sailshaw

Jerry Thomas You, Ralph H., and Cossey are all wrong on the parachutes given to DB Cooper. Read the real story from Bruce Smith's Mountain News about the parachutes. The one DB used was one of the two provided by Norm Hayden and the other that the FBI returned to Hayden is in the Tacoma Museum DB Cooper display. You three also share the idea that DB died in the jump and that is a farce too as all the other jumpers from 727's survived. It was a walk in the park for a skilled jumper like Sheridan Peterson and he survived and is still alive today (about the same age as Ralph H.). Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Jerry Thomas Since you like to tell people how wrong they are based upon your opinions, let me say this: You Say: "The one good chute he chose was not user friendly even the deployment mechanism had been changed.So do you realy think Cooper had experience. Come On Man" I say: You don't seem to know that the two "back chutes" provided DB came from Norm Hayden and not from Earl Cossey. The FBI returned the unused chute to Norm and it is now in the Tacoma Museum DB Cooper display. Cossey told the story that he modified the "rip cord mechanism" and it would have been difficult if not impossible to operate by a un-experieinced skydiver. You Jerry fell for the Cossey error and his chute was actually not even one of the two back chutes given DB. All I can say is both you and Cossey were wrong on this point, so "come on man, where is your experience"? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Flyjack It would have been easy to launder the Norjak money by using it at Casino's and when exchanged for a couple hundred in twenties the chips could be later exchanged for larger bills. DB might have had a partner that was a gambler who could have laundered the loot very easily. Cossey was a gambler, could he have done the laundering? Did they know each other from Issaquah Sky Sports? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Bruce: You said: "But Gwen was undeterred. Even nasty loud remarks from Sail on how ridiculous her presentation was didn’t seem to blunt her focus." I say: " At the Symposium you overheard what I was saying to my wife who sat to my left and you sat just in front of me". However: What I said was not loud enough for Gwen to hear up on the stage or she would have talked into the mic and stopped mumbling. What I told my wife was that the presenter was mumbling and not correctly talking into the microphone. My hearing is typical for a person who worked in the aircraft industry for 34 years and will be 80 years old next year. We talk louder because our own voice does not sound too loud. My wife agrees with you that you could have heard my voide but not the presenter. So, the "nasty loud remarks" were only heard by you and my wife. I am sorry you had to hear me, it was only intended for my wife. I don't think the remarks were nasty anyway and certainly not like those we see here in the DZ. Did you hear the nasty remarks to my wife I made about you when you were on the stage in the afternoon? I don't think so as you did a great job of making the too short afternoon session interesting. Thanks Bruce for your report and I will guard my information better in the future knowing that I do talk louder to my wife. Bob Sailshaw ssailshaw@aol.com

Bruce: Your comment is just not true You say: "But Gwen was undeterred. Even nasty loud remarks from Sail on how ridiculous her presentation was didn’t seem to blunt her focus." I did not say anything to Gwen as I could not understand her because she mumbled and did not use the microphone correctly. Your statement is totally false and is not like the Bruce I have come to know. When we were at lunch with our small group (Gwen not there) I did mention that the first two hours were a waste of time and hoped the afternoon would improve and it did. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com '

377 You say: "Can anyone summarize what the two jumpers said about the technical aspects of Cooper's jump?" I would like to say the two jumpers were sports jumpers that use freefall in most of their jumps. When I asked the non i-fly jumper if he thought opening the chute while on the stairs would have been the best for DB Cooper's jump. He thought that a freefall would have been best and when I mentioned the video we had just seen of succesfull jumps from a 727 (all on static lines) and no tumbling he did not change his story. I still believe that DB would have pulled the rip cord while at the bottom of the stairs and let the chute opening pull him off the stairs. The two jumpers at the Symposium had not really jumped from a 727 and they most always freefall, so their answer has to be looked at with that knowledge of their type of experience. Ron that did a skyjacking also said he freefell and was using a front chute (reserve) that he had in his duffel bag. He also said he wore the harness under his jacket when he loaded as a passenger. He said he did some tumbling but quickly stablized and saw the ground for orientation. What are your comments Mark on letting the chute pull DB off the stairs for the easiest opening without tumbling? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

