165 00:07:19,672 --> 00:07:22,474 And people were already calling the FBI 166 00:07:22,508 --> 00:07:23,542 while the plane was still in the air 167 00:07:23,576 --> 00:07:25,444 and Cooper hadn't even jumped yet, saying, 168 00:07:25,478 --> 00:07:26,878 your guy is Ted Mayfield. 169 00:07:26,913 --> 00:07:28,313 Why? Why were people so... 170 00:07:28,347 --> 00:07:29,414 Because he ran a corrupt operation 171 00:07:32,518 --> 00:07:34,453 And people ended up dying there. 172 00:07:34,487 --> 00:07:37,355 -Wow -From bad training, bad equipment. 173 00:07:37,390 --> 00:07:38,490 He even stole an airplane. 174 00:07:38,524 --> 00:07:40,792 So did Ted Mayfield hold up as a suspect? 175 00:07:40,827 --> 00:07:42,961 No, he didn't. He was immediately ruled out, 176 00:07:42,995 --> 00:07:45,597 and I think correctly so because he was far too short. 177 00:07:45,631 --> 00:07:47,766 He did not meet the height requirements for Cooper. 178 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:48,767 He was way below it. 179 00:07:48,801 --> 00:07:52,270 Okay, so we get rid of Ted Mayfield. Who else? 180 00:07:52,305 --> 00:07:53,538 Within a few days of the crime, 181 00:07:53,573 --> 00:07:56,241 the FBI received a tip that they should investigate 182 00:07:56,275 --> 00:07:57,542 Sheridan Peterson. 183 00:07:57,577 --> 00:08:00,645 Sheridan Peterson. Okay, who's he? 184 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,915 Sheridan Peterson was a very experienced skydiver. 185 00:08:03,950 --> 00:08:05,016 - He was an instructor. - Hmm. 186 00:08:05,051 --> 00:08:08,553 And he worked at Boeing in Technical Documentations 187 00:08:08,588 --> 00:08:10,489 Okay, so this guy's looking pretty good. 188 00:08:10,523 --> 00:08:11,756 - He is. - What's wrong with him? 189 00:08:11,791 --> 00:08:12,924 His alibi... 190 00:08:12,959 --> 00:08:17,329 Is that he was living in a mud hut in Nepal at the time. 191 00:08:17,363 --> 00:08:18,530 Well, that's a pretty big problem. 192 00:08:18,564 --> 00:08:20,332 [man] Yeah, I don't think he's Cooper. 193 00:08:20,366 --> 00:08:21,433 [Josh] Okay. 194 00:08:21,467 --> 00:08:22,834 Let me rifle through a few more. 195 00:08:22,869 --> 00:08:23,735 John List. 196 00:08:23,803 --> 00:08:25,370 - Forget about him. - [Josh scoffs, chuckles] 197 00:08:25,404 --> 00:08:26,471 It's not even worth discussing? 198 00:08:26,506 --> 00:08:28,406 - Nah. - Okay, he's gone. 199 00:08:28,441 --> 00:08:29,441 Duane Weber. 200 00:08:29,475 --> 00:08:31,676 Oh, he has no parachuting experience. 201 00:08:31,711 --> 00:08:34,579 - He was arrested 23 times so uh-- - 23 times? 202 00:08:34,614 --> 00:08:35,847 - Yeah, he's not a master criminal. - He's out! 203 00:08:35,882 --> 00:08:38,283 -This guy is not a master criminal -[man laughs] 204 00:08:38,317 --> 00:08:39,851 - He's done, he's done. - [man continues laughing] 205 00:08:39,886 --> 00:08:43,722 [Josh] In the end, the FBI maintains that none of these men were Cooper. 206 00:08:43,756 --> 00:08:46,691 And that he most likely died in his leap from the plane. 207 00:08:46,726 --> 00:08:49,861 The men at this table might respectfully disagree. 208 00:08:50,663 --> 00:08:52,898 Who's the guy who could be Cooper? 209 00:08:52,932 --> 00:08:53,732 [man] As far as capabilities go, 210 00:08:53,766 --> 00:08:56,601 Robert Rackstraw had every skill needed 211 00:08:56,636 --> 00:08:59,271 Robert Rackstraw is an Army... 212 00:08:59,305 --> 00:09:00,539 Helicopter pilot. 213 00:09:00,573 --> 00:09:02,807 And was an experienced HALO Parachutist. 214 00:09:02,842 --> 00:09:05,710 - That means High Altitude, Low Opening. - Mm-hmm. 215 00:09:05,745 --> 00:09:08,647 [Josh] Joe, do you think Rackstraw could be Cooper? 216 00:09:08,681 --> 00:09:10,582 I don't think so. He was too young. 217 00:09:10,616 --> 00:09:12,517 - How old was he? - 29 218 00:09:12,552 --> 00:09:14,386 Oh, I mean, really young. 219 00:09:14,420 --> 00:09:16,354 But he had the capability? 220 00:09:16,389 --> 00:09:18,590 Rackstraw had every skill needed. 221 00:09:18,624 --> 00:09:21,660 But nobody can put him on the plane, and in fact... 222 00:09:21,694 --> 00:09:23,361 The flight attendant, Tina Mucklow. 223 00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:25,897 Said no when she was shown his picture. 224 00:09:25,932 --> 00:09:30,335 - So you can't equate capability with culpability. - Right. 225 00:09:30,369 --> 00:09:31,236 And what about you, Joe? 226 00:09:31,270 --> 00:09:32,904 Who do you think D.B Cooper is? 227 00:09:33,472 --> 00:09:35,206 I know who D.B Cooper is. 228 00:09:37,310 --> 00:09:38,109 It's this young man. 229 00:09:38,477 --> 00:09:39,411 Walter Reca? 230 00:09:39,445 --> 00:09:40,412 Correct. 231 00:09:40,446 --> 00:09:42,147 [Josh] This is D.B Cooper? 232 00:09:42,181 --> 00:09:43,048 He's the one. 233 00:09:43,382 --> 00:09:44,182 Okay. 234 00:09:45,418 --> 00:09:46,384 Tell me. 235 00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:48,520 Who is Walter Reca? 236 00:09:48,554 --> 00:09:50,689 Walter Reca was a para-trooper. 237 00:09:50,723 --> 00:09:53,224 He was in the Air Force Reserves' 238 00:09:53,259 --> 00:09:54,626 Sea and Rescue Squad. 239 00:09:54,660 --> 00:09:56,828 And I go to my parachute expert here. 240 00:09:56,862 --> 00:09:57,896 This guy knew how to jump? 241 00:09:57,930 --> 00:10:00,665 [man] He was a US Air Force Para-Rescue Jumper 242 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:01,733 They're called PJs. 243 00:10:01,767 --> 00:10:03,902 He absolutely had the skills. He knew everything. 244 00:10:03,936 --> 00:10:07,272 They know night jumps, water jumps, combat rescue. 245 00:10:07,306 --> 00:10:08,907 I've been jumping for 53 years. 246 00:10:08,941 --> 00:10:09,774 I don't have... 247 00:10:09,809 --> 00:10:12,410 A hundredth of the skills that Reca had. 248 00:10:12,445 --> 00:10:14,012 Okay. So... 249 00:10:14,046 --> 00:10:15,146 He knew how to jump? 250 00:10:15,181 --> 00:10:18,216 [man] And he's D.B Cooper because of his confession. 251 00:10:18,250 --> 00:10:19,884 Which was very detailed. 252 00:10:20,786 --> 00:10:23,355 [Josh] After he jumped from the 727, 253 00:10:23,389 --> 00:10:26,958 Reca is said to have land in a town of Cle Elum, Washington. 254 00:10:27,593 --> 00:10:28,793 But don't take my word for it. 255 00:10:28,828 --> 00:10:31,663 Here's an excerpt of Walter Reca's confession. 256 00:10:31,697 --> 00:10:33,632 Recorded by a close friend of his, 257 00:10:33,666 --> 00:10:36,334 shortly before his death in 2014. 258 00:10:38,304 --> 00:10:39,337 [Walter speaking] 259 00:11:01,761 --> 00:11:05,230 Does anybody see this guy walking in the rain along this road? 260 00:11:05,464 --> 00:11:06,297 Yes. 261 00:11:07,366 --> 00:11:07,766 Really? 262 00:11:08,734 --> 00:11:10,769 [Josh] One witness, a local truck driver. 263 00:11:10,803 --> 00:11:13,505 Reports passing Reca on the road on his way, 264 00:11:13,539 --> 00:11:14,739 to a nearby diner. 265 00:11:14,774 --> 00:11:17,342 The man is walking in the rain in a suit. 266 00:11:18,444 --> 00:11:20,745 Shortly after, he limps into the diner. 267 00:11:20,780 --> 00:11:23,248 And asks for change to use the phone. 268 00:11:23,282 --> 00:11:25,050 Here's Walter Reca again. 269 00:11:25,518 --> 00:11:27,118 [Walter speaking] 270 00:11:37,997 --> 00:11:42,233 [man] I evaluated those tapes to determine truthfulness. 271 00:11:42,268 --> 00:11:43,468 That's your area of expertise. 272 00:11:43,502 --> 00:11:44,502 Exactly. 273 00:11:44,536 --> 00:11:47,238 - He was being truthful. - You're convinced? 274 00:11:47,273 --> 00:11:48,206 I am. 275 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:49,541 I don't wanna start here. 276 00:11:49,575 --> 00:11:51,543 What do you think? Could it be Reca? 277 00:11:51,577 --> 00:11:54,579 The place where he landed is over a 100 miles, 278 00:11:54,613 --> 00:11:56,581 from where this aircraft was flying. 279 00:11:56,615 --> 00:11:59,651 It is also true that there is no actual record, 280 00:11:59,685 --> 00:12:01,720 of where that plane flew right? 281 00:12:01,754 --> 00:12:03,455 There was a record. They didn't preserve it. 282 00:12:03,489 --> 00:12:04,422 [Josh] They didn't preserve it. 283 00:12:04,457 --> 00:12:05,990 This raises another questions. 284 00:12:06,025 --> 00:12:08,693 If he gotta make up the story of him being D.B Cooper, 285 00:12:08,728 --> 00:12:11,563 why place yourself a 100 miles. 