BruceSmith

Now you're letting FACTS get in the way? BOBBY! What are we going to do with you????????

I spoke with Cossey several times from 2009-2011, and every time we spoke he adamantly claimed that he owned the chutes. He even told me that Northwest Orient paid him for the two back chutes. He also adamantly claimed that he had sent the two back chutes off to Boeing Field, and the last time I spoke with him I asked him why he sent them to the wrong airport, he shouted "Fuck You" and slammed the phone down.

You really think an editor at Crown Publishing missed it? We didn't.

Gray has said that he was allowed access to the original witness reports. (The statements from witnesses that were taken and written out by FBI agents in Reno and Seattle) I also checked all references in Gray's book that refer to Gregory. He is only mentioned three times. First...on a page where Gray says he almost missed the flight, was the last to board, and sat across from the hijacker. Second, when Gregory gives his description of the hijacker on page 92. Third, when Gray references Gregory's description of the hijacker again near the end of the book. That's it. No other references. From what I can tell, it sounds like Gray made a mistake in the book when he said Gregory sat across from the hijacker because we know it was actually Bill Mitchell. I suppose it's possible that Gregory saw the hijacker if he used the restroom or something. They were up there for a few hours, after all. I don't know though...I think this is a question for Geoff Gray. Sounds like he forgot that he had already put Mitchell in the same seat, because he talks a lot more about Bill Mitchell being in that seat, and what he does while he is there. Gregory is only mentioned regarding that seat the one time and then never again. Sounds like he mixed them up a bit there. The book editor should have caught that one. Wrongo, Bobby-o. In 2013 at the Tacoma symposium, Geoff showed up the FBI file that detailed Gregory's id stuff. The feds got it mixed up. Now, the questions are several: 1. How did the feds get it mixed up? Did Gregory lie to them? Or did the FBI agent mix up Gregory's and Mitchell's statements, AND there was no supervision to correct the mix-up? Or, did the feds get Gregory's ID correct in 1971 and knew he didn't see much reliably, but in 2011 they fudged it as part of a smoke-and-mirrors operation to sabotage Norjak? Or, did Geoffrey craft the Ka-Ka all on his own AND thought he could get away with it, ie: no one would keep track of who was sitting in Row 18? Remember, Himmelsbach still gets it mixed up, and puts Cooper in 18C.

Besides Cooper Royalty, we seem to be developing the "Cooper Numerics" - the 99s, 377, anyone else?

All good points, Nimi Wrecks, but I suggest we take a closer look at the russet jacket and all that comes with it from Mr. Robert Gregory, the passenger who is the source of the "russet jacket" tidbit. Gregory also claims Cooper had marcelled hair, was in his mid-30s, and stood at 5'9" tops. These are all outliers on the DBC profile. Plus, no one ever heard of this stuff until Geoffrey Gray popularized the info in 2011 in Skyjack. So, who is Robert Gregory and why is GG so ga-ga over him? As is so common with Geoff, he bases his stuff on a FBI file that he has stumbled across, or was given (!?) in his perusal amongst the Norjak mother lode. GG treats this kinds of information as absolute truth, and offers no discerning analysis of whether it is factual or a clerical glitch. I say the FBI file as presented by Geoffrey is ka-ka because it describes Robert Gregory as sitting in the same row as the skyjacker. However, the Seattle Times posted an interview with Gregory on the day after the skyjacking where Gregory admits he only saw the skyjacker from the front of the plane as he stood to disembark, along with the other 35 passengers. Okay, so 18 rows is the maximum distance between the two guys, but still - after a 3.5 hour flight and the rush to get off the plane, that's a little iffy for announcing a dramatically different view of Cooper than Tina's. Plus, we have plenty of confirmation that only Bill Mitchell, Cooper, Tina and Flo sat in Row 18. Do you really think Geoffrey Gray doesn't know who was sitting in Row 18? If so, then maybe he should tell us why he doesn't know. How can one of the foremosts authors on Cooper be so ignorant? So, an equally important question is why has Geoffrey Gray introduced the russet jacket into our discussion? Is this the concrete evidence of a quid pro quo by the Bureau? If you wanna look at the files you're gonna have to write what we want you to? Is the russet jacket, marcelled hair, 5-9 and mid 30s an act of misdirection by the FBI via GG? Who benefits from us talking about a russet jacket? How come no one else is talking about this canard? How come GG isn't writing about Robert Gregory and these dynamics? I was in Tacoma with Geoffrey when "Uncle Robert's" family introduced themselves to the crowd. Where was GG's follow-up? Nevertheless, I asked the family where Uncle Robert was sitting and they didn't know. That suggests to me that those details were not too important to Uncle R, and he never relayed them to his adoring relatives. After all, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. That's what my father always said, and he lived by that truth. I suppose Uncle Robert did as well.