GreyCop You say: "I will do this one time and one time only ok.Mitochondrial DNA can exclude someone, but not prove them guilty. But the DNA under the stamps can prove that it was Kenneth once and for all." I say: The DNA under the stamps/envelop flaps of the four letters sent to the newspapers just after the Norjak Caper is evidence being forgotten and over looked by the FBI and could solve this case very quickly at low cost (under $1,000). I believe they would find a match with the DNA they already have on the most qualified suspect, Sheridan Peterson. This would blow the case wide-open and destroy Sheridan's perfect alibi that he was in Nepal writing his novel. It would prove he was at the "scene of the crime" in Portland Oregon. The case would be solved and the FBI would save their Honorable Status of "we always get our man". This stamp/envelop flap DNA is the only evidence not looked at by the FBI so far. Come on lets "get it done" and become hero leaders in crime investigations. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Mark: You say "I asked this question to the group that met at the Cooper exhibit a couple of weeks ago, so I open it to you or anyone else who wants to comment. All of the proposed suspects have flaws that might lead one to disqualify each of them. However, SOMEONE was DB Cooper." I would like to speak out for my suspect Sheridan Peterson who lived at my house 10 years before Norjak. I knew he was DB Cooper when the FBI stopped at our house to ask about him within a year of Norjak. I was at work and my wife could not find any record of him as he never paid his rent for the month and we had no receipt. I called the FBI (Agent White) and told them that I knew why they were looking for Sheridan. I told them that he looks like the sketch and was motivated to jump out of a 727 using the aft airstair. He had pumped me for all the information I knew about the 727 and the aft airstair as I was an Engineer at Boeing and working with Mechanical Systems testing. The 727 was new to us at the time but an article in Avation Week told quite a bit about the plane. Sheridan had a temporary job at the Worlds Fair as the operator of the Bubbleator (evelator). His job was not to last very long and I believe I suggested that he get a job at Boeing using his English Degree from U of Missouri to work in the Manuals and Handbooks Group where he could find out all about the 727 aft airstairs. He went on to get a job at Boeing in that group and was located in the 9-101 bldg. at the Development Center in Seattle on the second floor. My office was there too. Sheridan is the right height 6ft 1in and olive skin color. His eyes are blue but he most likely used brown contact lens to change his eyes to look brown. They would have made his eyes look piercing which the Flight Attendants noticed. This might have been his only discuise as he soon covered his eyes with dark glasses (until he left the plane). Once he had proudly displayed his brown eyes to the Flight Attendants, he put on the dark glasses to made his eyes more sensitive for seeing in the dark. His experience in skydiving starts with three years as a Smoke Jumper for the USFS followed by private jumping and starting the Boeing Skydiving Club and jumping at the Issaquah Sky Sports DZ. He received his Instructors Certification there and had to know Earl Cossey the rigger. Sheridan had made night jumps and a demonstration jump to advertize the Boeing Club and dresssed just like DB Cooper in a dark suit, white shirt/blk tie, and loafers. The attached photo is from the Boeing News files July 12, 1962. The FBI had super evidence in that he left his tie on the plane and the Seattle Slueths found two types of Titanium and a twisted curl of Aluminum on the tie. The findings were so small that it took a strong microscope to see them. The only place in the Pacific Northwest that would have both types of Titanium was at Boeing in the Materials and Processes Lab on the first floor of the same building where Sheridan's office was. The two types of Titanium were pure (powdered) and aloy. The Slueths were thrown off the track as their leader assumed that Boeing would not have been working with pure Titanium. Big mistake as it really pinned down the location that the particules came from. The scraps from that lab were in the hallways that Sheridan would have had to pass by at least two times a day and twice that if he had lunch in the caffateria. The machine operators would not wear a tie and Engineers did not wear ties in the lab however Sheridan could have scrounged stuff from the tub skids where the scrap metal departed the building. Why would Sheridan write about himself so much if he was DB Cooper? He wanted to seem like he was too open with his information to be Cooper. The description of where he wanted to go (Mexico) and calling the chutes front and back were also clever along with having trouble with the door (when the pressure is not equalized the door will not open). He did not die in the jump and it still alive in Santa Clara California and getting close to 90 years old. He even did a jump at 80 for the Skydiving mag. Yes he is our man and the DNA under the stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent just after Norjak would prove it and quickly close this case. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Belivens: Too bad they got the wrong suspect who is Too short, wrong skin color, and ect.... Galen Cook should know better and so should you! Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Georger The latest news is what we found out at the Tacoma Museum last Thusday when MayerLouis placed the 8x10 picture of Sheridan Peterson's face along side of the blowup picture of the FBI sketch of DB Cooper and the likeness was very interesting with perfect match of the hair, hair line, part location, and high forehead. MayerLouis being American Indian might of had a different perception of the two photos and he thought is was a great match. Bruce didn't agree as he doses not want the case solved so easly (that would leave him with nothing to do). I m in Cabo on vacation now but when I return I will turn up the heat with the FBI on this great match including the scar/dimple on the left cheek in both photos. This may get the FBI going on the DNA match from the four letters sent to the newspapers. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Parrothead I agree with your statement: "If I had a suspect that I was pushing, Brad Meltzer is one of the last people I would want agreeing with me. These conspiracy theorists are all the same, and they are always wrong." Something I did not mention from our visit to the Meuseum on Thursday was that MayerLouis took my 8x10 photo of Sheridan and held it up by the enlarged sketch of DB Cooper. We were surprised by the likeness and in paticular the scar or dimple about one inch from Sheridan's mouth in the direction of his left ear. That scar or dimple was in the same location and looked like that in Sheridan's head photo. The hair line and amount of forehead and the hair parted on the suspect's left side (all the same as the photo). See photo attached. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com If I had a suspect that I was pushing, Brad Meltzer is one of the last people I would want agreeing with me. These conspiracy theorists are all the same, and they are always wrong.

