D.B. Cooper: The Vanishing Skyjacker

FBI Case Files and Physical Evidence

The FBI's NORJAK investigation generated over 60 volumes of case files during the 45-year investigation, officially suspended in July 2016. Lead investigators including Special Agent Larry Carr and Special Agent Curtis Eng documented hundreds of interviews, forensic analyses, and field investigations. The Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit created psychological profiles while forensic specialists analyzed physical evidence. Key evidence includes Cooper's black clip-on tie containing DNA evidence and rare titanium particles suggesting aerospace industry connections. Flight attendant Florence Schaffner's detailed testimony described Cooper as a middle-aged businessman approximately 6 feet tall weighing 170-180 pounds. The $5,800 in deteriorated twenty-dollar bills discovered by the Ingram family in February 1980 along the Columbia River matched serial numbers from the ransom money. The FBI's declassified files are publicly accessible through the Bureau's online vault, containing investigative reports, evidence photos, and witness statements. However, certain forensic analyses and investigative techniques remain redacted for national security. Why would a seemingly straightforward criminal investigation require ongoing classified elements decades later?