BruceSmith

I have a 6th possibility that I didn't mention previously, but the truth is I don't like thinking about it. It has to do with anyone who may have stood to gain financially by Cossey's death. The cops will look at that of course, and check for alibis. All of your possibilites are valid, Robert. I am merely offering a view of why someone might want to kill Cossey over DB Cooper related issues. This begs a much bigger and more grounded question: How does the FBI orchestrate its public image? How does it decide what to tell the public and when? Are there guidelines for that process? If so, what are they? More specifically, who makes those determinations in Seattle regarding Norjak?

Hi Everyone, I've been getting lots of queries about why someone would want to kill Earl Cossey in regards to the Norjak case. Here is my speculative view: Suppose that Coss knew someone who had an interest in controlling the investigation, or at least influencing the public's understanding of who DB Cooper was. Suppose this "puppet master" overtly or covertly encouraged Earl to develop a story line that proved DB Cooper was inept and probably dead. Remember, Cossey was clearly viewed by the FBI as a parachute expert, so his analysis of the chutes used and the conditions of the jump could be a valuable foundation on which to spin the Norjak story away from DBC being a hero to a stupid idiot. A change in DBC's image does wonders for the image of the FBI as well. Now, suppose that Earl's analysis becomes increasingly suspect and he begins to looik like the fool, not DB Cooper. Suppose Earl realizes that he has been duped, or worse, fixed his credibility to a sinking ship. Suppose that Earl knows who is driving the story line. Suppose that Earl would have knowledge of how the FBI really conducted its investigation, and it ain't too flattering. Suppose that information gets us closer to understanding how so much evidence has been lost and who lost it? Suppose the puppet master didn't trust Coss to keep his secrets for a 42nd year. Would that be a reason to kill him?

Cooper asked that the NWA people in Seattle send out some food for the crew. I believe they sent out six meals (or sandwiches) for the five people on board the aircraft. Cooper did not ask for or get one of those meals. The food Cooper took from the rear of the aircraft was things like soft drinks and snack foods such as peanuts which were routinely carried for kids on the flights. There was no meal service on the flight between Portland and Seattle (mid-afternoon and only about 40 minutes flying time total). I believe the military has/had a survival manual that on how to use a parachute canopy for shelter. One canopy would be sufficient for Cooper. Perhaps Amazon can elaborate on the above. Robert99 Quote Rataczak told me that Cooper had meals delivered for the four crew members. They were in Styrofoam containers and placed on the front seats of First Class. The crew never ate them, nor did Cooper. Rather, the German Shepherds who came aboard at Reno first devoured the food before they did anything else, according to Bill when I spoke with him in 2009.

...a million other things that must get done and done right vs you who has a ton of free time on their hands and no real responsibilities except to run around and piss people off looking for a story?! ... Quote Your disrespect towards me Georger is beginning to piss me off.

Dont mistake deceit with someone not wanting to talk about it at all and/or not wanting to talk to you about it with fifty others waiting in line for confession, papers to grade, lesson plans to submit, committee meetings to attend, parent conferences, etc etc etc, kids and wife to care for, skydiving lessons, chute packing, and a million other things that must get done and done right vs you who has a ton of free time on their hands and no real responsibilities except to run around and piss people off looking for a story?! Dont take it personally! My guess is: all we have seen is the tip of the iceberg. And I have sound basis for saying that ... Quote There is no question in my mind that Earl Cossey lied to me. I just don't know why, but I can see how it served a poltical purpose of protecting the FBI's public image and discrediting the guy who beat the system.

Are you sure Carr reverted back to the FBI documents? Both posts that I quoted above are dated before the posts that reference the chutes as coming from Cossey. I think Carr mentioned that he was reading from the files originally when he made the above posts. And the post reads as if the rigger and owner are different people. After Carr talked with Cossey is when Carr's stance on the chutes changed. See dates. That is why I originally copied those posts - to point out the different versions coming from Carr. So many questions..... Why did Carr go with a 38 year old memory as opposed to the written record in front of him? Was the documentation so screwed up that he just didn't trust it? Did Mr. Cossey convince him by virtue of his personality? Were more than two back chutes delivered to the airport? If so, where are those chutes if Cossey didn't get them back? Did Geoffrey Gray know about Hayden's chutes by the time he talked with Cossey? Did he ask Cossey about the discrepancy?

Quote Wow. Geoffrey is crafting a major spin job here. Cossey fiercely denounced DB Cooper in our conversations. He loudly and insistently told me that Cooper was a no-pull and "augured" into the ground. Now, Geoff is trying to have us believe that Cossey believed in DB? Whew. The Revision of Norjak- right in fornt of our eyes.

