FBI closing D.B. Cooper case after 45 years

After 45 years of tips, witness interviews, theories, and searches, the FBI announced Tuesday it is closing the case file on D.B. Cooper, the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history.

On Nov. 24, 1971, a man aboard a Seattle-bound Northwest Orient Airlines flight identifying himself as Dan Cooper (the press later reported it as D.B. Cooper) made several demands, including money and parachutes. After making an emergency landing to pick up the ransom and supplies, the plane took off again, and the man parachuted into the night with $200,000, never to be (knowingly) seen again.

Some people believe he did not survive the jump, while others think he committed the perfect crime. In a statement, the FBI said it is "redirecting resources" allocated to the case to focus on other "investigative priorities." If new or compelling evidence is uncovered, the FBI said, it will reopen the investigation.

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