These Are a Few of My (Least) Favorite Things

The Cooper case is full of contradictions, coincidences, and conflicting information.  

While an entire book could be written on everything that “does not make sense,” I will highlight some of the most curious elements of this coldest of cold cases.  

Why was the plane so empty on a holiday weekend? Apparently, there were usually lots of airline employees/families – but not on 305. 

Why were strangers sitting together with all those empty rows? 

How did all the passengers not sense something amiss when a stewardess is dragging a full bank bag down the aisle? 

Why did a 30-minute flight have enough fuel to fly around for more than two hours? 

Is there something special about Thanksgiving Eve to highjack a plane? 

Why would the FBI purposely destroy evidence (I’m talking to you, cigarette butts!)? 

Was it only a coincidence the ransom money just happened to be sitting in a nearby bank vault? 

Why did Earl Cossey provide enough conflicting information on the parachutes that we still  

do not know with certainty what size canopy Cooper jumped with? And the evidence card  

concerning the Cooper chute is clearly wrong – is it green or tan? 28’, 26’, 24’? 

Why in the world was Cooper “mistakenly” given a dummy reserve?  

Why was the tan back chute (evidence in an open federal case) returned to its owner? 

Why do we have credible witnesses who saw the plane somewhere other than the flight path? 

Why are the Cooper sketches seemingly of, maybe, four different men? 

Where in the $#@! Is the hair slide? And those pieces of fuzz? And the head rest cloth?! 

Who pays for a $1 drink with a $20? And where did the cash disappear to? 

What’s up with passing communication to the wrong air traffic controller - during a highjacking? 

Why were there so many soaking wet men in business suits roaming around on the night before a holiday? 

Why were there so few fingerprints on the plane, most unusable? 

Where is the cup Cooper drank from? 

Cooper was so careful about retrieving all his evidence yet leaves his tie?  

How did Cooper know all about flying with the aft stairs extended when the airline didn’t? 

Why do so many of the “usual suspects” and sketchy characters seem to know each other or be connected in some way? Calling Kevin Bacon! 

I am truly afraid to mention it – but how did that money get to Tena Bar? Mind boggling. 

After 53 years, how is it even possible that this crime is no closer to being solved than on 11/24/71? 

And my personal favorite: WHY ARE WE ALL STILL SO INTERESTED IN THIS CASE?! 

I know there are so many more kooky clues and rabbit holes – low flying planes, safe houses, store robberies, cabin break-ins, flare drops…feel free to add your own to the list! 

-Pat