Greetings All, Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book (new working title): Sky Thief – A Report on the DB Cooper Hijacking. Earl Cossey, the controversial rigger and long-time consultant to the FBI on the parachutes used in the DB Cooper skyjacking, was murdered on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. His body was found days later by his daughter, on Friday, April 26, in his home in Woodinville, Washington. Officials with the King County Sheriff’s Department said that Coss last had contact with his family on Monday, April 22, when he went to a movie with a family member. The looming question in Cooper World is whether Coss was killed because his credibility had crumbled in the past few years due to the controversy over his claim of ownership of the parachutes used by DB Cooper, and serious challenges to his analysis that Cooper was an inexperienced skydiver who died in his jump. At the time of this writing it is still unknown what the murder weapon is, who used it and why, but many in Cooper World feel that Cossey may have been deemed a “loose end” by a Norjak puppet master who controls the investigation and wants to keep a cover-up intact. Sgt Cindi King, the PIO of the KCSD, said that she and her department have discussed the DB Cooper connection with the FBI. “I have had many calls asking if this case is related to the DB Cooper case,” she told me, adding: “We have NO information that leads us to believe that this case has any relation to the Cooper case.’” Sgt King did say that Cossey was killed by a blow to the head, but she declined to describe what kind of weapon was used or where Cossey was struck. “We’re not releasing that kind of information at this time,” she said. Coss was 71. Nevertheless, Cossey’s death, even if it was for mundane reasons like interrupting a burglary or an angry ex, has brought intense scrutiny to his actions in the Norjak investigation, which appears increasingly more deceptive. This in turn tarnishes the image of the FBI who had a real but amorphous relationship with Cossey. Cossey was the de facto technical expert for the FBI in the DB Cooper case on the matter of the parachutes used by the skyjacker, having packed the four chutes that were delivered to the skyjacker as part of a ransom deal. In addition, Cossey had become an outspoken proponent of the notion that DB Cooper chose an inferior parachute, thus proving himself to be an unskilled skydiver who most likely died during his getaway. This analysis was incorporated into the FBI narrative that evolved during the mid-stages of the investigation, as the Bureau’s view of Cooper shifted from their initial assessment that the skyjacker was a “master criminal” who beat the system, to an inept fool who panicked and was unable to pull his rip cord. In examining Cossey’s stature in the Norjak investigation, his most damaging statement was that he was the owner of the back chutes. This claim has come under increasing disbelief as federal documents reveal that the parachutes were owned and delivered to Sea-Tac airport by a Kent pilot named Norman Hayden. Further, scrutiny of Mr. Cossey’s analysis of the survivability of the Cooper jump and the parachutes the skyjacker used has also come into question as other experts in the field refute Cossey’s view, most notably Mark Metzler. At the 2011 Symposium in Portland, Metzler thoroughly rebuffed Cossey’s claim that the 28-foot military NB-8 was a poor choice, and stated that as a naval pilot emergency rig it most likely would have a canopy designed for a high-speed jet opening. This perspective contrasted sharply with Cossey’s oft-stated contention that Cooper should have chosen the civilian sport chute because it was designed for a softer opening. Cossey may not have had a formal partnership with the FBI, but he was clearly their go-to-guy for parachute questions. When I asked an agent or the PIO about Cooper and his chutes I would be directed towards Coss. “That’s the kind of question you should ask Earl Cossey,” PIO Robbie Burroughs told me when I inquired about the Amboy chute. I wasn’t the only one to call Coss, as he told me that he had been “hammered” by media requests regarding the Amboy chutes. “I’ve gotten about thirty or forty calls already,” he told me, when I spoke with him in April 2009. Cossey told me that the Amboy chute was not one that made the ride aboard Flight 305, as it was too large and was a cargo chute. But he proudly told me that he had spoofed the Oregonian newspaper by telling their reporter the parachute was Cooper’s – thus sparking a five-minute round of hysteria before Cossey retracted what he latter described as an “April Fool’s joke.” Similarly, when I questioned Cossey about the ownership issue, he became angry, cursed me, and hung up. Additionally, Cossey had told me conflicting pieces of information over several phone interviews since 2009, such as whether he had provided an NB-8 or an NB-6 