Parrothead Would someone please tell Brad Meltzer that Kenney Christainsen could not be DB Cooper as he is too short at 5ft 8in and the wrong skin color and not olive. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Grey Cop Too bad you were not at our "Sleuths at the Museum" get together yesterday. I would have like to talk to you about your Kenney suspect that is too short (5ft 8in) and not of olive skin color. Anyway we met at the Tacoma Museum of Washington History at 2:30 pm and had a good round of discussion and then gathered across the street at the Harmon Brewery for drinks and dinner. Those there were: Ron and Pat Forman, Bruce Smith, MeyerLouis, Wayne Cooke, Mark Bennett, and Bob Sailshaw. The first round of beer supplied by Mark 377. We had a great time and exchanges a lot of information. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Mrshtter45 You are correct. My thinking is messed up due to the internet that we have on our cruise ship here in Germany. Snowmman should be allowed back an when reading that old thread, I thought he was back. note: I have corrected my post Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

377 You say: "I think taking off with a 727's stairs deployed could cause stair damage or worse." I say: "DB Cooper knew that Boeing had demonstrated 727 takeoff with the airstairs deployed. He argued with the pilot that it could be done and just gave in to takeoff and lowering the stairs when in the air. If the airstairs were deployed at takeoff, they would have been fully deployed and been the better platform for DB and helped keep the air seed as low as possible. DB wanted lowest air speed and the airstairs fully deployed. What he agreed to was good enough and worked well for hm even though the stairs were not fully down/locked and were bouncing up and down as he proceeded to the lowest stair." Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Georger: Sorry for thinking it was your post and I will just ignore Blevins. Maybe he will just go away. I think we can put to bed the thought that the Amboy chute might be the one DB used. THE AMBOY CHUTE WAS NOT THE CHUTE USED BY DB COOPER AS IT WAS THE WRONG COLOR AND MADE OUT OF TWILL AND NOT WHITE RIPSTOP. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Georger You are getting as bad as Blevins at reading and understanding what others write. You Say: "Hayden has said that he never saw the inside of either container the entire time he owned those chutes. Now...someone obviously took a look at the chute that exists. You can see that in the picture. It's white. As far as the tan color of the chute held by the FBI, I wonder if it could have taken on the color due to being buried for forty years in the cold, wet ground of Washington state. Who knows? Or maybe it was never white at all. Also...the two chutes from Hayden were NOT identical. Who said that? One was the Pioneer sport, the other was a canopy packed inside an NB-6. And as I said, Hayden told me personally that he never saw inside it, never used it, and was not around when it was repacked by Cossey. And I have not seen any statements by Cossey saying that it was a white canopy. The NB-6, I mean." I say again: The two chutes that Hayden provided were exactly the same and bought at the same time from the Surplus Store by the Boeing DC Plant per Hayden. The carriers were not the same and were added after the purchase. Both chutes were packed by Cossey. Hayden may never had looked at the chutes after they were packed in their carriers but Bruce pulled some of the chute out that was packed in the container returned to Hayden after Norjak. Bruce took a photo (see attachment) of the small amount he could pull out and it is