Northwest 305 Skyjacking: Recent Comments

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2011-01-14T13:55:30Z

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?

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-07-03T19:54:43Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-07-03T00:12:54Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-07-02T21:58:22Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-04-13T22:14:49Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-03-30T00:13:38Z

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.

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-02-02T01:13:33Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-02-01T20:47:53Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-02-01T13:28:12Z

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

Comment on The New Suspect and Another Book

2010-02-01T06:58:54Z

-------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