parachute, and the exact name of the second, not-used chute. In one instance Cossey called it a “Paradise” and on another he said it was a Pioneer. When I asked for a clarification on the story that he had stuffed a 28-foot canopy into an NB-6 rather than the larger NB-8 sack, he told me the stuffing story was “pretty much accurate.” He later said that the tightly-packed rig was another reason why this chute – that Cooper allegedly used – was a hard pull. Along those lines, Cossey has never explained why he modified a pilot’s emergency rig to make it more difficult to use. Cossey had told me and many others that he had re-located the rip cord on the chute and had tucked the handle into a pouch under the right arm-pit, thus making the chute a “double-pull.” This meant that Cooper would need two tugs on the rip cord to successfully deploy the rig – one out of the pouch and a second up and away to free the canopy. Further, Cossey has never explained – as he has long-claimed – why he sent the two back chutes to Boeing Field first and not Sea-Tac where the skyjacker waited. Earl also told me that he never discussed the technical aspects of the Cooper jump or the parachutes with the FBI. Yet, that seems to not be true. Special Agent Larry Carr made many posts on the DZ that described his interactions with Cossey. “I like that guy, I could have talked to him all day but he grew tired of me in about an hour,” Carr wrote on June 12, 2008 about his earlier phone conversation with Cossey. Carr believed that Cossey owned the chutes and apparently discounted what was in the FBI files. He also maintained that Cossey had put a larger canopy into the smaller NB-6 container. “…I asked Cossey why he packed a 28-foot canopy in the NB6 and he just shrugged. Kind of like, “it was my chute; I did it because I can.” June 12, 2008. Carr clearly supported Cossey’s assertion that he owned the chutes and delivered them from his home. “The NB6 and the Pioneer were Cossey’s chutes, he had them at his house, they weren’t at Seattle Skysports….” (6. 12. 08) And again: “The two backpacks came from Cossey, from Cossey’s house.” (6. 14. 08) Similarly: “Cooper jumped with a chute that had obviously been modified for one individual, it’s (sic) owner.” (6. 13. 08) Carr also confirmed that Cossey had told the FBI in writing that one chute was an NB-6. “In Cossey’s statement to the FBI on 11/26/1971, 4th paragraph “…he described the missing back pack parachute as having a sage green nylon container, model NB6 with sage green nylon harness, which harness has no “D” rings to mount a chest pack. (December 17, 2007) However, Cossey vigorously and repeatedly told me that he had provided an NB-8 with a 28-foot canopy when I spoke with him a second time in October 2011. He also told me that he didn’t know how the NB-6 story got started, contradicting his written statements to the FBI in 1971. In addition, Carr was also confused about the larger picture; as he reverts to the official FBI documents regarding the transport of the back chutes and does not fully confirm Cossey’s version of how they got to Sea-Tac. “The chutes were secured through NWA’s Seattle flight operations. The flight ops manager called an individual from Pacific Aviation who in turn called an individual he knew who had two back packs. This person put the two back packs in a cab and the cab driver delivered them to Boeing Field and then onto Sea-Tac by private car. (12. 17. 07) Again Carr straddles the fence and seems to waver: “Yes we have the serial numbers and interviewed the rigger. One chute was returned to its owner, two were never found and one is in evidence.” (1. 1. 08) Yet, Cossey told me that his not-used chute was not returned to him – that he was only paid for it by Northwest Airlines. As for his analysis of the survivability of the jump, Cossey’s family says he changed his mind on that subject as well. In the aftermath of the homicide investigation, Richard Bowyer, Coss’ former brother-in-law, told reporter Graham Johnson of KIRO news that in days immediately following the skyjacking Earl had told him that he thought Cooper had made it. Along those lines, Geoffrey Gray also says that Cossey had claimed the jump was not too difficult. Geoff posted the following in his tribute to Cossey at his http://www.huntfordbcooper.com web site: “During a time when many in the Bureau were convinced that Cooper never survived the jump, Cossey met with agents and told them the jump wasn’t as perilous as they thought. Cossey’s opinion was that Cooper could have survived the jump, even with minimal parachuting experience.” In his remembrance, Geoffrey also confirmed that Cossey had told him in their one meeting that the FBI didn’t return the not-used parachute. “We spoke about the parachutes he packed. He was upset the FBI never returned them.” Lastly, my condolences to the Cossey family; and Coss, as the sky divers at the DZ often say: blue skies to you. © 2013 Bruce A. Smith