Contrary to popular opinion, Galen and I rarely talk about Gossett. He wants to keep the juicy stuff for his book, and I'm not that ga-ga-goo-goo over Gossett, so I get all my stuff from John Craig. He says Weber State College on November 24, 1971.

I do. You're the source. You made the statement that the FBI is doing a p.d.g.j and I asked why you said that.

Bobby, you are driving me crazy! I am asking you about you and your observations!!! You said the FBI was doing a p.d.g.j. and I asked why. Can't you simply answer the question?

I ain't advocating for Gossett, Bobby. I'm just asking for the facts of his DBC suspect-hood. You said he was in active military service. I said, Hunh?!

Why do you say that, Bobby? What have they done a pretty damn good job of? 1. Record-keeping, like the details of the chutes or who sat in Row 18? 2. Maintaining up-to-date contact information on witnesses, such as Flo's phone number? 3. Processing leads, such as from Marla? 4. Transparency and appropriate dealings with the public, such as when they've been sued by the Ingrams, Galen, and Norman? 5. Securing evidence, such as the cigarette butts, or the shards from Tina Bar? Just askin'.

Active duty? Where did you get that, Bobby? I thought Gossett was at Weber State College on November 24, 1971 and scheduled to teach his ROTC classes. His presence on campus has not been confirmed to my knowledge. I understand that he has been mustered out of the Army several months before. You know differently? Please tell. Or is this the ram-jet parachute of Wolfie Truth-Telling? Just askin'. Wink-wink, Rikesie!!

Good question, Bobby, but it might be more useful if you identified exactly what parts of Tosaw's book you think might be poetically licensed. I think that some of what he writes is probably a projective narrative, particularly what he says came from Tina. I never spoke with Tosaw about Tina, but I have heard repeatedly from Galen that Tosaw told him that Tina was in rough shape mentally, and that most of her responses were variations of "I don't remember..." So, I think it's likely that Richard filled in the blanks. But remember, Tosaw had some serious chops. He was a former SA and was an attorney. He was also a nice guy and very cordial when I spoke with him on the phone just before his death in 2009, so I'm sure he got good stuff in his interviews. Tosaw's brother Mike was also an FBI agent, and I believe he worked the Norjak case in Seattle for a bit, so I believe that Richard either got direct access to Norjak stuff from Mike, or got the inside scoop at family dinners. Tosaw also knew what he was dealing with in terms of the turgidity of the Bureau, as evidenced by his suing them in court to get the money back for the Ingrams. Note: that was the third lawsuit brought against the FBI by folks involved in the DB Cooper case - Tosaw and the Ingrams, Norman Hayden and his efforts to get his parachute back, and Galen's FOIA/equal access suit in 2005. And only Gawd knows what the shenanigans were in SLC with Karen McCoy and the FBI, and the back room deals needed to make her happy with Russ and Bernie, while still owing her for getting the drop on McCoy in Virginnie. So, Bobby, please remember the history of these lawsuits the next time you're tempted to tell me the FBI are working hard and really want the case solved, etc.

Or we can look at the issue from a 180 degree view - examine only suspects who are skilled at parachuting into forests, such as Smokejumpers and Special Forces. Sailshaw has quite a bit to say about Sheridan Peterson and his views on trees and chutes. In short, Petey didn't sweat it. Another view was presented by Tom Kaye at the 2011 Symposium. He examined topo maps of LZ-A and declared: "There were no death woods." In fact, LZ-A is rather benign. Amboy is a lovely spot. lots of rolling hills and pastures. Yes, the topography around Merwin Lake is rough, but that is a small section of the 24 square miles the feds identified as the prime LZ.