286 00:12:11,597 --> 00:12:15,266 If there's something very puzzling about the Reca case, 287 00:12:15,301 --> 00:12:16,501 I can't figure it out. 288 00:12:16,535 --> 00:12:18,069 I agree with Joe. 289 00:12:18,104 --> 00:12:21,940 Walter Reca landed in Cle Elum, Washington. 290 00:12:21,974 --> 00:12:26,277 The night in question and was soaked into the skin by the rain. 291 00:12:26,312 --> 00:12:27,212 You buy that? 292 00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:28,813 I buy that absolutely. 293 00:12:28,848 --> 00:12:32,350 So there's two guys, jumping out of airplanes, 294 00:12:32,384 --> 00:12:34,385 wearing business suits. 295 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:37,489 The night before Thanksgiving in 1971. 296 00:12:37,523 --> 00:12:40,425 I'd rather have you say, It [bleeping] never happened 297 00:12:40,459 --> 00:12:41,693 There was no guy walking down the road 298 00:12:41,727 --> 00:12:44,496 - We got a-- - You're telling me that there was a guy, 299 00:12:44,530 --> 00:12:47,332 in a business suit, walking down the road, 300 00:12:47,366 --> 00:12:48,566 then how could he not be D.B Cooper? 301 00:12:48,601 --> 00:12:51,136 I think the Walter Reca story... 302 00:12:51,170 --> 00:12:53,204 Opens up a huge... 303 00:12:53,472 --> 00:12:54,539 Story. 304 00:12:54,573 --> 00:12:55,573 And the story is... 305 00:12:55,608 --> 00:12:56,741 What the hell was... 306 00:12:56,776 --> 00:12:59,010 Walter Reca doing in Cle Elum that night? 307 00:12:59,779 --> 00:13:02,480 This is a relatively new suspect. 308 00:13:02,515 --> 00:13:05,116 Landed in an unsearched area. 309 00:13:05,151 --> 00:13:06,417 And... hopefully. 310 00:13:06,451 --> 00:13:09,154 With your help, we'll find some evidence, 311 00:13:09,188 --> 00:13:10,755 to seal this case. 312 00:13:11,824 --> 00:13:13,658 [Josh] If you think that sounds like a challenge, 313 00:13:13,692 --> 00:13:15,226 well it does to me too. 314 00:13:16,562 --> 00:13:19,297 Looks like Joe and I are going to Cle Elum. 315 00:13:20,299 --> 00:13:21,466 [rock music playing] 316 00:13:22,902 --> 00:13:26,638 [Josh] Joe travels ahead to assemble his team of Cooper fanatics. 317 00:13:26,672 --> 00:13:30,141 Leaving me to drive the 85 miles... solo. 318 00:13:32,678 --> 00:13:36,414 I arrive where the Teanaway Junction Cafe once stood. 319 00:13:36,448 --> 00:13:38,183 And rejoin Joe Koenig. 320 00:13:41,453 --> 00:13:42,453 How are you, man? 321 00:13:42,488 --> 00:13:44,589 - Good, Josh. How are you? - Good. Good to see ya! 322 00:13:44,623 --> 00:13:46,457 - Good, good. - What do you think of my car? 323 00:13:46,492 --> 00:13:48,393 I love it, a Mini Cooper. 324 00:13:48,427 --> 00:13:51,296 - Exactly. I'll go a long way for a bad joke, Joe. - [Joe laughs] 325 00:13:52,331 --> 00:13:52,864 - This for me. - Yeah. 326 00:13:52,898 --> 00:13:53,798 - Thank you, sir. - Yeah. 327 00:13:53,833 --> 00:13:55,578 And you've got an army of people out here. 328 00:13:55,602 --> 00:13:59,404 We do. We got a bunch of volunteers from the Cle Elum area, 329 00:13:59,438 --> 00:14:02,473 and a professional metal detectorist. 330 00:14:02,508 --> 00:14:04,242 So we are in the spot? 331 00:14:04,276 --> 00:14:05,577 This is the spot. 332 00:14:05,611 --> 00:14:07,478 Should we go find D.B Cooper's parachute? 333 00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:08,646 - Let's do it. - Let's go! 334 00:14:09,715 --> 00:14:11,749 [Josh] Joe believes that Cooper must have landed, 335 00:14:11,784 --> 00:14:13,785 near where the tree line is today. 336 00:14:13,819 --> 00:14:17,589 An area that was deep in the woods in 1971. 337 00:14:17,623 --> 00:14:19,724 The years may have changed the landscape. 338 00:14:19,758 --> 00:14:24,796 But the buckles, fasteners and other metallic pieces of Cooper's parachute, 339 00:14:24,830 --> 00:14:26,798 can't hide from a metal detector. 340 00:14:26,832 --> 00:14:30,635 Our team is fanned out across the field and into the trees. 341 00:14:30,669 --> 00:14:33,304 This is the largest search ever made here, 342 00:14:33,339 --> 00:14:34,606 for evidence in the Cooper case. 343 00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:35,807 [beeping] 344 00:14:35,841 --> 00:14:38,309 [Josh] And it may be about to pay off. 345 00:14:38,344 --> 00:14:39,377 Got something? 346 00:14:39,411 --> 00:14:42,247 [dramatic music playing] 347 00:14:44,416 --> 00:14:45,383 What have we got over here? 348 00:14:48,554 --> 00:14:50,989 Let's get a little deeper here. 349 00:14:52,491 --> 00:14:54,158 [thudding] 350 00:14:56,328 --> 00:14:58,229 Oooh, we got metal here. 351 00:15:01,567 --> 00:15:02,667 [exciting music playing] 352 00:15:02,701 --> 00:15:04,369 - [thudding] - [Josh] Let's get a little deeper here. 353 00:15:06,372 --> 00:15:07,805 Oooh, we got metal here. 354 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,643 [Josh] I've joined investigator Joe Koenig in Cle Elum, Washington. 355 00:15:11,677 --> 00:15:15,246 To explore his theory that a man named Walter Reca 356 00:15:15,281 --> 00:15:17,515 was also skyjacker D.B Cooper 357 00:15:17,549 --> 00:15:20,218 And that he landed in these very woods. 358 00:15:21,553 --> 00:15:23,554 I see rust down here. Here we go, look. 359 00:15:23,589 --> 00:15:25,323 - See how it's curved? - Yeah. 360 00:15:25,357 --> 00:15:27,225 [man 1] Hot something metal. 361 00:15:27,259 --> 00:15:28,326 [Josh] What you got? 362 00:15:31,630 --> 00:15:33,498 - [Joe] Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. - [Josh] Look at that. 363 00:15:33,532 --> 00:15:35,066 - Is it a drum lid? - [man 2] Yeah! 364 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:38,636 So, okay, somebody at some point buried a bunch of drums back here. 365 00:15:38,671 --> 00:15:40,571 Probably not D. B. Cooper. 366 00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:42,373 - [man 2] Probably not. - Okay. 367 00:15:42,408 --> 00:15:43,775 Moving on. 368 00:15:44,209 --> 00:15:45,276 [music playing] 369 00:15:47,413 --> 00:15:48,947 [Josh] The team continues metal detecting. 370 00:15:48,981 --> 00:15:53,651 While the property's owner Wayne Willette brings us back into the forest 371 00:15:53,686 --> 00:15:56,054 in search of any sign of our suspect. 372 00:15:59,591 --> 00:16:02,660 [Josh] I s this the underside of a tree? These are all roots. 373 00:16:02,695 --> 00:16:05,063 Now in terms of these tree from the Cooper story, 374 00:16:05,097 --> 00:16:10,001 Reca, when he parachuted in here he said that he hit a dead tree, right? 375 00:16:10,035 --> 00:16:12,603 Yeah, he said the only dead tree in the woods. 376 00:16:12,638 --> 00:16:14,072 So this is obviously a big dead tree, 377 00:16:14,106 --> 00:16:16,474 although I wouldn't say it's been dead for that long. 378 00:16:16,508 --> 00:16:17,709 How long you've been on this property? 379 00:16:17,743 --> 00:16:19,811 We moved out here at about '72. 380 00:16:19,845 --> 00:16:21,779 - A year after the Cooper jump? - [Wayne] Yes. 381 00:16:21,814 --> 00:16:24,582 [Josh] So was there a big old dead tree here that time? 382 00:16:24,616 --> 00:16:27,418 There was. It was right in here somewhere. 383 00:16:27,453 --> 00:16:28,720 Okay, well may be will come across it. 384 00:16:28,754 --> 00:16:30,888 - [both] Yeah. - [Josh] Lets keep looking. 385 00:16:31,323 --> 00:16:33,024 [music playing] 386 00:16:34,626 --> 00:16:36,394 [Josh] Nobody said it was gonna be easy. 387 00:16:40,199 --> 00:16:45,403 As far as landmarks go, the remains of a 50 year old dead tree in the forest 388 00:16:45,437 --> 00:16:47,071 don't exactly stick out. 389 00:16:47,106 --> 00:16:50,274 And these woods aren't exactly a walk in the park. 390 00:16:51,176 --> 00:16:52,310 [rustling] 391 00:16:53,579 --> 00:16:56,447 Good, good, good. Oh, oh, careful, careful, careful! Oh no. 392 00:16:56,482 --> 00:16:58,116 - [water splashing] - [bleep] 393 00:16:58,150 --> 00:16:59,283 [man] Here I go. 394 00:17:00,419 --> 00:17:02,420 [Josh] Okay, come here. 395 00:17:03,989 --> 00:17:06,491 [Josh] I rushed to his aid. Bua as a retired cop... 396 00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:08,292 [Joe] I hit my head on that thing. 397 00:17:08,327 --> 00:17:12,163 [Josh] Joe is one tough mother, and he bounces back quickly. 