The New Suspect and Another Book
Ever since November of 2007 when lawyer and former investigator Galen Cook started making assertions on the Coast to Coast AM syndicated talk show stating that he had located D B Cooper, people have asked me what I think about the likelihood that his new suspect is the “Real” D B Cooper.
Well, that question has no simple answer. On one hand, if the assertions that Cook claims have more than a small grain of truth in them, he may well have happened onto the most reasonable suspect to date. On the other hand, Cook has offered absolutely nothing in the way of “proof” to validate these assertions.
A good place to start if one wishes to determine if Cook is on to something or not, is the manner and location he chose to make his debut release of the astonishing assertions. He chose the Coast to Coast AM syndicated talk show. This show is the last vestige of the old (and very entertaining) Coast To Coast with the late Art Bell. The show in now hosted by George Noory, but Ian Punnett is the Saturday host. This show deals with “far-out” and “fringe” clams of the paranormal almost exclusively. It concerns itself mostly with claims of UFO and Bigfoot sightings, government conspiracy, and events of extra-sensory nature. Here are a few current articles featured on its web site:
ü $1,000,000 for Bigfoot Trail Cam Photo
ü Isolated tribe spotted in Brazil
ü UFO blamed for mystery explosion in Vietnam
ü Purported UFO video to be shown Friday - Footage is said to depict a living, breathing space alien.
ü Sliders & the Streetlight Phenomenon - Why do some people cause streetlights to go out?
ü Titanic search was cover for secret mission to inspect wrecks of two Cold War nuclear subs
Well, you get my point. After a half-dozen appearances on Coast To Coast, each time not naming his suspect “out of respect for the suspect’s family,” Cook finally announced that the man’s name would appear in a article in the suspect’s home town newspaper.
A person wanting to be taken seriously about solving one of the most baffling crimes of the twentieth century, does not chose the radio equivalent of a grocery store tabloid to release the information. Jo Weber released her story to US News and World Report, The Christiansen story was first released to New York Magazine, but Cook chose Coast To Coast AM (Radio) and an article (Print) in a relatively obscure Depoe Bay, Oregon local paper called “The Depoe Bay Beacon.”
The article, written by Rick Beasley, makes the following points about the suspect, now known by all as William Pratt (Wolfgang) Gossett. Beasley says:
ü Galen Cook is one of the nation’s leading authorities on D.B. Cooper
ü Punnett was interviewing Cook when Gossett’s son Greg called and said he believed his father was D.B. Cooper
ü He (Beasley) knew Gossett and wrote his obituary in September 2003
ü Gossett confessed to a retired Salt Lake City Judge
ü Gossett once took his attorney on a mysterious trip to a Vancouver, B.C. bank where some of the ransom money may [emphasis mine] have been stashed in a lock box
ü Gossett attended dozens of elite [emphasis mine] Armed Services schools
ü Gossett became a skilled survivalist and combat parachutist with hundreds of high-altitude and night jumps
And then finally:
ü Cook also explains how D.B. Cooper selected the one parachute among the three brought to the aircraft that actually worked. But those details, and others, will have to simmer until the publication of his book.
So let’s take a look at what Beasley has just said
ü Galen Cook is not one of the nation’s leading authorities on D.B. Cooper in fact he gets about half of his “facts" wrong. It’s obvious that he gets his information from internet sites and has paid very little attention to the information released by the FBI. If there is a “nation’s leading authority,” it’s FBI Agent Larry Carr (or maybe even Sluggo [Big Silly Grin]).
ü Greg Gossett, didn’t contact law enforcement or a recognized expert, he was a “phone in” on a talk show. Obviously, it wasn’t important to him until he heard the broadcast.
ü What would be the normal action of a retired judge when hearing someone had committed a crime that had an open indictment?
ü Since Beasley and Gossett were friends, was he the right person to be writing an expose?
ü The bank box may have held the money, and my bank box may hold the body of Jimmy Hoffa.
ü Which elite schools might this be?
ü Skilled parachutist? Survivalist? So he went to jump school, no proof was offered for this claim.
ü More details will be in the book. Hmmmm… I guess I’ll have to buy that book to know more.