I'm thinking $6.99. I'm just beginning to evaluate that very question, Rikes. Lots to learn about e-publishing. I'm still reviewing the proof in an Amazon "previewer" format.

Controlling DB Cooper madness is a fine art, Herr Reichs. Yes, sometimes the db cooper forum resembles a drunken mud-wrestling match, but it's better than the Biker Bar mentality that we have here from time-to-time. Over all, I say Shut does a good job of maintaining decorum. Yes, Georger is unrepentant, unyielding, and generally super cranky, but at least we don't have to share Thanksgiving dinner with him - know what I'm saying? For the record, I appreciate Georger, but I don't understand him at all, especially his need to block my emails, PMs and Gawd knows what else. As far as I know, he has probably alerted FedEx and UPS to block any deliveries from me.

Sigh. Imagine what it's like being in my princely shoes. First, Bobby B passed out head shots of me to the Auburn PD so that I would be arrested if I ever attended his shin-dig. Then, Mrs. Cooper alleges that I whacked Earl Cossey and rants that I should be investigated for that homicide. And recently, a DZ'er asked me for an accounting of my Sex Life, claiming that it could be the key to unlocking the Cooper mystery. And my therapist asks me if I think I'm delusional? Herr Rikes, you see what I have to put up with? As my Aunt Teddy used to say, "Yee Gawds!" Hopefully, my e-book will make enough money so I can afford a bottle of Tequila. Know what I'm sayin,' Riksie?

This just in from Georger, at the dbcooper forum: Who FIRST used the term "Cooper Royalty"? Smith, Blevins, and Weber have been sniping back and forth about this for months at DZ, each one accusing the other. The answer is quite simple but it is Robert Blevins who took over the term and has been using it for years in a pejorative manner. Rest assured about that self-evident fact at Dropzone. The origin of the term "Cooper Royalty" is quite simple, as any search shows. It was 377 who invented the term back on Nov 27 2011, then Meyer Louie used the term next on Dec 10 2012, then Blevins picked up the term in response to Meyer Louis ... and Blevins has been the one using the term in a pejorative sense ever since, as follows. (A) On Nov 11, 2011, 377 commenting on the up-coming Cooper Symposium in Washington, tagged Brian Ingram and other principles in the Cooper story as "Cooper Royalty". 377 was merely giving a roster of important people who were going to attend the Symposium and no pejorative sense was intended or implied. 377's original post is here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4229298;search_string=Cooper%20Royalty;guest=167495339#4229298 (B) Almost a year later on Dec 10, 2012, Meyer Louis in reply to a long list of people, addressed Blevins' claim that Blevins' work on KC was ground-breaking and Meyer said: nothing personal, it just seems far fetched to think you hold the key to this crazy case we all call DB Cooper, many claim Marla is nuts, Jo is nuts, Cook is nuts etc.. but I can't see that you have anything special Then Meyer concluded his post with the remark: I have another point to make Blevins. For some reason you think you are on the same level as Georger and others. Well, you're not. Co-writing a book and appearing on Decoded does not make you an expert. Some folks here are playing in the Big League with the big boys. You aren't there yet. Spending years and years on this case, interfacing with the FBI and the key players on a regular basis, for years, makes one an expert -- makes one "Cooper royalty" if you will. There are only a handful of people in this elite group. You're not there yet -- and you want to be so badly. Give it time Blevins. (C) Blevins replied to MeyerLouie saying he never had considered himself special, but the launched a long winded attack against me and others finally saying: See, here's the Real Deal: ... I'm just Robert the Sci Fi Guy who Occasionally Edits Books. When I'm not doing that, I'm out in the mountains or something listening to Mariner or Seahawk games or MP3's ... Look, if I considered myself "Cooper Royalty" I would have showed up at the Portland Symposium with my slideshow gear and countered Marla's claims with some of my own. ... On Georger: He jumps on every post I make, no matter what it is. So IMHO his credibility, his opinions, mean zip to me. You have to pick and choose when to jump down someone's throat, and that should be for 'ridiculous assumptions' only, not because you just don't like someone. ... And in his next post Blevins picks up and starts using the term "Cooper Royalty" in a pejorative sense, he then wrote his "article" at Newsvine condemning "Cooper Royalty", he then invented a further negative term "Cooperland", and he is still using these terms almost daily at Dropzone, 3 years later! Jo Weber then picked up and began using the term in a negative way, about a year later. Blevins' argument has always been that "Cooper Royalty" are flawed if not dishonest people, who are untrustworthy and Hate Mongers! This term "Hate Mongers" is an exclusive term invented and used only by RobertMBlevins! That is the factual origin and use of the terms "Cooper Royalty" and "Cooperland" and "Hate Mangers". From a completely neutral term coined by Mark (377), to Meyer's use of the term to counter Blevins' claims that Blevins and his work were somehow special, to Blevins' use of the term in a pejorative sense which starts on Dec 10, 2012 and continues right up to today, all at Dropzone. It was also Mark-377 who coined the term "Venom Magnet" in reference of Bob Blevins clear back in 2010! It was a prophetic assignment of terms. Quote, RM Blevins: ""...the term 'Cooper Royalty,'...I use the term to refer to a select group of people who think they are better, or smarter than others when it comes to investigating the case....".