398 00:17:12,197 --> 00:17:13,531 [man] Ha ha, Phew. 399 00:17:13,565 --> 00:17:16,501 - You all right? - [Joe] Yeah, yeah. 400 00:17:16,535 --> 00:17:18,536 You didn't feel a parachute down there, did you? 401 00:17:18,570 --> 00:17:20,571 - [Joe] I didn't. - Come on. 402 00:17:20,606 --> 00:17:21,906 Let's get you dried off. 403 00:17:22,741 --> 00:17:24,442 [amusing instrumental music playing] 404 00:17:25,444 --> 00:17:26,944 [Josh] After changing into dry clothes. 405 00:17:26,979 --> 00:17:30,782 He brings me to meet one of the volunteers who is helping us today. 406 00:17:30,816 --> 00:17:34,218 A man who is driven by this area once before, 407 00:17:34,253 --> 00:17:37,121 on November 24th, 1971. 408 00:17:37,556 --> 00:17:38,990 That's right. 409 00:17:39,024 --> 00:17:42,927 Jeff Osciadacz is the key eye witness from Walter Reca's story. 410 00:17:42,961 --> 00:17:45,696 -Hey, nice to meet you. How are you? -Nice to meet you. 411 00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:49,534 Wow, you're the guy who saw Reca that night out, on the road. 412 00:17:49,568 --> 00:17:50,601 [Jeff] Right. 413 00:17:50,636 --> 00:17:53,104 I can picture it just like it happened yesterday. 414 00:17:53,138 --> 00:17:55,540 So I wanna hear this from your lips, you're driving this truck. 415 00:17:55,574 --> 00:17:57,508 And what do you see out the window? 416 00:17:57,543 --> 00:17:59,444 I see a man standing on this side of the road 417 00:17:59,478 --> 00:18:01,679 with a black suit, white shirt. Soaking wet. 418 00:18:01,713 --> 00:18:03,481 And he's not wearing his raincoat. 419 00:18:03,515 --> 00:18:05,550 No. It's rolled up under his arm. 420 00:18:05,584 --> 00:18:06,717 - Crazy. - And I thought this guy's 421 00:18:06,752 --> 00:18:08,619 french fries short of a happy meal. 422 00:18:08,654 --> 00:18:10,221 [Josh laughing] 423 00:18:10,255 --> 00:18:12,090 So you drive past him, 424 00:18:12,124 --> 00:18:13,257 you go to the diner. 425 00:18:13,292 --> 00:18:16,561 He came walking in. He says to me, "Kid where am I?" 426 00:18:16,595 --> 00:18:19,430 And I said, "You're about four miles east to Cle Elum." 427 00:18:19,465 --> 00:18:20,565 And he says, 428 00:18:20,599 --> 00:18:22,667 "If I make a phone call can you 429 00:18:22,701 --> 00:18:25,036 tell the friend of mine how to get here to pick me up?" 430 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,539 Hands me the phone, I talked to the guy. I said, "Where are you coming from?" 431 00:18:28,574 --> 00:18:30,441 You might have inadvertently 432 00:18:30,476 --> 00:18:34,245 helped Cooper get out of town that night. You are lucky Joe doesn't arrest you. 433 00:18:34,279 --> 00:18:36,614 Yeah, but I'm still looking for the FBI or CIA will show up. 434 00:18:36,648 --> 00:18:38,349 This is it, sir, this is sting. 435 00:18:39,718 --> 00:18:43,521 What's so amazing about you, you are a collaborating witness. 436 00:18:43,555 --> 00:18:45,756 And that's something that almost no other 437 00:18:45,791 --> 00:18:47,725 Cooper suspect has. 438 00:18:47,759 --> 00:18:51,629 [Josh] But he's not the only witness on which Joe's case relies. 439 00:18:51,663 --> 00:18:54,776 He then takes me to meet Reca's niece, Lisa Story. 440 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,569 Who was with Reca shortly before his death in 2014. 441 00:18:58,604 --> 00:19:01,072 - [Josh] Did he ever confess to you? - Yes. 442 00:19:01,106 --> 00:19:02,507 [Josh] He did. 443 00:19:02,541 --> 00:19:06,744 In 2013, he asked me to go grab this envelop and pull out this letter. 444 00:19:06,778 --> 00:19:09,347 And he wanted to sign it and have it notarized. 445 00:19:09,381 --> 00:19:12,617 The Last Testament of Walter R. Peca Jr. 446 00:19:12,651 --> 00:19:14,185 'Cause that was his first name? 447 00:19:14,219 --> 00:19:15,019 Right. 448 00:19:15,053 --> 00:19:18,055 [Josh] Names hereafter Walter R. Reca 449 00:19:18,524 --> 00:19:20,258 and D. B. Cooper. 450 00:19:20,726 --> 00:19:21,492 Wow! 451 00:19:21,527 --> 00:19:24,529 - This is a full confession. - Yes. 452 00:19:24,563 --> 00:19:26,797 [Josh] The death man confession letter left Lisa 453 00:19:26,832 --> 00:19:28,866 convinced that her uncle was Cooper. 454 00:19:28,901 --> 00:19:31,969 But that's not the only disturbing thing she learned about Walter. 455 00:19:32,004 --> 00:19:36,340 In the years after the skyjacking he has one, two, three, 456 00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:37,708 four, five different passports. 457 00:19:37,743 --> 00:19:39,510 - [Lisa] Mm-hmm. - [Josh] Yeah. 458 00:19:39,545 --> 00:19:41,846 - [Josh] He has a British passport. - [Lisa] Yes. 459 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,217 With his photo under the name, Frank Drinkell. 460 00:19:46,585 --> 00:19:47,685 [Lisa] Yup. 461 00:19:47,719 --> 00:19:50,521 [Josh] Look at this, he's in Saudi. 462 00:19:50,556 --> 00:19:53,257 He's in Indonesia, he's in Saudi again. 463 00:19:53,292 --> 00:19:55,393 He's got foreign service IDs. 464 00:19:56,528 --> 00:19:58,396 And what's this? 465 00:19:58,430 --> 00:19:59,430 This is a... 466 00:20:00,365 --> 00:20:01,432 KGB. 467 00:20:01,466 --> 00:20:02,767 [Lisa] Yeah. 468 00:20:02,801 --> 00:20:05,803 - [Josh] This is a Soviet KGB ID. - [Lisa] Yes. 469 00:20:05,837 --> 00:20:06,804 He spoke Russian. 470 00:20:06,838 --> 00:20:08,573 - Polish and Russian-- - And he spoke Russian? 471 00:20:08,607 --> 00:20:11,909 - He did. - What is he doing with a Soviet ID? 472 00:20:11,944 --> 00:20:14,679 [Lisa] I think that was cover, in case he was caught. 473 00:20:14,713 --> 00:20:19,317 I think he was working freelance for the CIA, as a Mercenary. 474 00:20:19,351 --> 00:20:21,519 An undercover behind iron curtain. 475 00:20:21,553 --> 00:20:23,421 Like, forget the skyjacking. 476 00:20:23,455 --> 00:20:25,489 This guy is a true man of mystery. 477 00:20:25,524 --> 00:20:26,557 - [man] Yes. - [Lisa] Right. 478 00:20:26,592 --> 00:20:28,893 [Josh] Wow! 479 00:20:28,927 --> 00:20:31,529 Anywhere in here does he write down where he stashed his 480 00:20:31,563 --> 00:20:33,564 parachute and the rest of that money or... 481 00:20:33,599 --> 00:20:36,500 - No, I wish. - Is there anything in here that you found yet? 482 00:20:36,535 --> 00:20:38,236 I wish I had asked him. 483 00:20:38,270 --> 00:20:39,237 [man laughing] 484 00:20:39,271 --> 00:20:41,372 [dramatic music playing] 485 00:20:41,406 --> 00:20:45,176 [Josh] As the sun lowers in the sky, we were turning to the search. 486 00:20:46,245 --> 00:20:47,511 [machine beeps] 487 00:20:47,546 --> 00:20:50,147 - [machine beeping] - Something right here. 488 00:20:56,154 --> 00:20:57,388 Got a coin. 489 00:20:58,690 --> 00:21:01,225 19, how about this... 490 00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:05,796 1969. Most of the $20 bills that Cooper had were from '69. 491 00:21:05,831 --> 00:21:08,065 - So we are in the right time period here for Cooper. - Yeah. 492 00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:11,702 - Could have dropped down out of his pocket on the way down. - Look at that right. 493 00:21:11,737 --> 00:21:13,337 Hopefully this is a lucky penny. 494 00:21:14,873 --> 00:21:18,376 [Josh] And soon one of Joe's most experienced team members 495 00:21:18,410 --> 00:21:20,611 expert metal detectorist, Chris Holden 496 00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:22,346 proves why he is a pro. 497 00:21:22,381 --> 00:21:23,948 [machine beeping] 498 00:21:26,151 --> 00:21:27,351 [Chris] Hey Josh. 499 00:21:27,386 --> 00:21:29,197 I think I got something here up. 500 00:21:29,221 --> 00:21:30,421 [Josh] What you got? 501 00:21:30,455 --> 00:21:32,623 It's like a little copper band with a serial number on it. 502 00:21:32,658 --> 00:21:35,293 I think it could be a serial number of the parachute. 503 00:21:35,327 --> 00:21:37,895 Look at that it's stamped. One... 504 00:21:37,929 --> 00:21:38,763 - five, eight. - [Chris] Oh yeah. 505 00:21:38,797 --> 00:21:40,731 Lots of things in aviation are stamped. 506 00:21:40,766 --> 00:21:42,733 It's light. A tag of some kind, right? 507 00:21:42,768 --> 00:21:44,268 - 'Cause it's meant to slot into here. - [Joe] Mm hmm. 508 00:21:44,303 --> 00:21:45,580 What do you think? 509 00:21:45,604 --> 00:21:49,440 I think we should bag it and check it with some resources to see 510 00:21:49,474 --> 00:21:51,642 - if it's related to a parachute. - [Josh] Yeah. 511 00:21:51,677 --> 00:21:53,577 Photograph it and see if you can figure out what that is? 512 00:21:53,612 --> 00:21:55,246 - [Chris] Okay. - [Josh] Okay. 513 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:56,380 We are on the case. 514 00:21:56,415 --> 00:21:57,982 [dramatic music playing] 515 00:21:58,817 --> 00:22:00,618 [Josh] We don't have much light. 