When Beasley wrote Gossett’s obituary in 2001 he said:
ü Gossett was an administrative clerk and physical training instructor
ü He worked as an administrative personnel chief and law specialist
ü He worked for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate's office in New York City
ü He served with the Judge Advocate General in France
ü He was in Vietnam as a military law specialist
ü He was a radio talk show host for KCGL Radio
So when Beasley wrote about his friend in 2001, there was no mention of “elite service schools” and nothing about HALO jumps at night or otherwise or about Gossett being a survivalist.
So, what conclusion is to be drawn here? It is very plain to see:
ü Cook is writing a book.
ü Cook wants to sell a lot of copies of his book.
ü Cook knows what kind of people will read his book, people who knew Gossett and people who love great stories about mysteries but don’t require any proof of claims.
I guess you can see where I stand on the issue of Wolfgang Gossett being D B Cooper. I see nothing here but a contrived tale designed to enhance book sales. Where do you stand? Leave me a comment whether you agree or disagree with me.
Excuse me, now… I have to go watch WWF Wrestling and then listen to George Noory on Coast To Coast AM. They’re going to be talking to a woman who was abducted by Bigfoot and sold to aliens in the center of the earth.
Gossett's photos seem to have some resemblance. His build was more stocky in his military picture than in later years. It does seem strange that his military photo with what seems to be a Legion of Merit medal shows only basic parachutist wings. I think I've seen pictures of Special Ops guys with various stars or wreaths on their jump wings showing some advanced parachute training. One would expect this of Gossett, perhaps?
I liked Steve Huff's TrueCrimeBlog entry on this guy. He's doubtful to very doubtful.
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The phone call from the son getting through to C@C? How much chance is there of getting through to that show? The calls must be stacked up for hours. Sound kind of contrived, maybe?
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Sluggo,
Gossett came to Cook's attention in a wacked out forum, you are sure right about that, but Gossett does have some interesting qualifications as a possible Cooper.
I have had a few email chats with Galen Cook and he is no Bigfoot/UFO type of nut at all. I found him to be smart and still having an open mind about the case. He is not "stuck" on Gossett as Cooper, it is just the best fit he has found so far.
Speaking of Bigfoot, I ran into someone who really believes they exist. I asked him if they existed, how could he explain that not one body, skeleton or bone has ever been found? Easy, he said, look at DB Cooper. We know he is real, he went into the woods, yet we can't find a trace.
377
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My best Gomer Pyle: “Hey 377. How are you today?”
I’ve been rough on Cook in the past, and probably will continue to be. I don’t know why he ceased on Gossett, but I’m sure he has his reasons. Maybe something as simple as deadline pressures from his publishers.
I await his book. I will buy it, I will read it, and I will comment on it by calling it the way I see it.
The thing about Gossett that makes him a good suspect (as good as Weber) is his Fort Lewis connections. He was actually making trips to Ft. Lewis at the time of the hijacking. (So I hear.)
If Agent Carr is correct and Cooper expected to make an early jump, most likely he would have landed on the Fort Lewis Range. That makes for a STRONG tie.
His resemblance to the composite drawing doesn’t mean squat to me. Everybody looks like that drawing! (Except maybe Boy George, Lisa Lampanelli, and me.)
I haven’t ruled him out yet, I just don’t feel any strong vibes about him.
When Mr. Cook releases his book, and we have as much personal information about Gossett as we do about Weber, then I may feel differently.
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I listened to Cook on the radio and he seems pretty balanced. Though I will agree with Sluggo and 377, putting his findings on Coast to Coast makes my eyebrows raise just a little. Gossett sure does look like DB Cooper. No denying that. Has Cook talked with the crew from Flight 305? When is his book due out?
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The facts in the upcoming book won't disappoint. Hang in there, Sluggo. I know that this mystery has you wetting the bed at night. On another note: I received a letter from the chief counsel of FBI Director Mueller's office in Wash D.C. He informed me that my request to view and physically handle the NORJAK evidence at the Seattle Field Office would be "denied." He added, that I should contact Seattle if I learn something new and important about the case. I wrote back to Director Mueller's office and told them to disregard my previous request because I had finally found what I was searching for. Of course, all of this attempted lawyer's dialogue was conferred AFTER Agent Carr invited me to examine the evidence in the Seattle Field Office, then suddenly called me back to say that the "higher ups" at the Bureau changed their minds. Need more be said?
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Thanks Galen,
I (we) appreciate the info.