Well, Happy Anniversary, I suppose. But, let's not get too chatty about your marriage. I wouldn't want the DZ to shut us down for inappropriate postings...

Patience, Bobby. Fine wine takes time. You'll get your sip in due time. Have I ever lied to you? Trust me, the book is coming.

I expect my book, "DB Cooper and the FBI - A Case Study of America's Only Unsolved Skyjacking," should be ready for purchase in about a month. Remember, this is my first time at this dance so I'm not exactly sure on the timing of release. As for failing to answer your question in a more timely manner, I was distracted by your threats and duplicitous postings here. There was a lot of anger and misinformation on your part to sort out.

Correct.

I'm afraid I must, Bobby. Danny Ten-Ten threatened to kill himself in a post he made here some time ago. He claimed that because he felt you didn't like him, he was going to jump of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This declaration followed a series of other troubling statements from Danny Ten-Ten, such as vowing to piss on Bernies grave and perform other similar naughty behaviors. As a result, I called Child Protective Services for his area near Atlanta, and spoke with their crisis workers. I also spoke with his mother. Before then, I contacted his school, alerting them to what an at-risk kid was doing in this looney bin of DB Cooper research. Georger also made several interventions, calling the Atlanta newspaper (Journal?) and LE. Danny's caregivers apparently responded appropriately, and he has not graced these pages since then, nor has he jumped off any bridges, as far as I know.

As I recall, my coronation as Prince Bruce was triggered first by Bobby, who started calling the people who know what they are talking about - and otherwise messing up his KC narrative - as "Cooper Royalty." I, of course, assumed he was talking about me. I think he was also talking about Georger. Probably Roberto Nine-Nine, too. Certainly Meyer Louie. There may be others, but my attention was primarily focused on ME. Now, the actual term "Price Bruce" was bestowed by 377. I forget the actual context, but who cares about that! It's the title that I remember!!! (Thanks, Three.) In all modesty, I find the term Cooper Royalty to be quite handy. It pretty much lumps a core group of knowledgeable people together, and is much more informative than Bobby's current replacement terminology of "haters," which I don't think is quite accurate. I don't hate Bobby. I think of him more as an errant duke; someone who needs the guidance of the royal court. Otherwise, we'd have kids jumping off of bridges, Discovery Channels execs pushing witnesses under buses, and books on Cooper having Cool-Looking Ram-Jet Parachutes on the Covers, next to the sub-title - "The Truth of DB Cooper." We can't have that, now, can we!

Roberto Nine-Nine! How can you say that? I thought my regal status was self-evident. Although my therapist wants me to talk more about that...she keep using words like delusions, fantasies, grandiosity, etc, but I simply consider my beliefs as "visions of greatness." Don't you? She did stump me last session when she asked, "So, Bruce, when you can levitate, where are you going to go, and what will do when you get there?" So, I'm going back tomorrow. I don't have an answer for her, per se, but it's a process, ya know.... Bruce, Stick with your shrink. And see if she can help get Jo Weber to another one. Robert99 So may miracles, so little time.... sigh.