516 00:22:00,652 --> 00:22:04,622 But the detector sniff out one more target for us to examine. 517 00:22:05,624 --> 00:22:08,592 - [machine beeping] - I have a good hand here. 518 00:22:08,627 --> 00:22:10,061 [Josh] Let me see. 519 00:22:10,395 --> 00:22:11,595 [beeping] 520 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:13,397 [Josh] That's it. What is that? 521 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:17,868 It's a bullet. I can tell by its weight. 522 00:22:17,903 --> 00:22:21,539 That's not just a bullet. That is a really old bullet. 523 00:22:21,573 --> 00:22:23,474 - [Chris] Oh my God. - Look at that. 524 00:22:23,508 --> 00:22:25,576 That's unfired. Look at the end. 525 00:22:25,610 --> 00:22:27,411 That is unfired. 526 00:22:27,446 --> 00:22:28,879 You can see the indentations there, yeah? 527 00:22:28,914 --> 00:22:32,817 [Chris] That's late-1800s or early-1900s. Definitely over 100 years old. 528 00:22:32,851 --> 00:22:34,719 It's like a black powder bullet, right? 529 00:22:34,753 --> 00:22:37,788 Like you put it in your gunpowder, your paper, this is old school. 530 00:22:37,823 --> 00:22:40,558 And the fact that it's unfired is even rarer 'cause 531 00:22:40,592 --> 00:22:43,160 you usually find them in if they destruct something. 532 00:22:43,195 --> 00:22:48,099 Probably a military issue, there were soldiers in this area in the late 1800s. 533 00:22:48,133 --> 00:22:51,635 This place is a time machine. We've way overshot... 534 00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:53,571 [laughing] Our time period. 535 00:22:53,605 --> 00:22:55,973 This is a really cool find. 536 00:22:57,676 --> 00:23:00,644 All right, well, judging by the failing light here, 537 00:23:00,679 --> 00:23:03,481 I don't think anybody could say we didn't put in a long day. 538 00:23:03,515 --> 00:23:04,548 Yeah, I'm tired. 539 00:23:04,583 --> 00:23:05,716 [Josh] Okay. Look 540 00:23:05,751 --> 00:23:08,552 I'm so impressed by your passion for this case. 541 00:23:08,587 --> 00:23:10,554 And I know you are all in on Reca. 542 00:23:10,589 --> 00:23:12,823 But to convince the world, 543 00:23:12,858 --> 00:23:14,759 you're gonna have to go find that parachute. 544 00:23:14,793 --> 00:23:17,495 Yes, and we are gonna continue looking for it. 545 00:23:17,529 --> 00:23:18,729 Good. Keep me posted? 546 00:23:18,764 --> 00:23:20,664 - I will. - Should we go find a beer? 547 00:23:20,699 --> 00:23:21,866 - Yeah! - Let's do it. 548 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:24,969 -Sounds good. -We've earned it. Come on. Let's go boys. 549 00:23:30,675 --> 00:23:33,043 [Josh] The next morning, I leave Cle Elum 550 00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:36,580 with something nagging at me about Joe's suspect. 551 00:23:36,615 --> 00:23:38,482 Alright. Joe is all in on Walt Reca, 552 00:23:38,517 --> 00:23:40,151 and in some ways, why wouldn't he be? 553 00:23:40,185 --> 00:23:44,989 You know, it's hard to imagine a more compelling story than the one we just heard. 554 00:23:45,023 --> 00:23:46,857 But, something is bothering me. 555 00:23:46,892 --> 00:23:50,795 We're pretty far from Cooper's accepted jump zone. 556 00:23:50,829 --> 00:23:55,366 The FBI established Cooper's likely flight path as being a highway in the sky 557 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,635 know as Victor 23. 558 00:23:57,669 --> 00:23:59,904 Cle Elum is way outside of that. 559 00:23:59,938 --> 00:24:04,442 A fact the casts some real doubt on Reca as a likely suspect. 560 00:24:04,476 --> 00:24:06,610 But the Cooperverse is full of doubts. 561 00:24:06,645 --> 00:24:10,014 Including some that I'm just beginning to have now. 562 00:24:10,048 --> 00:24:12,416 When you think about all these D. B. Cooper suspects, 563 00:24:12,451 --> 00:24:14,351 not just Walt Reca, but all of them, 564 00:24:14,386 --> 00:24:15,686 they all have something in common, 565 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,356 they're all guys that got away with a crime. 566 00:24:19,391 --> 00:24:20,925 But what if the FBI was right? 567 00:24:20,959 --> 00:24:24,528 What if the most obvious answer here is the right one? 568 00:24:24,563 --> 00:24:27,331 What if Cooper died during the jump? 569 00:24:30,202 --> 00:24:33,237 To try and determine the like hood of Cooper's survival, 570 00:24:33,271 --> 00:24:34,638 I drive out of the mountains 571 00:24:34,673 --> 00:24:37,675 while on a runway near fly path V23, 572 00:24:37,709 --> 00:24:40,277 another vehicle begins its own journey. 573 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,782 Which brings us to Andy Farrington, age 41. 574 00:24:44,816 --> 00:24:47,618 Jumps: 26.000 and counting. 575 00:24:47,652 --> 00:24:50,688 Current altitude, about 10.000 feet. 576 00:24:50,722 --> 00:24:53,357 Oh, and he's wearing a C-9 parachute, 577 00:24:53,391 --> 00:24:55,993 the same likely used by D. B. Cooper. 578 00:24:56,027 --> 00:25:00,498 Andy's task for today is simple: Get to the ground in one piece, 579 00:25:00,532 --> 00:25:03,434 and tell me if, in his professional opinion, 580 00:25:03,468 --> 00:25:07,304 D. B. Cooper could've survived his final leap in to the sky. 581 00:25:08,974 --> 00:25:11,909 I'm waiting in Andy's drop zone with his father, Jeff, 582 00:25:11,943 --> 00:25:16,080 who is himself, a professional skydiving instructor. 583 00:25:19,618 --> 00:25:22,119 Okay, Andy, how you looking up there? 584 00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:28,359 [Andy speaking] 585 00:25:28,393 --> 00:25:32,663 [Josh] Just to be clear, Andy is about to jump out of a plane wearing an antique. 586 00:25:32,697 --> 00:25:36,233 Let's hope it still does its job. 587 00:25:36,268 --> 00:25:40,137 Okay, Andy, you are good to jump. Repeat, you are good to jump. 588 00:25:53,785 --> 00:25:56,120 Okay, Andy, you are good to jump. 589 00:26:00,458 --> 00:26:02,259 There it goes. 590 00:26:03,728 --> 00:26:07,398 To test the long held FBI theory that D. B. Cooper died 591 00:26:07,432 --> 00:26:09,867 making his legendary parachute jump, 592 00:26:09,901 --> 00:26:12,970 I've enlisted professional skydiver Andy Farrington 593 00:26:13,004 --> 00:26:17,508 to make a similar dive using the exact same equipment as Cooper. 594 00:26:17,542 --> 00:26:19,510 So far, so good. 595 00:26:20,512 --> 00:26:22,613 That parachute is not really steerable, right? 596 00:26:22,647 --> 00:26:25,215 Oh, that one is not at all. 597 00:26:26,851 --> 00:26:29,787 Andy, we are in the drop zone waiting for you. 598 00:26:29,821 --> 00:26:32,556 [Josh] A gust of wind in almost any direction, 599 00:26:32,591 --> 00:26:35,259 and Andy could find himself sailing into the trees. 600 00:26:35,293 --> 00:26:37,595 Which may tell us what we want to know about Cooper, 601 00:26:37,629 --> 00:26:40,097 but probably wouldn't be so fun for Andy. 602 00:26:41,366 --> 00:26:46,303 [dramatic music playing] 603 00:26:53,511 --> 00:26:55,245 He's down. 604 00:26:59,150 --> 00:27:00,417 Hey! 605 00:27:02,587 --> 00:27:04,855 - How are you, man? - Not bad. Not bad. 606 00:27:04,889 --> 00:27:06,757 Well, you know how to make an entrance, I'll give you that. 607 00:27:06,791 --> 00:27:09,526 -[laughs] -Great job. This is the C9, right? 608 00:27:09,561 --> 00:27:12,262 - Yep. - This is the Shute that we think 609 00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:13,497 Cooper probably jumped in. 610 00:27:13,531 --> 00:27:16,066 I mean, it looks like it's fairly vintage. 611 00:27:16,101 --> 00:27:19,770 - It's definitely older than I am. - [all laughing] 612 00:27:19,804 --> 00:27:21,105 When did they start making these things? 613 00:27:21,139 --> 00:27:22,740 About 1964. 614 00:27:22,774 --> 00:27:26,276 So, why was this chute so attractive as a military chute? 615 00:27:26,311 --> 00:27:28,545 - Reliability. 100%. - Right. 616 00:27:28,580 --> 00:27:32,616 - Got the job done. - So, reliable, but not very maneuverable. 617 00:27:32,651 --> 00:27:34,652 - That's correct. - Okay. 618 00:27:34,686 --> 00:27:37,388 Jeff, how many jumps you have done in a round chute? 619 00:27:37,422 --> 00:27:38,856 Probably 600. 