NMIWrecks

Dick Lepsy is the best Cooper suspect out there right now. It fits the FBI's narrative that the skyjacker died from the jump. He also fits because he was from the mid-west, and wasn't considered a missing person by authorities at the time. The family was far enough away from the event to not hear much about the Cooper case, even though over the years, family members have commented on their father's resemblance to the FBI Cooper sketches. All other suspects have been eliminated by the FBI. Each of their stories are compelling, but when you look at them as a whole, things start to fall apart. Cooper almost certainly died during the jump. The money on Tena Bar backs that theory up. It also fits why Dick Lepsy was never seen again.

Today, October 29th, is the 45th anniversary of the disappearance of Dick Lepsy. His car was found in the Cherry Capitol Airport parking lot in Traverse City, Michigan, unlocked, keys in the ignition and half a pack of cigarettes on the dash. He was never seen or heard from again. This is one of Michigan's most obscure missing person cases. Dick was a married father of four. He lived in Grayling, Michigan and was the manager of Glen’s Market grocery store. He was 33 years old when he vanished. If you find the time, please send the Lepsy family positive thoughts and prayers. Thank you. Photos of Dick Lepsy are attached below:

Before I ever posted anything on this forum, I was permanently banned from some other forum (See attached). I'm not sure why, maybe it was a mistake, or someone has control issues? Thoughts?

It looks like a fake, Jo. They plagiarized Wikipedia for Cooper info and that obscure website is the only source for the article. Strange timing though,

Is this the big news you were talking about? http://ebuzzd.com/dying-man-really-d-b-cooper/ Wow, Good call! Didn't see that one coming.

Great questions. Unfortunately, Jackie Lepsy, Dick's Wife, passed away before I was able to contact her. She requested that Dick's name be added to her headstone with the date of his disappearance as the day he died, because he was never seen or heard from again. The information about the alleged money theft and fleeing via aircraft comes from the former owner of Glen's Market, who knew Dick well. There were no news articles about the incident, as it was kept pretty hush hush. Attached is a photo of Dick and Jackie Lepsy taken when they were both 33 years old. It is the last known photo of Dick. Some are of the opinion that Dick Lepsy looks older than your typical 33 year old in that photo. I guess it's open to interpretation. Also attached is a photo of the Lepsy headstone. One a personal note, while researching this case, I became friends with Dick's daughter, Lisa. She's quite a lady and has maintained a positive attitude through out this ordeal. I would like nothing better than for her and her family to get some kind of closure on this. Here is what I learned about Dick Lepsy: He was considered as having above average intelligence. He enjoyed studying ancient philosophy and was a voracious reader. He was indifferent about religion and politics, though he watched the news most nights. He rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle and considered the movie "Easy Rider" a "social icon". He was considered a good father and husband and everybody was quite shocked when he disappeared.

I guess at this point I'm saying Dick Lepsy may resemble the FBI sketches of the Cooper suspect. I see nothing in Lepsy's past that would make him a suspect or tie him to the skyjacking. Here's what I've been told about Lepsy. He was born and raised in Chicago, them moved to Grayling Michigan to finish high school. He married his high school sweetheart "Jackie" when they were both 19 years old. They had four children. Dick was the store manager at a local grocery store named Glen's Market. Allegedly, when Dick disappeared, so did $2000 in cash from Glen's Market's safe. After his abandoned car was found at the airport, authorities interviewed airport staff and tracked down all the passengers that left on the day he vanished. All were identified but two, a male and female. The male fit Dick's description. There final destination was Mexico. All police records of the incident have been purged over the years. Dick Lepsy was never charged. Lepsy wasn't considered a missing person until 2011, because authorities had considered him a voluntary leave. Attached is another photo of Lepsy and his children, taken around 1962, and another comparing Lepsy's face with the FBI sketch. Thoughts?

The following link leads to a video of the Sally Jesse Raphael Show Circa 1986. It features Dick Lepsy's wife Jackie and daughter Lisa discussing Lepsy's disappearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbKZsQfzDSo&list=UUGsuZxYVbFCRdeLsiJEF1sw

Thanks for the kind words everybody. I appreciate it. As most of you know, I've recently written a book which includes the story of a missing Michigan man by the name of Dick Lepsy. Some say Lepsy resembles the Cooper suspect, but I think it's open to interpretation. Unfortunately, many people here in Michigan don't seem to share our fascination with the Cooper case and I haven't got much feedback concerning whether or not he could be possible decent suspect. Attached is a photo of Lepsy with his family, and a close up of his face compared to the Cooper Crosby sketch. The photo was taken around 1963.

Thanks, I will take a look at it. I sent you a message via FB. Fascinating stuff!

That it is. I'm interested in missing persons from that era. Is the missing person your father?

Hi all! This is my first post to this forum. I live in Northern Michigan and do a bit of researching on missing ships and aircraft. A couple years ago I came across an obscure missing person case that caught my eye. On October 29, 1969, Robert Richard (Dick) Lepsy disappeared. He was a married father of four. His car was found at an airport a few days later unlocked, with keys in the ignition and half a pack of cigarettes on the dash. He has not been seen or heard from since. He was described as about 6 feet tall, about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Attached is a photo of Dick Lepsy with his children circa 1963. Are there any suspects out there that haven't been seen since Cooper's jump?