Call or e-mail anytime.
Sluggo
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Thanks, Sluggo, and I hope that your health is on the mend.
A brief comment to make regarding the upcoming book about Kenny Christianson as D.B. Cooper. I don't want to make any statements about Skipp Porteus abilities, because I consider him a friend, a colleague in the business, and a competent professional. However, I long-ago discounted any connections between Kenny Christianson and D.B. Cooper. To make that assumption is a huge leap based on no tangible evidence. Kenny Christianson's involvement would require real scrutiny of a potential "insider's job." The airline world is a small community, especially back in 1971. Airline crews were on the move and ran across other company employees on a continual basis. The real D.B. Cooper would not possibly hope to get away clean if he worked with other employees of the same company. [Remember: Alice Hancock, Florence Schafner and Tina Mucklow were flying this route during November 1971 and they all were eye-witnesses].
The second thing is this: I was speaking on the air with radio host Mike Fitzsimmons (920 AM Spokane, WA) in November 2007, discussing the Cooper case. Mike got Lyle Christianson on the show and we debated about his brother being Cooper. I asked Lyle if Kenny ever made a confession to ANYONE about being Cooper. Lyle said no. Apparently, Lyle based his sole belief on his brother being the one because Kenny muttered that "he had a secret to devulge," He just couldn't say what the secret was. The real D.B. Cooper would have made a confession to someone. That is the basis for beginning an investigation. Additionally, Lyle made it pretty clear during our debate that he thought it "would be neat to have a movie made about his brother being D.B. Cooper."
Several months later during a chat with Skipp Porteus, Skipp told me that Kenny Christianson's secret was probably that he was gay. Even a cursory examination of Geoff Gray's article from October 2007, leaves you with the impression that Kenny Christianson was involved with young men (maybe even under-aged young men.
Galen Cook
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Thanks Galen,
That was a very sensitive statement and I think that it is apparent that you and I agree on a few things (at least).
Based on Robert’s post at: (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D_B_Cooper_Research/) I get the impression that he feels he is being treated unfairly. I will send him a private e-mail to ensure that he is fully aware that his posts are welcome. The civilian NORJAK investigators are pretty hard-core and know the difference between “good research” (investigation) and cursory examination of a bunch of reprinted and recycled myths. We are quick to respond to such openly and honestly. [e.g. The blog that supports this thread in relationship to you.] I only know one way to advance knowledge of NORJAK and that is to be honest.
It was a tough decision (on my part) to allow individuals who have something to sell (books) to post to the Yahoo Group, the NORJAK Forum, and Sluggo’s Blog. I finally decided that there is nothing dishonest about commercialism, besides books and articles stimulate interest, and that is a good thing. So, anyone motivated by commercial interest is welcome in all three places and long as they remain generally respectful of those who disagree with their conclusions.
My health is better and I’m looking forward to being a thorn in everybody’s side for many years.
It’s always good hearing from you (Mr. Recluse),
Sluggo
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Galen you make some great points. I saw a Decoded episode that elluded to Kenny Christianson being the real DB Cooper. I have to admit the circumstantial evidence was compelling. Your point about him being recognized is valid, however when they interviewed a Northwest historian they discovered that if a employee worked international he/she may not be recognized by domestic northwest employees at all. He said that the two units didn't intermingle. My criticism like the FBI's was why would he continue to work for Northwest if he committed the crime, however I do question where did KC get all of that cash from, he made 521 dollars a month, yet he paid cash for a $16,000 house, he loanded his sister $5,000 and a bag filled with 20s was alledgedly found not to far from the home he purchased. Him being gay is a possibility, but the only evidence for that is his relationship with a man named Bernie who worked at the airline with him in Alaska. The photograph of him dressed as the suspect is suspicious too. This photograph was hidden too. Why was it hidden?
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Sluggo:
It's those thorns of yours that help keep the entire story on an honest track. Even though at times they pinch deeply, we should have it no other way.
Galen.
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Happy D. B. Cooper daze to all! Nov. 24 is fast approaching-do you have your duffel bags hung on the mantel for D. B. to leave goodies?
Best wishes to Sluggo for continued recovery. Thanks for the hard work in getting this website and blog going.
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Sluggo:
Just to set the record straight, Richard Tosaw had two sisters and a couple brothers (Donnie and Mike). I doubt if anyone in your Forum was related to Tosaw, otherwise they would have announced his death much earlier. (Tosaw died on September 16, 2009).