easy to see that it is white and is ripstop (the cross hatching reinforcement squares that keep it from tearing). So, who said the two chutes were alike? Norm Hayden the owner and purchaser of the two chutes The one chute that DB Cooper used was just like the one now in the Tacoma Museum which is white ripstop. There is no way the Amboy chute is the one used in the skyjacking as not only is it not white but is not ripstop but is twill per Mark 377. So, once again the Amboy chute is ruled out on not being made of white ripstop. Cossey may have called it silk as a joke but it dosen't matter he called it correctly that it was not the Cooper chute. Cossey verified that with me over the phone before he was killed. He would not discuss why he mentioned it was silk. If Blevins tries to put the Amboy chute in his new book as being the Cooper chute, it will be just another Blevins Blunder. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com PS Note the Bruce Smith photo of Hayden wearing the parachute returned to him by the FBI after Norjak.

Blevins Lets get the Amboy chute out of the DB case finally!!! You say: "Sixth, if the Seattle FBI had to admit through examination and research from actual experts that the Amboy Chute was indeed Cooper's - this would negate the official stance they've taken since the Tena Bar money was found: That Cooper died in the jump." I say: "If you examine the chute from Norm Hayden (the one chute that Cooper did not use) the one that is displayed at the Tacoma Historical Museum you will find that it is "white ripstop" and is a duplicate of the chute that DB used in Norjak according to Hayden. He claims he bought both chutes at the same time from a Surplus store next to Boeing on Marginal Way. So, both chutes were the same and the one not used is "white rip stop" (see attached photo taken by Bruce Smith) and therefore so is the chute DB used. Now, the Amboy chute is not "white ripstop" and is brown in color. Mark 377 calls the Amboy chute a twill weave which is not "ripstop" and it is definitely not the DB Cooper chute. So, finally the Amboy chute is rulled out as a possible DB Cooper chute and we should forget about it. Cossey got it wrong when he called it silk but that was just another error from our "expert" that was known for playing jokes on people. He was right that it was not the DB Cooper chute but for the wrong reason. It was however found in the right area that DB jumped into." Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

mrshutter45 You say: "Word has just reached me that a witness on board 305 has been interviewed and shown photos and turned thumbs down on both KC and Duane Weber. Eg. "ears stick out way too far" etc - Weber ... "nothing about him matches, nothing..." Could you have the witness look at the photo attached of Sheridan Peterson? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

testxyz In your post it says: '"He fishes around in his pants for $19 he received from Flo nearly fours ago, on the tarmac in Portland, for the bourbon and Seven he ordered and spilled. He offers the change." This quote is from Geof's book but it does not mention the three bundles of twenty's offered by DB to the Flight Crew (part of the loot and the same amount as found on Tina's Bar). Tom Kaye was asked if the amount offered to the crew and the DB money found on Tina's Bar were actually the same money as both were three bundles of twenties. Tom answered that it was an interesting question and a possibility (this was his answer this Saturday at the Museum Cooper Display). So the real question now is did he offer the $19 at one time and the three bundles at another time? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