620 00:27:38,890 --> 00:27:41,792 Would you jump out of a plane into a lightning storm 621 00:27:41,826 --> 00:27:45,262 for 200.000 dollars then, equivalent of a million dollars today? 622 00:27:45,296 --> 00:27:50,934 Well, certainly my financial position is way different now that it was back then. 623 00:27:50,969 --> 00:27:54,738 - In 1971 you would've thought about it? - Yeah, I would. 624 00:27:54,773 --> 00:27:59,176 Right. Could Cooper have survived the jump wearing this chute? 625 00:27:59,210 --> 00:28:01,245 - Yeah. - He could've? 626 00:28:01,279 --> 00:28:04,415 Because this Shute will open at up to what speed would you say? 627 00:28:04,449 --> 00:28:07,618 275 knots, or 350 miles per hour. 628 00:28:07,652 --> 00:28:12,723 Got it. And we know the 747 was flying kinda low and a little slower, 629 00:28:12,757 --> 00:28:14,558 it was doing just under 200, so... 630 00:28:14,592 --> 00:28:17,594 Technically, that could work? 631 00:28:17,629 --> 00:28:22,533 Yes, but I think the deck was so stacked against his favor 632 00:28:22,567 --> 00:28:25,369 he jumped out, in mid-November... 633 00:28:25,403 --> 00:28:28,472 - Yep. - Cold, rainy, windy. 634 00:28:28,506 --> 00:28:32,242 And Cooper was jumping into, most likely, wilderness. 635 00:28:32,277 --> 00:28:34,812 - Trees and rivers. - Yep. 636 00:28:34,846 --> 00:28:38,549 [Josh] Cooper jumped wearing nothing more than a parachute and a suit. 637 00:28:38,583 --> 00:28:40,751 Freezing to death would be a real possibility. 638 00:28:40,785 --> 00:28:43,654 Wind shear could've collapsed his chute in the storm 639 00:28:43,688 --> 00:28:46,223 or he could have landed in the water. 640 00:28:47,459 --> 00:28:49,660 So, do you think he could have survived the jump? 641 00:28:49,694 --> 00:28:51,061 The jump part, I do. 642 00:28:51,096 --> 00:28:55,432 I wouldn't wanna land in a river. I wouldn't wanna land in a lake. 643 00:28:55,467 --> 00:28:58,535 My first choice would probably be landing in the trees. 644 00:28:58,570 --> 00:29:01,004 - Really? - It's reasonably soft. 645 00:29:02,107 --> 00:29:05,542 Well awesome job, it was a real treat to see that. 646 00:29:05,577 --> 00:29:08,412 -Nice work, man. Thank you so much. -You betcha. 647 00:29:09,314 --> 00:29:11,381 [Josh] So did Cooper survive? 648 00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:15,786 To say that he did seems possible but I wouldn't say it's overwhelmingly likely. 649 00:29:15,820 --> 00:29:20,758 It feels like I and every other D.B. detective have been chasing a ghost. 650 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,962 Fortunately though, I have friends in smart places. 651 00:29:24,996 --> 00:29:28,699 Something I remember when I get a call from Tom Kaye. 652 00:29:28,733 --> 00:29:31,368 On my first trip down the Cooper rabbit hole, 653 00:29:31,402 --> 00:29:34,638 Tom and I turned up traces of rare earth elements on the 654 00:29:34,672 --> 00:29:37,074 necktie that D.B. Cooper left on the plane. 655 00:29:37,108 --> 00:29:43,680 Incredible new evidence that gave Cooper fanatics their first new clue in years. 656 00:29:43,715 --> 00:29:47,718 The infamous hijacker may have worked in the production of cathode ray tubes. 657 00:29:47,752 --> 00:29:50,788 Used in aviation radar screens 658 00:29:50,822 --> 00:29:54,191 Now Tom says he has something new to show me. 659 00:29:54,225 --> 00:29:59,363 I hit the gas and speed towards the state of the art lab in Hillsboro, Oregon. 660 00:30:00,732 --> 00:30:03,934 What's on the docket today? What have you got for me? I'm excited. 661 00:30:03,968 --> 00:30:05,969 What we've got today in this fantastic facility, 662 00:30:06,004 --> 00:30:10,741 TSS Microscopy has allowed us to use their flagship electron microscope. 663 00:30:10,775 --> 00:30:13,544 To me this is, like something from Antman. 664 00:30:13,578 --> 00:30:14,678 Are we shrinking people today, Tom? 665 00:30:14,712 --> 00:30:16,814 No, no, but we could see Antman 666 00:30:16,848 --> 00:30:20,317 in here, no matter how small he was, we could see him with this machine right here. 667 00:30:20,351 --> 00:30:23,654 We saw type artists before, today is different, look at what we got here. 668 00:30:23,688 --> 00:30:25,355 Well these I recognize. 669 00:30:25,390 --> 00:30:27,825 - Yep, these are? - Stubs. 670 00:30:27,859 --> 00:30:30,627 These are the little platforms you put inside these microscopes. 671 00:30:30,662 --> 00:30:32,095 We used these before. 672 00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:35,465 And we had little fibers from the tie last time. 673 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,067 Go ahead and open it up. 674 00:30:37,101 --> 00:30:40,103 Okay, I see something else on these today, little bits of something. 675 00:30:40,138 --> 00:30:44,141 So what's on here now are little chunks of Cooper cash. 676 00:30:45,410 --> 00:30:46,543 [Josh] In 1980, 677 00:30:46,578 --> 00:30:48,946 nearly a decade after the Cooper hijacking 678 00:30:48,980 --> 00:30:51,648 an eight year old boy named Brian Ingram, 679 00:30:51,683 --> 00:30:54,551 dug up $6,000 of buried cash 680 00:30:54,586 --> 00:30:57,187 in a place called Tena Bar, Washington. 681 00:30:57,222 --> 00:31:00,958 The serial number matched the Cooper ransom. 682 00:31:00,992 --> 00:31:03,527 The FBI theorized that Cooper must have fatally splashed 683 00:31:03,561 --> 00:31:06,029 down somewhere in the Columbia river. 684 00:31:06,064 --> 00:31:10,701 Though exhaustive searching and dredging of the river turned up nothing. 685 00:31:10,735 --> 00:31:13,704 To date the money found in the sand at Tena bar, 686 00:31:13,738 --> 00:31:18,208 is the only part of the Cooper ransom ever recovered. 687 00:31:18,243 --> 00:31:22,813 Now we're about to get the closest look at that cash that's ever been taken. 688 00:31:22,847 --> 00:31:25,782 After Tom carefully places the sample in the scanner, 689 00:31:25,817 --> 00:31:28,685 it's time to show me the money. 690 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,654 [Josh] All right, so here's our stub. 691 00:31:30,688 --> 00:31:32,589 That's a piece of Cooper's cash. 692 00:31:32,624 --> 00:31:35,392 So what'd you find on the money. 693 00:31:35,426 --> 00:31:37,995 Last time we talked about the Ti particles. 694 00:31:38,029 --> 00:31:39,596 This time we're doing the same technique 695 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:42,733 to go in and look at microscopic particles that are found in water. 696 00:31:42,767 --> 00:31:44,868 - Okay. - And these are called Diatoms. 697 00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:49,907 These are single algae cells that grow this glass shell around them. 698 00:31:49,941 --> 00:31:51,575 Okay. It looks like a fossil almost. 699 00:31:51,609 --> 00:31:54,144 - They actually are. - That is so cool. 700 00:31:54,178 --> 00:31:56,413 [Josh] So these diatoms are just little algae organisms? 701 00:31:56,447 --> 00:31:57,447 Correct. 702 00:31:57,482 --> 00:31:59,216 And we are zoomed in on this bill, how much now? 703 00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:00,984 8,000 times. 704 00:32:01,019 --> 00:32:05,422 So in order for these diatoms to get on the money, the money has to be out in the water? 705 00:32:05,456 --> 00:32:06,990 Takes about 10-15 minutes 706 00:32:07,025 --> 00:32:08,792 for money to get soaked enough that they fan out in the water 707 00:32:08,826 --> 00:32:11,628 and that's when they would be exposed to the diatoms. 708 00:32:11,663 --> 00:32:14,932 Mr. Cooper has made a contribution to forensic science. 709 00:32:14,966 --> 00:32:17,334 Because we found out that we can use diatoms 710 00:32:17,368 --> 00:32:19,603 to determine what season 711 00:32:19,637 --> 00:32:21,705 - ...the money got wet. - Oh! 712 00:32:21,739 --> 00:32:24,708 This has never been done before in forensic science. 713 00:32:24,742 --> 00:32:28,879 That diatom is called Asterionella formosa. 714 00:32:28,913 --> 00:32:32,616 - I was gonna say, it looked like Asterionella formosa. - [laughs boisterously] 715 00:32:32,650 --> 00:32:36,586 So, this particular species only blooms in the spring. 716 00:32:36,621 --> 00:32:37,754 Woah. 717 00:32:37,789 --> 00:32:41,825 It's not in the river, in November, when Cooper jumped. 