Tosaw became a trusted friend and we spent several different summers working together at Tena's. We had divergent theories until late summer 2008, when a more unified theory took shape as a result of some new finds.
Tosaw's involvement predates the 1980 money find at Tena's.
Tosaw, an attorney, worked with the Bureau in the 50's, and his older brother Mike was a lifer with the Bureau. That's how Tosaw pulled the info together for his 1984 book. It was a bit of a coup for Richard, because Himmelsbach was still working on his book hoping to beat Tosaw to the punch. Those two didn't care much for each other.
By the way, investigative efforts on my front have passed expectations and an "announcement" will be made sometimes in late spring or early summer.
Keep up with the good work on your own site.
Galen Cook
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Thanks Galen,
The individual on dropzone who had a Tosaw connection was a friend of his brother and I didn't want to "out" him unless he wanted to be.
I just can't stand to wait any longer... I have to ask you: "Why did you chose Coast@Coast to release your information publically? This has puzzled me for a long time.
I'd like to talk to you about it. It would be a good subject for a blog. Contact me at the email on my web site and I'll give/get a phone number.
Thanks again,
Sluggo
PS: I am not associated with the dropzone.com forum in any way except as an occasional poster.
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Sluggo:
Thanks for the info. I will answer your question, as it has been posed to me by more than a few people.
Coast's Saturday night host, Ian Punnett, invited me on 11/24/07, the 36th anniversary date. Apparently, some C2C listener had heard me on another radio show a few weeks earlier and suggested me to Ian. Ian is a huge fan of the D.B. Cooper story because of its value as a real-life mystery. I think that Ian likes to keep his show more balanced than the other hosts, who spend a lot of time with paranormal/supernatural discussions.
Also, Ian hosts his show out of Minneapolis, the original home of NWA and the base of the entire #305 crew.
I saw no reason to decline the invite, with an investigator's eye of reaching out into the public seeking more info. It worked! I had e-mails from quite a few people, and one in particular, that I followed-up (Gossett).
Ian called back and asked me to be a semi-regular guest, as long as I could provide new bits of information about the case obtained from my investigation. I have effectively screened-out some of the bogus info provided to me. Some info was very good
and I will admit that there have been major discoveries made from my C2C connection. Most of the good stuff I keep is privileged work-product, although I've had a few people try to heist it from me, including a Portland- based TV anchor. His actions were professionally unethical and he got his warning.
The same can be said from my decision to break a story with the little paper on the Oregon Coast, the Depoe Bay Beacon. Even though the publisher did not quote me accurately on all points, I gained important new leads from that particular published edition. I don't know if you've been to the Oregon Coast or not, but folks out there aren't inclined to talk much about their secrets. And there are plenty. The Oregon coast is a bit of a hide-out for certain people.
Anyway, there you have it. Ian Punnett and C2C has been good to me and the relationship is mutual. Investigating and finding new info about D.B. Cooper is not easy. Finding old info (thanks in great part to your research site, Sluggo) is now much easier.
As for my book, one of your fellow Forum colleagues (377, I think) nailed it. I could have finished the book and thrown it out there with the other half dozen books already in print (maybe six more in the wings), but I felt I had an obligation to myself and to others who were assisting me to try and crack the case. So, I am delaying publication for a short while until all new discoveries can be verified.
I will eventually get in touch and talk privately with you. Meantime, keep up the great work.
Galen Cook
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Sluggo:
I use this site from time to time as a communication vehicle to other Cooper hunters. Another Cooper book is in the works. Skipp Porteous recently informed me that he is also busy writing his own book, which will undoubtedly concentrate on Kenny Christianson as a suspect.
On another note: My own science team, which has been conducting extensive experiments at Tena's Bar for the past nine months and will be concluding our unquiries later this spring, is focusing on three important matters.
While two areas of concentration remain confidential, one matter should be discussed and openly debated by you and your forum crew. That matter concerns the small, cylinder-like holes (resembling puncture holes) found in the interior portions of the bills. They are a source of curiousity because of their unusual dispersion and because of their symmetry.