I have posted my latest findings and a photograph of Earl at the Mountain News. http://themountainnewswa.net/2013/05/01/the-hunt-for-db-cooper-the-murder-of-earl-cossey-has-been-confirmed/

Sgt West declined to comment on how the day of death was determined, nor what kind of tool or instrument caused the death. "We're not releasing that kind of information at this time," she told me.

This from the King County (Seattle) Sheriff's Dept: "Additionally I have had many calls asking if this case is related to the DB Cooper case. 'We have NO information that leads us to believe that this case has any relation to the Cooper case.'” Sergeant Cindi West King County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer

The murder of Earl Jay Cossey, aged 71, has been confirmed today by the King County Medical Examiner's Office. They further announced that the cause of death was blunt force to the head, and the murder occured on Tuesday, April 23. However the body was found by his daughter on Friday, April 26. Police say that Coss last had contact with his family on Monday, April 22, when he went to a movie with family members. My condolences to Coss' family and his many friends.

On Hayden's parachute that he got back, it should be noted that after its repacking on May 21, 1971 by Cossey, it was already far out of date by the time of the hijacking. If I remember correctly, its next repacking date (listed on the card in Bruce's picture) was more than 10 years later. That is NOT taking good care of your equipment. Does anyone know if Hayden was flying in 1971 or owned an aircraft then? If so, where did he keep his aircraft? Robert99 Quote ************** 1. Hayden told me that the FBI took several years to return the Pioneer chute to him. Remember, he had to go to court to get it. He also told me that when he got it back that he had it repacked. I assumed that meant it took until the 1980s for Norman to get his chute back, although NWO had paid for it long before. 2. Norman is a long time flyer. I think he began in the 1940s or 50s. His shop is filled with photos of him flying vintage aircarft and WWII stuff all over the place. In 1971 his airplane was parked at Boeing Field, I think, or perhaps Renton Airpark. I'd have to check my notes.

Bruce, All the pictures of Hayden and parachutes in your article in the Mountain News show a standard right hand pull. That is, the rip cord is located on the harness on the left side of the body of the wearer. The wearer would reach across his body and pull the rip cord with his right hand. Robert99 ********************** I stand corrected. Than you Robert. Thanks also to Jerry Baumchen for his dose of sanity, common sense and earlier explanation.

**************** Sadly this is incorrect. The descriptions of the chutes given in the document do not come from Norman Hayden. He denies making them and says they are not accurate. As far as I can determine, we do not know who offered these descriptions.

this page falls under educational, research and criticism. the fair use clause on pictures would fit this category the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; I used a similar clause when the DMCA took a video down of mine on You Tube several years ago. I took 4 seconds of someones audio that he reversed and explained how he did it. this fell under the criticism clause. ******** I do mind. That said, I allow - and support - tha fair use doctrine, as elucidated above. I must add, however, that I always expect my work to be accredited. That means my name and where the work was obtained, such as the Mountain News, be posted.

Was I the only one who noticed the Edsel in his garage? The news footage showed one that looked like new. I don't think anybody would kill for a mint Edsel, but if was a Shelby Cobra I might have a different opinion. 377 ************** Nope, you weren't the only one to spot the cherry Edsel. That leads to another question - how did Coss afford it? Nice house that was well-landscaped, and big toys - all on a teacher's salary? Yes, his wife had one, too, but...I was surprsied to see the wealth that was refelcted in the home.

All this discussion points to a new issue - exactly what kind of chute did DB Cooper use in his getaway? Secondly, why is there so much uncertainty about this question? Further, what does that say about the FBI's investigatory skills and record-keeping capabilities? As the Cossey homicide investigation intensifies, the image of the FBI becomes more tarnished.

The PDF document being discussed here is itself in doubt regarding its truthfulness. The files as written are not accurate. Hayden told me that he never spoke to anyone from the FBI about the chutes. He was not interviewed or questioned about the chutes at any time in the Norjak investigation, and he does not know who crafted this document, nor does the document tell us who wrote it and when. Further, I read the document to Norman at his office and he was very surprised by its contents. He disputes the notion that one of the chutes he provided was a military sage-green, 28-foot canopy. He claims that both of his parachutes that he sent off to Flight 305 were identical. He repeatedly stated that throughout my interview with him. However, Norman Hayden's statements are also under question as well. After I posted my story on Hayden, the Mountain News received two emails from an individual calling herself Marianne Hayden, and she said that Norman only owned one of the chutes and that the other was owned by her brother, who also had the delivery receipt from NWO. Yet, Marianne refuses to discuss this issue with me directly. She did not respond to my emails and she has chosen not to give me her phone number. More troubling, Norman will not discuss this kafuffle with me. He abruptly ceased all communications with me when I left messages about the information Marianne was sharing. Further, Marianne may be simply a wacko or an agent provocateur - she could be Bob Knoss for instance, or even Cossey, or a DBC puppet master throwing a monkey-wrench into this discussion. When we last spoke, Norman asked me not to contact any more on this story because he was intimidated by the crude remarks uttered by Earl Cossey. Norman said he was afraid of being socially embarrassed. I am surprised by Norman's bashfulness. I thought he was made of sterner stuff. Nevertheless, Sail has formed a separate channel to Norman, so we may learn more about this shortly. Also, Sail told me that Norman told him that Norman’s Pioneer is now in Tacoma at the Washington State Historical Museum and will be part of their DB Cooper exhibit in August. I have encouraged Sail to encourage WSHM to inspect the chute. Perhaps soon they will have a large media day with the chute and we can all see it, inspect mfg labels, and trade stories – or craft new ones designed to drive our favorite DZ targets absolutely nuts.