718 00:32:41,859 --> 00:32:45,629 So, could the money have hit the water in November, 719 00:32:45,663 --> 00:32:48,699 but then, next spring these diatoms worked their way in? 720 00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:52,235 - There are diatoms that live in the winter. - Yes. 721 00:32:52,270 --> 00:32:55,405 And if it went in the water in the winter, we'd see those diatoms. 722 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:56,506 We don't see them. 723 00:32:56,541 --> 00:32:57,908 My mind is kind of melting here. 724 00:32:57,942 --> 00:33:01,678 This means that the money didn't enter the river when Cooper jumped, 725 00:33:01,713 --> 00:33:04,648 but it did get wet, in the spring. 726 00:33:04,682 --> 00:33:07,351 - Correct. - And then, got buried in the sand. 727 00:33:08,386 --> 00:33:10,687 So the FBI's official story is... 728 00:33:10,722 --> 00:33:14,992 - Wrong. - I mean that's huge! That's a bombshell! 729 00:33:17,362 --> 00:33:22,799 [Josh] I'm in Oregon, breaking D.B. Cooper news once again, with scientist, Tom Kaye. 730 00:33:22,834 --> 00:33:27,037 He's inspected the only cash ever recovered from the Cooper skyjacking, 731 00:33:27,071 --> 00:33:31,541 and found particles of algae, known as diatoms, in the fibers, 732 00:33:31,576 --> 00:33:35,345 that could throw gasoline on this rewarming case. 733 00:33:35,380 --> 00:33:37,948 So, the FBI's official story is... 734 00:33:38,216 --> 00:33:39,349 Wrong. 735 00:33:39,384 --> 00:33:41,485 I mean that's huge! That's a bombshell! 736 00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:42,819 Yeah, it's a big deal. 737 00:33:42,854 --> 00:33:45,622 You may say, "Well, if the sand flooded and got the money wet, 738 00:33:45,656 --> 00:33:47,391 won't you get diatoms in the sand?" 739 00:33:47,425 --> 00:33:49,059 We tested that. 740 00:33:49,460 --> 00:33:50,560 Can't happen. 741 00:33:50,595 --> 00:33:53,030 We buried money in sand, we poured diatom water over it 742 00:33:53,064 --> 00:33:55,532 and the diatoms did not penetrate. 743 00:33:55,566 --> 00:33:59,302 My brain is racing a little bit to come up with a scenario 744 00:33:59,337 --> 00:34:00,570 where that happens. 745 00:34:00,605 --> 00:34:01,772 It just bends your brain. 746 00:34:01,806 --> 00:34:04,574 It doesn't mean that Cooper survived the jump, necessarily 747 00:34:04,609 --> 00:34:08,512 but you can't dump money out of a 727 and dump it in Tena Bar, 748 00:34:08,546 --> 00:34:10,547 - and have this result. - Correct. 749 00:34:10,581 --> 00:34:12,682 From when it left the plane to when it got wet, 750 00:34:12,717 --> 00:34:15,886 is a six month journey, somewhere, somehow. 751 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,822 [Josh] Like our earlier breakthrough, with Cooper's necktie, 752 00:34:18,856 --> 00:34:23,460 Tom's new find has the potential to turn a 50 year old investigation, 753 00:34:23,494 --> 00:34:24,561 on its ear. 754 00:34:24,595 --> 00:34:26,863 But it begs a huge question: 755 00:34:26,898 --> 00:34:30,934 What circumstances explain the money's brief but single exposure 756 00:34:30,968 --> 00:34:34,805 to the water of the Columbia River, before becoming trapped in the sand, 757 00:34:34,839 --> 00:34:39,576 in Tena Bar, to be discovered by Brian Ingrim in 1980? 758 00:34:39,610 --> 00:34:43,447 One Cooper researcher has a theory, that he claims 759 00:34:43,481 --> 00:34:45,916 fits all the newly available facts. 760 00:34:45,950 --> 00:34:48,418 So, I returned to Tena Bar, Washington, 761 00:34:48,453 --> 00:34:50,420 to connect with Eric Ulis. 762 00:34:51,622 --> 00:34:53,590 - Hey, man, how are ya? - Hey, brother, how you doin' man? 763 00:34:53,624 --> 00:34:55,625 I'm doing good, Eric. Nice to meet you, man. 764 00:34:55,660 --> 00:34:57,894 Eric isn't a former cop or a reporter. 765 00:34:57,929 --> 00:35:00,897 He's come by his Cooper knowledge, the old fashioned way, 766 00:35:00,932 --> 00:35:04,768 through decades of exhaustive research and collaboration. 767 00:35:04,802 --> 00:35:07,370 I know you're familiar with Tom Kaye's work. 768 00:35:07,405 --> 00:35:10,240 What's the story that fits with these diatoms that have been found 769 00:35:10,308 --> 00:35:11,608 or not found on the money? 770 00:35:11,642 --> 00:35:15,078 What we know is that the money was exposed to the Columbia River, 771 00:35:15,113 --> 00:35:16,980 but during the spring time only. 772 00:35:17,014 --> 00:35:20,183 I believe that D.B. Cooper landed, very close to this area, 773 00:35:20,218 --> 00:35:21,718 - probably within a mile. - Mmm-hmm. 774 00:35:21,752 --> 00:35:25,655 And on the night that he landed here, actually buried the money on the beach, 775 00:35:25,690 --> 00:35:28,492 before he worked his way back into town. 776 00:35:28,526 --> 00:35:29,793 So, the first part of that theory works great. 777 00:35:29,827 --> 00:35:32,662 He lands out here, he buries the money, in a dry location, 778 00:35:32,697 --> 00:35:35,132 - somewhere up on the beach or up in the woods here. - That's right. 779 00:35:35,166 --> 00:35:38,768 And we don't have those pesky, winter diatoms on the money. 780 00:35:38,803 --> 00:35:42,806 But, how does the money get wet at some point with these "spring" diatoms? 781 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,108 -I've actually researched the Columbia River, -Okay. 782 00:35:45,143 --> 00:35:50,313 And there were only two times between 1971, when the skyjacking took place, 783 00:35:50,348 --> 00:35:52,549 and 1980, when the money was found. 784 00:35:52,583 --> 00:35:56,186 But, there were flooding events where the water actually reached 785 00:35:56,220 --> 00:35:57,487 the money burial spot. 786 00:35:57,522 --> 00:35:59,756 The spring of '72 was one event, 787 00:35:59,790 --> 00:36:02,325 and the spring of '74 was another event. 788 00:36:03,561 --> 00:36:05,929 So, that's why I'm saying that D.B. Cooper realizing that, 789 00:36:05,963 --> 00:36:09,099 hey, the money may get swept out to the Pacific Ocean-- 790 00:36:09,133 --> 00:36:10,967 Right, he's like, "Place where I hid this stuff is about to be under water" 791 00:36:11,002 --> 00:36:14,538 He's gotta come back, it's probably under five or six inches of water. 792 00:36:14,572 --> 00:36:16,173 He pulls the bag out of the watery grave. 793 00:36:16,207 --> 00:36:19,709 Few of those packets get left behind, exposed to the Columbia River. 794 00:36:19,744 --> 00:36:22,546 But after he leaves, the sand fills back in, 795 00:36:22,580 --> 00:36:24,114 covers those money packets back up, 796 00:36:24,148 --> 00:36:27,851 and the money is locked into the beach, to be found eight years later. 797 00:36:27,885 --> 00:36:30,854 Okay, so, here's the problem. You'd need to know, 798 00:36:30,888 --> 00:36:33,990 where little Brian Ingram found that money in 1980. 799 00:36:34,025 --> 00:36:37,827 That's part of the problem. When the FBI dug up the beach in 1980, 800 00:36:37,862 --> 00:36:40,931 - and left, they didn't mark the spot. - Right. 801 00:36:40,965 --> 00:36:42,832 - And it was pre-GPS. - That's exactly right. 802 00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:45,635 Now, I actually took it upon myself to start researching, 803 00:36:45,670 --> 00:36:49,606 to try to determine precisely, where the money was buried. 804 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,376 And I eventually did and I know the precise spot today. 805 00:36:53,411 --> 00:36:55,445 - Show me. - All right, absolutely. 806 00:36:57,582 --> 00:37:01,918 [Josh] We walk to the area, where Eric has determined the money was originally found. 807 00:37:01,953 --> 00:37:05,689 I'm skeptical, until I see who's holding the fort. 808 00:37:05,723 --> 00:37:08,258 Josh, I've got a special guest-- 809 00:37:08,292 --> 00:37:09,826 I know who this is! 810 00:37:09,860 --> 00:37:12,262 - What's up, man? - How you doing, buddy? 811 00:37:12,296 --> 00:37:14,064 Little Brian Ingram, 812 00:37:14,098 --> 00:37:16,600 the only man who's ever found D.B. Cooper's money. 813 00:37:16,634 --> 00:37:19,002 We refer to Brain as Cooper Royalty. 814 00:37:19,036 --> 00:37:23,974 [Josh] Brian was just eight years old, when he made the only true break in this case, 815 00:37:24,008 --> 00:37:28,645 finding bundles of Cooper's ransom money on the beach, here at Tena Bar. 816 00:37:28,679 --> 00:37:32,449 So, all told, you found just under $6000 of Cooper's money. 817 00:37:32,483 --> 00:37:34,618 Correct. Would you like to see some of it? 818 00:37:34,652 --> 00:37:36,419 - You have it? - I do. 819 00:37:37,355 --> 00:37:38,855 Get outta here! 820 00:37:39,423 --> 00:37:40,757 [whispers] That's insane! 