Agent Larry Carr and I discussed these unusual holes over a phone conversation last summer. He is of the opinion that the holes may be from insect burrowing that occured prior to the money appearing at Tena's Bar in 1980. The FBI's official statement seems to be that the money floated out of the Washougal watershed and deposited at Tena's in 1979.
My own team is not so sure about the holes. While it is possible that insects were involved, the holes almost resemble man-made punctures.
Anyway, since pictures of the Tena Bar money are widely available for examination, maybe you and other members of the DZ could make comments as to the origin of the holes.
Sincerely,
Galen Cook
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Hi. Let me straighten out the Tosaw connection. Members of my family come from the Omaha area and played football with Mike Tosaw at UI during the era (1939-45). Members of my family were involved in the discussions with Richard Tosaw about raising Nile Kinnick's plane.
If I am uncomfortable with the direction or content of the discussion, I will simply withdraw - nobody should take that personally nor be constrained by it.
Holes in the money: I guess when Mr. Cook wonders if the holes in the money were man-made, he is referring to some mechanical process vs. a natural or biological process, as for example if Cooper had shot a load of buckshot at the money vrs. some boring worm or larvae or bacterial process. I think we can safely assume the 'buckshot' theory is out, I say laughing.
So, what mechanical process does Mr. Cook have in mind - artifact of dredging, something the bank did as a way of tracking or identifying the money ... ?
Or if biological/natural would the nature of the holes relate to location, or time, a species found in only one location (Washougal vs Columbia vs Willamette), and the like ...
Perhaps Mr. Cook can clarify his question and his reason for asking?
As a general premise I can say what is already common knowledge. The general condition of the money is consistent with the natural deterioration one would normally find if money had been buried in the wet sand at Tina Bar for some years then finally exposed due to the erosion of top sand, exposing the bills to the natural chemistry of that site complete with bacteria, larvae, and all of the other biological concomitants which populate that site naturally. The better bills are remarkably smooth and unworn on their surfaces and basically show only edge deterioration consistent with everything Ive already named above.
Maybe I should stop at this point and wait for Mr. Cook to respond.
G.
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Georger:
Many thanks for your reply and thanks to Sluggo for transmitting this exchange via two different forums.
I was told previously that you had a connection with the Tosaw family. Now the connection is clear. I still remain in contact with Richard's two elderly sisters. They both have bills, and one bill is in pretty good condition.
Without giving away the farm, here is a partial description of the ongoing experiments we are conducting as they relate to the 2/10/80 money find at Tena's Bar.
We are replicating, on location, as well as in a laboratory setting, the manner in which currency decomposes when buried at various levels in identical soil stratas. We use soils found at Tena's and are simulating several various scenarios that would be most likely to fit into several theories about DB Cooper's money find.
We have the total cooperation of the Fazios and access to some interesting characters who were on location immediately after the actual money find in 1980.
All of this information is being analyized carefully by some very competent and skilled individuals.
The reason I brought up the "worm-like holes" for discussion: Larry Carr raised the issue during one of our chats last summer and wanted to know what I thought about them. I really didn't have an opinion at the time. Carr was intently focused on the holes. His opinion was that they were probably made from insects when the money was at a different location, maybe in a money bag snagged along the bank somewhere on the Washougal River.
Carr also told me that he believed the money arrived at Tena's in 1979. I don't think Mr. Carr would mind me saying that this information was contained in their file from a report by Dr. Palmer.
Interestingly enough, my own investigation revealed to me that the money find at Tena's was "placed" there in 1979. I had this information in my file long before my conversation with Carr. (strangely, Jo Weber has also focused on 1979, but her statements are based on her recollection, not on science).
I am willing to report this much: we are seeing the decomposition of currency in a manner that is fairly consistent with the rate of decomposition of the money found at Tena's. Our experiment will be concluded in late spring or early summer.
The "worm-holes" are another matter. we are not seeing them, yet. Decomposition appears to be taking place primarily on the perimeters of the bills. So this begs the question...........were the holes made by insects or some bacterial process at another location, or, were the holes made mechanically? One could ask this question: If Cooper was playing games and buried the money, would he bury "good" money, or would he bury money that already had some flaws (disregarding the serial numbers) in which he couldn't use?
Anyway, I know that there is a lot of fertile gray matter out there in the DZ, that is, when the swords are layed down for awhile.
