Is the DB Cooper mystery about to be solved? According to recent reports, this could be the case after FBI agents found evidence linking to a potential suspect.

The case of DB Cooper – the unidentified man who disappeared after hijacking an airplane over Oregon in 1971 and parachuting away with $200,000 – has long been a mystery that eluded the authorities while generating many theories as to who the culprit might have been.

A modified military surplus parachute, believed to be tied to the caper, was discovered on the property of Richard Floyd McCoy II’s family in North Carolina. McCoy has long been suspected by amateur sleuths as being the individual who pulled off the heist because of similarities between the 1971 hijacking and a 1972 crime that bore an eerie resemblance to the original.

A YouTuber and investigator named Dan Gryder uncovered the parachute after visiting the family property in 2022. Gryder, who has researched the case for more than two decades, referred to the parachute as “one in a billion,” according to Cowboy State Daily.

Here's how it went down: A man using the alias “Dan Cooper” hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 as it was traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. After the plane took off, Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant claiming he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.

Upon landing in Seattle, his demands were met, and he released the passengers. He instructed the crew to fly toward Mexico City at a low altitude and slow speed. About 30 minutes after takeoff, he jumped out of the plane and parachuted into southwestern Washington before disappearing without a trace.

Despite an extensive FBI investigation, Cooper’s identity and fate remain unknown. It is the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history.

The modifications made to the parachute match those described by Earl Cossey, who packed the parachutes for the other hijacking. McCoy’s children, Chante and Rick McCoy, also believe their father might have been DB Cooper. They waited until their mother’s death to share their suspicions, fearing she could have been implicated in their father’s alleged crimes.

The FBI officially took possession of the parachute as evidence in September 2023, along with a skydiving logbook that aligns with the timeline of both hijackings. Gryder believes the logbook is another critical piece of the puzzle.

Rick McCoy recounted how the FBI searched the home for other potential pieces of evidence that could have linked his father to the crime.

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.

In 1972, one year after the Oregon hijacking, McCoy hijacked a United Airlines flight, demanding $500,000 before parachuting to his escape. The authorities apprehended him within 72 hours, and he was later killed in a shootout with police after escaping from prison.

Still, while there are indications that McCoy could have been Cooper, some have expressed reservations about this theory. Retired FBI Special Agent Larry Carr, who once worked on the case, has his doubts.

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.

Nevertheless, Gryder remains resolute in his theory about McCoy, noting that the modifications to Cooper’s parachute are unique and definitive.

However, the FBI has remained tight-lipped about the investigation and has not provided any updates to the McCoy family or the public. It appears that those interested in the case will have to play the waiting game until the Bureau makes an announcement about its findings.