testxyz About the Opening Day at the Museum. It was very well done and had many things to look at. Tom Kaye spoke and he now concludes that DB survived the jump. A DB Cooper actor spoke and answered questions and his photo on the 727 airstairs is attached. The actor added to the displays that included the Cooper 20 that 377 loaned to the museum. I talked with Tom Kaye and he says the FBI will be doing nothing to solve the case now as it is too old. However, the Citizen Sleuths could push to get the DNA from under the Stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent to the newspapers shortly after Norjak. They could compare the DNA with what the FBI has from Sheridon Peterson and bingo they will find a match and be responsible for solving the case. They will become the hero's and of great help to supplement the FBI work. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Robert99 377 says: "I am OK with the Sluggo flight path and its many subsequent variants and derivatives that differ insignificantly. It's the Tena Bar money that drives me nuts. I can't figure it out. It's an itch I can't scratch. What's your theory about the money find?" I say: "My theory is that the three bundles of 20's found at Tina's Bar were the same three bundles offered to the flight crew and denied. DB could have stuffed the three bundles into the paper bag he brought on-board and then into his shirt because the bag with the loot was tied around his waist. When he jumped, the paper bag with the three bundles could have blown out of his shirt and fell somewhere up stream of Tina's Bar. The paper bag would have kept the bundles together until it disolved with time. That would explain why the bundles were kept together until found." Just my theory, Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

smoking99 you say: " In the tone of most of your posts you seem to hold a bit of animosity towards Sheridan. Though I personally think no one alive will ever be actually convicted of this crime because it would be too easy to defend, I get the feeling that you really want Sheridan to spend the rest of his life in jail. In fact, I think you've posted this before". I say: "The reason I speak of the FBI using the DNA on the stamps/envelop flap is to threaten Sheridan (if there is a match and I think they will find a match) with jail for the remainder of his life unless he tells all about the case and admits to being DB. I am interested in seeing the case closed even with Sheridan getting an out of jail card in exchange for his confesson to being DB Cooper. I hold nothing against Sheridan, just just want to see the case solved and closed soon." Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

Georger you ask: "Did Sailshaw ever know people who hung around Sheridan at work or otherwise politically? Somebody quiet but intelligent." My answer is: "No I never met anyone that knew Sheridan" When I talked with Earl Cossey he quickly denied that he knew Sheridan even though he had to have known him at the Issaquah Sky Sports where Sheridan took the Boeing Skydiving club and received his Instructors rating. I think Cossey was trying to cover for Sheridan and actually knew him well. As far a the FBI not making mistakes, the two kinds of Titanium on the tie should have led them to Boeing Materials and Research Lab 9-101 bldg that was just under the office that had the Manual and Handbooks Group that Sheridan worked in before Norjak. His tie could have been exposed to the scrap bins many times as he looked through the neat scrap in them. The FBI overlooked that important clew that lead to Boeing and Sheridan. The DNA the FBI thinks is DB Cooper's could have been on the tie clasp held in the mouth of his girl friend while she was getting him dressed. I believe they don't have DB's DNA and that is why it is so important that they examine the DNA under the stamps/envelop flaps of the four letters written just after Norjak. Comparing with what they have from Sheridan will solve the case quickly and blow Sheridan's perfect alibi wide open of being in Nepal at the time of Norjak. It was nice to finally meet Mark (377) this week and he is a very good source of information. Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com

377 You say: "Sailshaw, even if envelope DNA shows Sheridan was lying about being in Nepal during the skyjack, the FBI has ruled him out by comparing his DNA to what they believe is Coopers DNA. They seem very sure they have Coopers DNA. Not a perfect complete sample but enough to rule out suspects. The way I see it is that the FBI doesn't care if Sheridans alibi is real or fake. His DNA doesn't match Cooper's which for them conclusively rules out Sheridan." I say: The FBI has continued to get much about this case wrong and that is why it has not solved it after 40 years. What ever the FBI thinks is good DB DNA would be a combination of errors in how and what they took. The four letter DNA if a match to Sheridan would give them the leverage to get the real story out of Sheridan with a threat of jail time for the remainder of his life (lie to FBI being a Federal case). The case is so close to being solved with just a simple/inexpensive DNA test of the stamps/envelope flaps. How can the FBI pass up this evidence? Bob Sailshaw sailshaw@aol.com