Galen Cook
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Sluggo:
One final thing. When we have retrieved the bills used in our experiment and have finished our analysis, we would be willing to share the information with Larry Carr IF he will allow us to examine the original bills stored in evidence at the Seattle Field Office. We want to make the comparison between our bills and the bills found on 2/10/80. This may help us zero in on what really happened at Tena's.
GC
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Galen, the excavation and what was found, or not found in 1980, is vital linkage to what the money can tell us.
At this late date with approximately three feet of top surface gone (some say)as compared to what was there in 1980, the story of the excavation and a factual understanding of that relies on a deep record(s) and witness search -which if I were involved would be a very
intense search at this point, because witnesses are disappearing fast.
Artificial conditions produced in a lab will always invite doubt vs the actual condtions which existed in 1980 at the
time of the excavation. This is why I place great stress on the above as a starting point.
Moreover, if there is money sitting in a vault in BC or wherever which is part of the Cooper loot, as news stories have rumored, then what is the need to analyse anything in order to prove a suspect's linkage to the crime?
The analysis of only the money in this case could turn very complex and costly very quickly, and require experts, looking for specific markers and traits which have forensic value (that will stand up in Court). At the end of the day that is usually the case unless
something stands out diffinitive.
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Galen, let me address the hole issue directly. Again the choices are mechanical vs. biological, and perhaps a combination of both in some order(bugs first, weathering second). I understand Carr's need for a marker which would identify place and time, however, every attempt I have made to identify a specific biological agent has failed. Experts I have spoken with remark about the 'uniformity' of species and ecology throughout the whole Columbia basin, including the Washougal; including even diatoms. This came as something of a surprise to me even counter-intuitive? Anyone is free to conduct their own survey of opinion..
To the extent the above is true the burden then falls back on the money itself and whether lab analysis could reveal a specific agent (worm or larva) responsible for the holes. Now things get complex. Very likely lab chemistry, mass spectroscopy, enzyme analysis, and possibly even genetic analysis would be required to 'prove' an agent... if the agent is a 'bug' or bacteria, or even roots.
On the mechanical side we have the possibility of high velocity particles and percussion if the dredge was involved. We could include pressure from an end loader working from above.
A wild card: Cooper's bomb blew up on the way down (high velocity particles penetrating the money). Or other scenarios.
I suggested to Carr long ago he get Treasury Dept specialists to examine this money. Or Quantico.
Another line of analysis involves sand and mineral types embedded in the cotton fibres of the paper. Round sand.
Sharp sand. Silver and gold grains which could carry a specific isotope favoring one region over another, but even this presents a problem because sand bars collect debris from everywhere, so concentrations of certain elements vs the mere presence of those elements in the money could prove decisive. There are specific sediments which arrive in the Vancouver Lake-Tina Bar area only by of the Willamette, also. This is what I mean by "complex" when it comes to the issue of proving uniqueness in the money that appeared of all places at a sand bar.
And the fact the money appeared on a sand bar would normally imply a 'wash in' scenario, except for one more complication - the dredging.
In my mind it comes down to distinguishing one from the other and this is why the original scene found at Tina Bar and the excavation are so very important. That scene provides the all important 'context' into which the money fits.
G.
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georger,
Well said!
I think you are right... but the bad news is... I don't think, at this time, the Bureau will spend ANY resources getting the "proper" analysis. Especially to assist a journalist or author.
So, once again it's up to private citizens to "get-er-done!"
Thanks again,
Sluggo
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Sluggo: Right you are. I received a letter all the way from the top of the Bureau that there would be no assistance to me, unless I had a significant "find." Their loss.
Georger: the basis for my experiment at Tena's is to provide scientific support and to corroborate a witness account of what really happened leading to the 2/10/80 money find. The "one-year window of activity" was my target. And this was long before Larry Carr provided me with the info from Dr. Palmer's estimation that the money at Tena was in the ground "for about one year." But in order for my witness's story to be believed, I had to know whether or not my own scientific demonstration would support the witness's statements. While "markers" can assist as lead-ins for "time and place" discussions, standing alone they won't solve the case. The soils at Tena's are unique and that's why we used on-site for our experiment. We also have monitored the river and we use hydraulic components as part of the experiment, especially at Tena. I appreciate your input, Georger. This much can be objectively stated, coming from a pretty savy scientist who has been working soils for over 25-years: the bills found at Tena's most likely arrived by means other than naturally placed.