821 00:37:40,791 --> 00:37:43,393 Cooper's money. Like I have chills. 822 00:37:43,427 --> 00:37:44,861 [Josh] This is the real deal, folks! 823 00:37:44,895 --> 00:37:48,632 Remanence of the actual bills that were carried through the air 824 00:37:48,666 --> 00:37:50,934 by our mystery skyjacker. 825 00:37:50,968 --> 00:37:52,969 This money went out that plane with D.B.Cooper. 826 00:37:53,738 --> 00:37:55,405 - That's incredible! - Thank you. 827 00:37:55,439 --> 00:37:59,209 Okay, we have to be relatively close to where you found the money. 828 00:37:59,243 --> 00:38:00,844 - But it's changed so much, since then. - That's right. 829 00:38:00,878 --> 00:38:04,281 So, how do we know right where the money was found? 830 00:38:04,315 --> 00:38:06,116 Here, take a look at this. 831 00:38:07,585 --> 00:38:09,753 - So, this looks like old arial footage. - That's correct. 832 00:38:09,787 --> 00:38:13,490 This is footage taken from a news helicopter, that was filmed 833 00:38:13,524 --> 00:38:16,526 during the FBI searching seedy agents on the beach. 834 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,329 First thing that pops out is how much beach there is. 835 00:38:19,363 --> 00:38:20,363 I mean it's all sand. 836 00:38:20,398 --> 00:38:21,831 It's completely different. 837 00:38:21,866 --> 00:38:24,668 There's an old gravel road that you can see in the footage here, 838 00:38:24,702 --> 00:38:26,536 that an FBI car is sitting on it. 839 00:38:26,570 --> 00:38:27,871 That's the part when we walked up. 840 00:38:27,905 --> 00:38:29,706 - That gravel road is right up there. - Right. 841 00:38:29,740 --> 00:38:36,046 Utilizing landmarks, I was able to identify the precise money find spot. 842 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,782 I've got a still image from the footage that you're looking at 843 00:38:38,816 --> 00:38:42,552 that shows a little better, exactly the money find spot. 844 00:38:42,586 --> 00:38:45,455 Now, somebody might say, all this is well and good, 845 00:38:45,489 --> 00:38:48,191 but isn't the FBI all over this place? 846 00:38:48,225 --> 00:38:53,596 The FBI did not search from the money find spot, back up to the gravel road. 847 00:38:53,631 --> 00:38:55,065 I don't know why. 848 00:38:55,099 --> 00:38:58,435 - Should we pick up some metal detectors and some shovels? - I think so. 849 00:38:58,469 --> 00:38:59,714 - Are you here to help? - I'm in. 850 00:38:59,738 --> 00:39:02,572 There's a $194,000 still out there. 851 00:39:02,606 --> 00:39:05,308 - You're a lucky charm, Brian. - Give me a shovel. 852 00:39:05,343 --> 00:39:10,313 [Josh] We grab our metal detectors and begin exploring the area from the shore 853 00:39:10,348 --> 00:39:12,549 up to the old gravel road. 854 00:39:12,583 --> 00:39:14,150 Our team is now four strong, 855 00:39:14,185 --> 00:39:18,888 including Brian and Eric's friend, expert metal detectorist, Jeff Morgan. 856 00:39:19,357 --> 00:39:21,091 [detector beeping] 857 00:39:21,125 --> 00:39:23,626 - Something hard, huh? - Yeah, something down there. 858 00:39:23,661 --> 00:39:26,429 - [metal detector beeping] - What you got is strong here, right here. 859 00:39:26,464 --> 00:39:28,631 [electronic beeping] Something here! 860 00:39:28,666 --> 00:39:30,166 [beeping intensifies] 861 00:39:30,568 --> 00:39:31,868 What is that? 862 00:39:31,902 --> 00:39:34,037 It's an odd enough piece, I just can't tell what it is. 863 00:39:34,071 --> 00:39:37,540 I mean, it could be anything, could be part of a barbed wire fence. 864 00:39:37,575 --> 00:39:38,842 Yeah, interesting. 865 00:39:38,876 --> 00:39:41,678 But hey, it's a start. All right, keep looking. 866 00:39:41,712 --> 00:39:43,680 [Josh] The wire is just the beginning, 867 00:39:43,714 --> 00:39:46,616 as we start to pile up the hits. 868 00:39:46,650 --> 00:39:49,185 - It's like a feeder straw of some kind. - Yeah! 869 00:39:49,220 --> 00:39:50,687 Yeah. A 7040 can. 870 00:39:50,721 --> 00:39:53,390 Did Cooper jump with WD-40? 871 00:39:53,424 --> 00:39:54,457 [laughs] 872 00:39:54,492 --> 00:39:56,760 - Shotgun shell. - Okay, we got a shotgun shell. 873 00:39:56,794 --> 00:39:59,095 We got permission to be on this property, right? 874 00:39:59,397 --> 00:39:59,796 [gunshot] 875 00:39:59,830 --> 00:40:00,930 Nice nail. 876 00:40:00,965 --> 00:40:03,099 -If we were in the iron collection business, -Yup. 877 00:40:03,501 --> 00:40:04,567 We'd be rich. 878 00:40:04,602 --> 00:40:08,138 [dramatic music playing] 879 00:40:10,608 --> 00:40:13,410 Now, in terms of the actual money find spot, 880 00:40:13,744 --> 00:40:14,844 Brian said, 881 00:40:14,879 --> 00:40:16,713 - said it was right around here, yeah? - That's correct, 882 00:40:16,747 --> 00:40:18,381 if you see that furthest boulder 883 00:40:18,416 --> 00:40:19,649 - out right there. - You go out from there, 884 00:40:19,683 --> 00:40:21,084 that's exactly where the money was found. 885 00:40:21,118 --> 00:40:24,454 - In the water? - That's correct. Nowadays, the money find spots around 886 00:40:24,488 --> 00:40:26,089 fifteen feet offshore. 887 00:40:26,123 --> 00:40:29,426 Well, it feels like one of us should probably get out there, and check that out. 888 00:40:29,460 --> 00:40:31,127 Good luck, Josh. 889 00:40:31,162 --> 00:40:32,262 [both chuckle] 890 00:40:32,296 --> 00:40:33,396 [Josh] Alright. I'll go. 891 00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:38,868 [dramatic music playing] 892 00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:41,004 Time to get wet. 893 00:40:41,639 --> 00:40:43,473 [Josh] I traded my detector 894 00:40:43,507 --> 00:40:45,241 for an aquatic model, 895 00:40:45,276 --> 00:40:47,977 and wade back into the search. 896 00:40:49,447 --> 00:40:51,614 Okay, so. Around here? 897 00:40:51,649 --> 00:40:53,783 Two feet to the left of that shark over there. 898 00:40:53,818 --> 00:40:56,486 Alright. There's no sharks in Portland. 899 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:58,855 ["Jaws" theme playing] 900 00:40:58,889 --> 00:41:01,324 There's no sharks, right? 901 00:41:03,961 --> 00:41:07,530 Using Eric's coordinates, I programmed my phone's GPS 902 00:41:07,565 --> 00:41:09,632 to zero in to the exact spot 903 00:41:09,667 --> 00:41:11,968 where Bryan found Cooper's cash. 904 00:41:12,503 --> 00:41:15,038 [dramatic music playing] 905 00:41:18,509 --> 00:41:20,610 [detector beeping] Got a hit! 906 00:41:20,644 --> 00:41:22,212 [Josh] There is literally 907 00:41:22,246 --> 00:41:23,346 a hit right here. 908 00:41:33,591 --> 00:41:35,425 Looks like an old spike. 909 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:37,393 You know the cool thing 910 00:41:37,428 --> 00:41:38,628 about this, Josh. This is 911 00:41:38,662 --> 00:41:40,563 exactly what I think DB Cooper went through 912 00:41:40,598 --> 00:41:42,432 in June of 1972, 913 00:41:42,466 --> 00:41:45,568 - retrieving the money. - [Josh] I mean DB Cooper 914 00:41:45,603 --> 00:41:47,504 could have been standing right here. 915 00:41:47,538 --> 00:41:48,705 That's right. 916 00:41:48,739 --> 00:41:51,374 Now, we just got to see if he left anything else behind. 917 00:41:51,408 --> 00:41:53,176 [dramatic music playing] 918 00:41:53,644 --> 00:41:55,278 [detector beeping] 919 00:42:05,489 --> 00:42:07,290 Ooh. 920 00:42:08,225 --> 00:42:09,158 Eric! 921 00:42:09,193 --> 00:42:10,159 Yes. 922 00:42:10,194 --> 00:42:11,361 Hey! Check this out. 923 00:42:13,597 --> 00:42:15,098 What is it? 924 00:42:16,166 --> 00:42:16,933 Look. 925 00:42:17,468 --> 00:42:20,136 [dramatic music playing] 926 00:42:21,572 --> 00:42:23,540 -It's like a... Buckle -Hinge or a buckle? 927 00:42:23,574 --> 00:42:24,774 Yeah, yeah. 928 00:42:24,808 --> 00:42:26,609 Those are clearly two rivets, 929 00:42:26,644 --> 00:42:29,546 and it looks like the kind piece you would have on a briefcase. 930 00:42:29,580 --> 00:42:31,381 - [Josh] I mean it really does. - I mean, what 931 00:42:31,415 --> 00:42:33,249 - else would you use it for? - I don't know. 932 00:42:33,284 --> 00:42:34,183 Very cool. 933 00:42:35,686 --> 00:42:37,654 [Josh] I mean that's pretty unbelievable. 934 00:42:37,688 --> 00:42:39,389 It's pretty intriguing. 