Bruce, Could you post a photograph showing the left hand pull. Robert99 Quote There are numerous pictures on the Mountain News. See above for link. Thanks, Robert.

Quote I can only tell you what I saw and what I was told. Norman told me that the two chutes he provided were identical, so presumably the other Hayden chute - the one not recovered and supposdly used by DBC - would also be a left-hand pull.

I can already hear the answer: No. Hayden's chutes do not have a lefthand hard pull, debated for months re- the Cossey chute Cooper chose. Therefore: Marla made it all up! I keep wondering what progress Gray has made with this, if any? Or maybe he has more info we don;t have? Quote The Hayden chute I saw and photograhed had a left-hand pull.

Here's what I think about the chutes, based on my reading of the posts. When ckret/Carr was reading from the files, he posted that though all four were packed by Cossey, 2 of the chutes actually came from Issaquah and two of the chutes came from an unnamed person who now has ownership - courtesy of a cab. Then approx 6 months later, two of the chutes came directly from Cossey, from his house. Now, folks can say what they will on this forum, and yes, in the scheme of things, it might appear to be a small thing, but the two statements just plain don't match. My supposition is that Carr got the original information from the files, and then he changed it after he talked to Cossey (he interviewed Cossey and was quite taken with him per his posts). This was in the time frame of the story changing, if I remember correctly. Hey, I'm not saying that Carr decided to go with a 40 year old memory as opposed to what was written in the FBI files from interviews of the time.....but it sure looks that way. Is that good procedure or not? Frankly, I don't know. Inconsequential? Don't know that either. But yeah, in my mind, just sayin, it kind of raises some questions. Smokin99! You are certainly SMOKIN' today. I think you're on to something very important, and it jives with a PM that I just received from Snowmman, who advises me to consult with Tosaw, p. 14. "Lee phoned Cossey at his home and told him about the emergency and that they needed two back and two chest parachutes. Cossey told Lee that he had recently packed two back chutes and that he could pick them up at nearby Boeing Field." So, it appears that once upon a time Cossey's story jived exactly with the Hayden scenario. Then Cossey changed his story and interjected himself into the saga and the investigation. In 2009-2011 Cossey told me that he was home when NWO called, he owned the two chutes and they were at his home and then he put them into a taxi that headed to Boeing Field. He never explained to me why he didn't send them to Sea-Tac. At least that is what I heard Earl tell me. He denied ever knowing Hayden. He said that NWO paid him for his chutes. From then on Earl became the go-to-guy for Cooper parachute questions. He became in effect the FBI's tech spokesperson. He also helped shape the FBI's new narrative that DBC was a fool and died in the jump, using the "NB-8 is an inferior chute" as ruse. It worked for 40 years, but has been unraveling over the past two years. That demise also threatens the FBI who have relied on Cossey to shore up their spin story on Cooper.

WHy the dis, Georger? What news did these other media sources give you that I didn't?

Did Cossey maintain all this or did it come from news reports? Just pulling up some archived news articles, I see a report that two of the chutes came from McChord AFB. My point being..... was it Cossey or inaccurate AP reports that just never got corrected? Or was he giving them the inaccurate info? I wonder if his assertion that he PACKED all four chutes just somehow got translated to he owned/delivered all of them or two of them and he just never called back to correct the matter. Not saying you're wrong -- maybe you've looked at all the articles that he's been quoted in to form your opinion. I will have to look at what he is actually attributed to having said versus what was "reported". According to CKRET, "Cossey actually packed all four chutes, the two back pack chutes were sold or given to the individual who sent them in the cab to Boeing field. Cossey also packed the reserve chutes, but they were provided not by Cossey but the owner of Issaquah Sky Sports. Cossey discovered the mistake later on." Quote My notes from my phone interviews and recollection are that Cossey told me that he was home when he got the call from NWO, and the two back chutes were at his home as well, and he put them in taxi and sent them to Boeing Field.