GC
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Galen: it sounds like you have things pretty well wrappped up. When can ewe look forward to seeing something in print or a news conference at CNN?
G.
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Georger:
That's a tough question to answer. My publisher is disinclined for me to do it that way. Also, this case is not yet wrapped-up. I have many component pieces put together, but the "clincher" is still in the works. Like your buddy 377 stated........it's the evidence that counts. Until the final piece is stuck into the puzzle, I'm keeping an open mind and listening to what some of you guys are saying out there. Game changers have been known to take place late in the 4th period. Meanwhile, I'll keep plugging away.
GC
ps. just got off the phone with Brian Ingram. He told me that his recollection of finding the money was as if "someone had dug a fairly shallow hole, plopped three packets of bills into the hole and covered it up." Ingram still has over 40 bills.
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Well let me ask this -
What's your opinion about money fragments in the area of the find, and
fragments as deep at three feet?
It's a fair question we all hav to account for somehow.
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Georger:
Fair question indeed.
1) More money packets may have been buried at a different level, or, even in another hole nearby at a different depth.
2) Who's to say for sure that fragments were found at "3 feet?" The FBI agent I interviewed (who was on site during the week of 2/12/10) never observed that.
3) Sand at Tena's is not stable. There is a subsurface shifting mechanism, as was proven in one of our experiments.
thanks, Georger.
GC
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-------OPEN LETTER ----------
Mr. Ralph Himmelsbach
FBI (Ret)
Dear Mr. Himmelsbach:
I know that you wish to avoid me for an interview and that's your choice. However, my choice now is to ask you to explain some things to the public.
Richard Tosaw and I collaborated on the DB Cooper case. Mr. Tosaw and I are both attorneys and our work products are privileged. Also, you know that Mr. Tosaw's older brother Mike was a career SA and worked at the San Francisco Field Office.
There are witnesses to the Cooper jump, as you are aware. During the 8:00 pm hour on 11/24/71, several people in the Vancouver, WA area saw a distinct reddish flame falling and arcing from the sky. It appeared to be trailing from a southbound aircraft. The reddish object drifted west, out towards the Columbia River in the vicinity of Sauvie Island. In a matter of seconds, it disappeared from view of the witnesses. Those witnesses wrote a letter to the FBI's Portland Field Office and were visited by agents several days after the incident. One witness stated to Mr. Tosaw, "a man dressed in a dark suit came to my door and asked if I was the person who saw the red flaming light falling from the sky and wrote to the FBI to report it. He told me to keep my 'f***ing mouth shut.' He never interviewed me, but he did intimidate me. He was short in stature and about mid-40's."
Mr. Himmelsbach, I believe that you know the identity of this agent.
My question to you, sir, is why you ommited this critical piece of information in your book, NORJAK. Mr. Tosaw explained to me the reason why, but I'll leave it to you to explain to the public. I think it's time that you and the FBI came clean on the DB Cooper story. Members of the public are being misinformed about the true facts concerning NORJAK. You can set the record straight and I hope that you do.
Sincerely,
Galen Cook
Attorney at Law
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WOW!
I have moved this post to my NORJAK Forum (http://305forum.dbcoopersite.com/user/categories.aspx. I will be better able to handle post there rather than here where I have to approve every post.
You will be able to post responses to Galen over there as soon as your membership is approved. (It is free.)
Please respond on the NORJAK Forum, Category: Speculation, Thread Title: Galen Cook
Thank you,
Sluggo
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Sluggo:
I will let you and the Forum know IF Mr. Himmelsbach contacts me. I may not be able to disclose the contents of the discussion. Somehow, I rather doubt that he will contact me. Thanks again for your efforts.
GC
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Georger:
Re fragments: It's also possible that the fragments fell away to a lower level during excavation, making it "appear" that they were discovered at the lower depth. Fragments were hard to recover in wet sand during our experiment. Also, the former agent I talked to said that in 1971 all of the money (packets and fragments) were contained in a very tight concentrated area of intitial discovery.
GC
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Hey Sluggo:
Just got done talking with Skipp Porteous and told him that I was anxious to read his new book. Guess I'll have to buy a copy like everyone else. Porteous is a very courteous guy. But when I asked him how he found Tina Mucklow, he said that it was Blevins who found her, not Porteous. Blevins is a writer. Porteous is a top-notch private eye. And their book is dedicated to Tina? Now in my humble opinion, I would say that this "method" is a clever way to "locate" Tina and to "get her to talk." (old private dick tactic).
