The Mystery of D.B. Cooper

Greetings again from the darkness. Nearly 50 years have passed and it remains the only unsolved Air Piracy case in America. For HBO, documentarian John Dower (MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE, 2017) chronicles the investigation and four main suspects in the mystifying D.B. Cooper case. It's a case that has fascinated people and frustrated authorities for five decades.

On November 24, 1971 - Thanksgiving Eve - a man using the name Dan Cooper (a communication mix-up caused him to be later identified as D.B. Cooper) boarded a Northwest Airlines flight in Portland. Once in the air, he handed Flight Attendant Tina Mucklow a note informing that he had a bomb and was hijacking the plane. His demands were simple: $200,000 in cash and 4 parachutes. In Seattle, his demands were met. He released the passengers, keeping only the crew on board. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, Cooper jumped from the Boeing 727 under the cover of darkness and rain over a heavily forested area. As far as authorities are concerned, he's never been seen again.

Some presume he died on the jump, while others turned him into a folk hero. He was credited with an act of defiance during times of economic hardships for many. The "Cult of Cooper" was born, as was one of the great mysteries of the 20th century. Director Dower interviews some key folks and shows clips of interviews and statements of interested parties who have since passed. The structure of the film revolves around the four main suspects ... those who have not been ruled out. Segments are devoted to each of the four: Duane Weber, Robert/Barb Dayton, LD Cooper, and Richard McCoy.

Personal testimony and recollections from relatives and associates of these four leave us with little doubt that a case can be made for each, and those going on camera absolutely believe "theirs" is the infamous DB Cooper. We hear from Duane Weber's wife who states her husband confessed, "I'm Dan Cooper" on his death bed. Robert/Barb Dayton was one of the first me to have a sex change operation, and his neighbors provide details on Dayton's own confession, "I am Dan Cooper". Marla Cooper was 8 years old when the hijacking even took place, and she recalls specifics of her Uncle LD Cooper, and being told "We hijacked the plane" and "We're rich!" Lastly, Richard McCoy was arrested 5 months later for a copycat hijacking. His pattern was quite similar and his facial features almost identical to the DB Copper sketch.

Tina Mucklow was the flight attendant on the hijacked flight and she provides details of that fateful event, as do other members of the flight crew, a passenger who observed most of what happened on the first flight, and a retired FBI agent who worked the case. Two authors, Bruce Smith ("DB Cooper and the FBI: A Case Study of America's Only Unsolved Skyjacking", 2016) and Geoffrey Gray ("Skyjack: The Hunt for DB Cooper", 2011) provide significant insight into the research they have conducted into the investigations. There seems to be plenty of criticism of the FBI in regards to lost evidence (cigarette butts from the flight, fingerprints), and a delayed ground search that gave Cooper a 40 hour head start.

Some reenactments are used here, but a significant portion is filmed interviews with those who have something to say about the investigation, or who DB Cooper might be. The 1980 discovery of 3 bundles of cash with matching serial numbers on the banks of the Columbia River is discussed, and a possible explanation is provided in one of the segments. It's likely you'll come away from this as baffled as the authorities have been for 50 years, but also loaded with some good fodder for holiday conversation (via Zoom, of course).

This HBO doc may be the umpteenth look at the famous 1971 Hijacking case, but, Director John Dower takes an interesting enough to keep one watching. While the basics of the case are laid out (including interviews with the stewardess and a co-pilot on the flight), Dower is more interested in fleshing out how some of the suspects in the crime have effected their family and friends left behind. Others who have investigated the case on their own are also profiled. The Documentary focuses on four suspects (all deceased) from the many who have had the finger pointed at them over the decades. While their stories are all different, what unites them is that those who were close to them are all convinced that their husband/uncle/friend/acquaintance is THE D.B. Cooper (one even took a lie detector). None of the investigators seem convinced that there is one correct answer, including one who believes Cooper died because of the rough terrain he would have landed in. Dower isn't really interested in finding out who did it (or, even in debunking the claims of the interviewees), but more in the psychology of the various witnesses: What makes them keep the story alive? Why do they feel compelled to tell their story? Why do they insist that you believe their version of events? None of these questions is fully fleshed out, and that lack of answers will frustrate many viewers (others will be puzzled why the several other suspects aren't even cited). THE MYSTERY OF D.B. COOPER isn't the definitive Doc on the subject, but, it's a casually interesting look at how the story has remained in the consciousness for close to four decades.

I watch a lot of documentaries, and lately find that I am enjoying fewer and fewer of them. This one was an exception. It's in the style of some of the Errol Morris films, very fluid, not committing to a narrative, letting the story lead where the story leads. We're in the company of actual participants in the DB Cooper drama (flight attendants, co-pilots, passengers, FBI agents), plus an odd assortment of characters who claim to have known the real DB Cooper and the real story of what happened to DB and the money he parachuted out of the plane with on a rainy night somewhere over Oregon. It all adds up to a fascinating 90 minutes or so of immersive cinema that recalls a world far removed from the one we live in today. Highly recommended despite the fact that a few benighted reviewers just don't seem to get it.

The film is made decently enough, nothing to complain.

However, it features a series of misleading statements (e.g. The stairs story) and omissions (Cooper wasn't the gentleman he's always said to be, and many other things are simply untrue).

Most, if not all, of these suspects have conclusively been ruled out long ago.

Watch it for entertainment but don't take it for gospel. If you want to research the case you are better off on YouTube (I hate to recommend that), and forums dedicated to the case.

Like a lot of movies, they just took whatever they could to tell "a story", not more, not less.

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper is a Documentary about one of the biggest aeroplane heists in history. It was November 1971 and a man known as DB Cooper hijacked a plane flying out of Portland, Oregon. How did he do it? A stranger boarded a plane and handed a note to a female flight attendant advising that a hijacking was about to occur. The flight attendant quickly learnt that the stranger was not mucking around as his briefcase contained explosives. After demanding a large ransom involving cash, DB Cooper was successful with the heist and parachuted out of the hijacked 727 at 10,000 feet over Washington State. No trace of him was ever found. A massive manhunt was conducted by many people including the military, FBI and even Boy Scouts. In the present day, the case is still the only unsolved act of air piracy in American history. Sure, there are many suspects and theories but not enough to ever bring the case to a full closure.

This documentary rehashes the main event, re-enacted by actors and narrated by the real people who were present during the heist, including flight attendants and even the pilots. The film also includes interviews from various people who feel they know who the real DB Cooper is. There are even interviews with people who have written books about the heist or those who have devoted their lives to looking for clues trying to close the case. Several facts and evidence are also shown and discussed throughout the film.

The pacing of this documentary for the most part was quite pleasing. I did notice the runtime and found it a slight struggle as the documentary attempted to wrap up and deliver a conclusion. Visuals are great and the quality of interviews were also very pleasing. As a true story, I will confess, I had no idea about this heist, so I found watching this documentary from the start to finish extremely fascinating and insightful.

Overall, those who enjoy documentaries about unsolved true stories will certainly find this pleasing. A story of a man who conducted a heist on a large plane and then parachutes out with no trace of him is certainly a story that fascinated me. It is unfortunate that the documentary can't reveal all the details and that the final conclusion will be left up to its viewers. Pacing for the most part is pleasing and the quality of this documentary, including the film's visuals and interviews, are also quite positive. Overall, this documentary comes highly recommended.

7.4/10 - Walkden Entertainment