935 00:42:39,423 --> 00:42:40,723 Okay, that's going right there. I'm going 936 00:42:40,758 --> 00:42:43,393 back to that same area to keep searching. Things are heating up! 937 00:42:44,562 --> 00:42:47,163 It was like, right in here. 938 00:42:48,666 --> 00:42:51,200 [detector beeping loudly] Big hit. 939 00:42:56,507 --> 00:42:59,142 [dramatic music playing] 940 00:43:06,584 --> 00:43:09,018 [exclaims] Oh! 941 00:43:10,487 --> 00:43:12,689 Eric! Look at this! 942 00:43:13,457 --> 00:43:14,991 Come here! Come here! Come here! 943 00:43:18,696 --> 00:43:21,364 [narrator] Portland's north-west escape experience has 944 00:43:21,398 --> 00:43:24,267 a DB Cooper-inspired escape room. 945 00:43:24,301 --> 00:43:25,301 Okay, here we go. 946 00:43:26,403 --> 00:43:27,604 [narrator] In a kind of loose sequel, 947 00:43:27,638 --> 00:43:29,339 to the skyjacking, 948 00:43:29,373 --> 00:43:30,373 I have 60 minutes 949 00:43:30,407 --> 00:43:31,674 to find the 200 thousand dollars 950 00:43:31,709 --> 00:43:33,343 that have eluded the FBI 951 00:43:33,377 --> 00:43:34,677 for 50 years. 952 00:43:34,712 --> 00:43:36,579 Oh, and I have to stop this bomb 953 00:43:36,614 --> 00:43:37,747 from exploding. 954 00:43:37,781 --> 00:43:40,350 [electronic voice] T minus sixty minutes 955 00:43:40,384 --> 00:43:41,150 until detonation. 956 00:43:41,185 --> 00:43:42,352 Of course, this is 957 00:43:42,386 --> 00:43:44,721 an escape room. I have to navigate a 958 00:43:44,755 --> 00:43:46,389 gauntlet of fiendish puzzles, 959 00:43:46,423 --> 00:43:47,457 that Cooper never had 960 00:43:47,491 --> 00:43:48,424 to contend with. 961 00:43:49,693 --> 00:43:51,427 There are hidden messages, 962 00:43:51,462 --> 00:43:52,762 North, west, here. 963 00:43:53,263 --> 00:43:54,697 And secret clues. 964 00:43:54,732 --> 00:43:56,766 [whispers] There's another room. 965 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:58,201 Until finally... 966 00:44:01,472 --> 00:44:02,972 North west door xxx 967 00:44:03,374 --> 00:44:04,307 Full of money! 968 00:44:04,341 --> 00:44:06,476 I got the money! I'm rich. 969 00:44:06,510 --> 00:44:08,911 - One, two. - [electronic voice] System deactivated. 970 00:44:08,946 --> 00:44:11,247 - Yeah! - [electronic voice] You win. 971 00:44:11,281 --> 00:44:12,248 Alright, boys. 972 00:44:12,282 --> 00:44:13,216 Beers are on me. 973 00:44:18,656 --> 00:44:20,356 I'm in the Columbia river, 974 00:44:20,391 --> 00:44:21,624 near Tena Bar, Washington. 975 00:44:21,659 --> 00:44:24,394 Looking for evidence of DB Cooper with 976 00:44:24,428 --> 00:44:26,162 investigator Eric Ulis. 977 00:44:26,530 --> 00:44:27,430 And we just 978 00:44:27,464 --> 00:44:29,165 found something. 979 00:44:29,199 --> 00:44:31,300 Eric! Look at this. 980 00:44:31,335 --> 00:44:33,002 Come here! Come here! Come here! 981 00:44:33,437 --> 00:44:34,937 Check this out. 982 00:44:35,572 --> 00:44:38,107 That's a clasp! That's a 983 00:44:38,142 --> 00:44:39,175 [bleep] clasp! 984 00:44:41,812 --> 00:44:44,947 That is an absolute clasp. There's no doubt about that. 985 00:44:44,982 --> 00:44:45,682 That 986 00:44:45,716 --> 00:44:47,350 looks like it's off a briefcase. 987 00:44:47,384 --> 00:44:48,818 That is definitely from a briefcase. 988 00:44:48,852 --> 00:44:49,886 Do we know what 989 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:52,021 his briefcase looked like? There's no photo of it. 990 00:44:52,056 --> 00:44:53,256 No. No photo at all. 991 00:44:53,290 --> 00:44:55,558 We don't know if it was metal or what the case was. But that 992 00:44:55,592 --> 00:44:58,327 definitely looks like a clasp that could have gone to 993 00:44:58,362 --> 00:44:59,629 his briefcase. 994 00:44:59,663 --> 00:45:01,531 And it is rusted to high hell, 995 00:45:01,565 --> 00:45:03,299 and look where this is 996 00:45:03,333 --> 00:45:04,534 This was found close to this. 997 00:45:04,568 --> 00:45:05,835 These could be from the same thing I think. 998 00:45:05,869 --> 00:45:07,837 I mean. how could they not be from the same thing? 999 00:45:07,871 --> 00:45:11,307 You've got a clasp. And you've got what appears to be some sort 1000 00:45:11,341 --> 00:45:12,608 of hinge, or something like that. 1001 00:45:12,643 --> 00:45:14,310 I'm kinda flabbergasted 1002 00:45:14,344 --> 00:45:15,611 because, I mean, we are at 1003 00:45:15,646 --> 00:45:18,247 - the spot, the money spot. - That's right. 1004 00:45:18,282 --> 00:45:22,452 That could actually be the very first piece of evidence, we found related to 1005 00:45:22,486 --> 00:45:24,353 DB Cooper, since the money 1006 00:45:24,388 --> 00:45:25,621 in the same spot! 1007 00:45:25,656 --> 00:45:27,623 - That is insane! - That is very cool. 1008 00:45:27,658 --> 00:45:29,358 [Josh] Unbelievable! 1009 00:45:29,393 --> 00:45:32,061 Oh my word! 1010 00:45:32,463 --> 00:45:33,696 [exclaims] Ha! 1011 00:45:33,731 --> 00:45:37,266 [triumphant music playing] 1012 00:45:38,569 --> 00:45:39,635 [Josh] Okay, I need to back 1013 00:45:39,670 --> 00:45:42,105 and see if there's anything else in here. Stand by. 1014 00:45:44,508 --> 00:45:47,076 [dramatic music playing] 1015 00:45:48,612 --> 00:45:50,179 Coming up with any more hits out there? 1016 00:45:50,681 --> 00:45:52,281 It's all quiet now. 1017 00:45:52,883 --> 00:45:53,883 [Josh] Nada. 1018 00:45:53,917 --> 00:45:55,852 [Josh narrating] I scan the water, up and down 1019 00:45:55,886 --> 00:45:59,388 the bank to be sure there's nothing else to find. 1020 00:45:59,423 --> 00:46:02,992 And soon, the sun begins to set on Tena Bar, 1021 00:46:03,026 --> 00:46:06,095 and on this chapter of my hunt for DB Cooper. 1022 00:46:07,798 --> 00:46:11,267 [Josh narrating] In the days that follow, we conclude that the serial number 1023 00:46:11,301 --> 00:46:15,471 on the tag found in xxx doesn't match the registry of any known components 1024 00:46:15,506 --> 00:46:19,175 of a parachute canopy, container, or harness. 1025 00:46:19,209 --> 00:46:23,045 The hinge and clasp found at Tena Bar have been carefully examined, 1026 00:46:23,080 --> 00:46:25,615 and appear to match those found on many soft 1027 00:46:25,649 --> 00:46:28,518 briefcases from the 1960s and 70s. 1028 00:46:28,552 --> 00:46:32,588 Unfortunately, they also match any number of other containers 1029 00:46:32,623 --> 00:46:35,691 and are therefore compelling, but inconclusive. 1030 00:46:35,726 --> 00:46:38,327 For me, the biggest headline here 1031 00:46:38,362 --> 00:46:40,129 is the discovery of the diatoms 1032 00:46:40,164 --> 00:46:41,364 on Cooper's cash. 1033 00:46:41,398 --> 00:46:44,233 New forensic evidence in a case that's 1034 00:46:44,268 --> 00:46:45,434 supposedly cold, 1035 00:46:45,469 --> 00:46:48,070 but feels significantly hotter today. 1036 00:46:52,009 --> 00:46:52,608 Still, 1037 00:46:52,643 --> 00:46:55,411 DB Cooper remains at large, 1038 00:46:55,479 --> 00:46:58,881 anonymous after 50 years, his identity, 1039 00:46:58,916 --> 00:47:02,451 his motivations, his life or death are unknown. 1040 00:47:02,486 --> 00:47:05,421 Leaving us to fill in the blanks. 1041 00:47:05,455 --> 00:47:07,490 And perhaps, that's why we're so fascinated 1042 00:47:07,524 --> 00:47:09,692 by him. because, we've been able to make 1043 00:47:09,726 --> 00:47:12,962 his story into whatever we want it to be. 1044 00:47:14,398 --> 00:47:16,365 To some, a terrorist. 1045 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:17,633 To others, a kind of 1046 00:47:17,668 --> 00:47:21,003 Thomas Crowne and James Bond rolled into one. 1047 00:47:21,038 --> 00:47:24,707 Most recently, as the Norse God of mischief, Loki. 1048 00:47:24,741 --> 00:47:26,809 Maybe Cooper was Walter Reca, 1049 00:47:26,844 --> 00:47:30,446 whose detailed confession and strange appearance in that diner 1050 00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:32,648 are hard to ignore. 1051 00:47:32,683 --> 00:47:34,383 Or, maybe he was this guy. 1052 00:47:34,418 --> 00:47:35,518 Or this guy. 1053 00:47:35,552 --> 00:47:36,719 Or him. 1054 00:47:36,753 --> 00:47:37,520 Or him. 1055 00:47:37,554 --> 00:47:40,389 Or maybe someone no one's thought of. 1056 00:47:41,458 --> 00:47:42,758 And maybe he died alone, 1057 00:47:42,793 --> 00:47:46,562 in a place still undiscovered, after half a century. 1058 00:47:46,597 --> 00:47:49,232 It seems like we can't let go of DB Cooper. 1059 00:47:49,266 --> 00:47:51,667 He's still out there 1060 00:47:51,702 --> 00:47:54,237 in our imaginations, where anything is possible. 1061 00:47:54,271 --> 00:47:56,305 So he won't be going away, 1062 00:47:56,340 --> 00:47:58,074 any time soon.