On a lighter note: I see that you are a fan of Jerry Garcia. I was in line to board an Alaska Airlines flight at Sea-Tac once and this lady behind me rhetorically asked why an airline would want to paint a picture of Jerry Garcia on the tail of their aircraft? True story.
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Sluggo:
Just remember that Rataczak said he thought the "lights of Portland were coming into view." Rataczak actually told me in one interview that he thought the plane was "west" of I-5. When examining the radar plots of the flight path after the dog-leg around PDX, they "were" west of I-5.
GC
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Sluggo:
One point of clarification: My recent discovery of Richard Tosaw's 1985 interviews with "Janet" have no bearing on whom I believe may have been DB Cooper. Tosaw's notes provided an eye-witness who claimed that she saw who she believed was DB Cooper making his exit out of a jet aircraft over Vancouver, WA. Subsequently, she contacted the FBI with what she believed was a valuable piece of information about the case. That was back in November of 1971. Her story has never changed.
I've interviewed "Janet" and found her to be a credible person, but with a story that cannot be verified. Her version of events has an "interesting alignment" with accounts and evidence provided by others. Since I had never previously seen nor heard of any eye-witnesses to the actual Cooper jump.......I was very interested in what Janet had to say.
A recent "Newsvine.com" article about my DB Cooper investigation (June 14, 2010), by Robert Blevins and Skipp Porteous, has tried to create a cause-and-effect relationship between my investigative efforts on the Cooper case and the extremely poor sales of their new book, "Into the Blast."
I actually purchased Blevin's and Porteous' book in Seattle for $9, the markdown price that the bookstore owner imposed. My purchase was their third book sale after the book had been previously released six weeks henceforth. I read the book and put it away. I'll leave commentary about the book's accuracy, point of proofs, and storyline to others (the book is now free on the internet) who are knowledgeable about NORJAK.
It's just a shame that professionals like Porteous had to reach beneath themselves to discredit my research about the great DB Cooper mystery. Obviously, their recent tirade is just another attempt to somehow blame me for the poor performance of their book.
Galen Cook
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Galen,
I have never understood why some people think they can inflate their value by degrading the value of others.
I had planned to write a review of “Into the Blast – The True Story of D. D. Cooper” by Skipp Porteous and Robert Blevins and post it as a blog. But, when the book arrived and I read it, I didn’t think it merited any of my (or my reader’s) time.
Skipp and Robert ran rough-shod over the established facts of the case. Whether this was to bend the facts to fit their suspect or just sloppy research, only they would know.
I paid $12.99 plus shipping for my copy and within a few weeks they were offering it for free (as a downloadable .pdf file). I guess they have established the worth of the book themselves.
Let’s hope the upcoming books by Geoffrey Gray and yourself have something to offer the NORJAK community.
In my policy of always being frank and honest, I have to say; “Janet’s story is preposterous.” But I don’t think any less of you for presenting it, but if it plays a major part of your logic (in your book) then it will de-value it as well.
Good to hear from you again,
Sluggo
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Thanks, Sluggo. Certainly, "Janet's" story plays a "very small" mention in my own upcoming book. Her story is interesting to me from the standpoint
that my friend, the late Richard Tosaw, spent an entire day with her in 1985 evaluating her claims. What really intrigued me is (1)that the radar-plotted flight path was very near to her home in the Vancouver suburbs, (2) the $5880 was found approximately 10 miles to the northwest of her home, and (3) the Continental pilot's report indicated a frontal-passage of winds coming from the SE (the "gorge effect," parallel to PDX runway) after 8:00pm.
That type of alignment "might" help explain the seemingly unexplainable. Apparently, Tosaw saw the alignment too, otherwise he wouldn't have spent 50K and several summers looking for Cooper's body near Tena's Bar.
All interviews in my investigation are screened. However, when something original and previously unreported comes into play, I take a closer look. Whether Janet is to be believed or not, she plays no significant role in my own findings.
As I stated, I will remain silent on the factual content and investigative accumen of the Blevins/Porteous project. I'm just happy that rational minds can still prevail in the great DB Cooper mystery.
GC
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