The FBI said it "exhaustively reviewed all credible leads, coordinated between multiple field offices to conduct searches, collected all available evidence, and interviewed all identified witnesses." | Getty FBI no longer actively investigating D.B. Cooper case

Nearly a half century after a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked a passenger jet, stole $200,000 and then parachuted out of the plane before never being seen again, the FBI announced Monday that as of last Friday, it is "no longer actively" investigating the case.

"Following one of the longest and most exhaustive investigations in our history, on July 8, 2016, the FBI redirected resources allocated to the D.B. Cooper case in order to focus on other investigative priorities," the FBI's Seattle office said in a statement on Tuesday, bringing to a close the active probe into the 1971 hijacking and disappearance of the man whose true identity is still unknown.


In its statement, the FBI said it "exhaustively reviewed all credible leads, coordinated between multiple field offices to conduct searches, collected all available evidence, and interviewed all identified witnesses."

"Over the years, the FBI has applied numerous new and innovative investigative techniques, as well as examined countless items at the FBI Laboratory," it continued. "Evidence obtained during the course of the investigation will now be preserved for historical purposes at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Cooper's identity has been a source of tremendous public speculation throughout the decades that followed, with multiple claims coming forward, including one from retired FBI investigators that alleged California man Robert Rackstraw, now 72 years old, was the notorious and elusive hijacker. Rackstraw, the subject of a recent History channel book and TV special, denied through his attorney that he is Cooper, according to a report from the Monterey (Calif.) Herald.

"Although the FBI appreciated the immense number of tips provided by members of the public, none to date have resulted in a definitive identification of the hijacker. The tips have conveyed plausible theories, descriptive information about individuals potentially matching the hijacker, and anecdotes—to include accounts of sudden, unexplained wealth," the bureau said in its statement, while noting that in order "to solve a case, the FBI must prove culpability beyond a reasonable doubt, and, unfortunately, none of the well-meaning tips or applications of new investigative technology have yielded the necessary proof. Every time the FBI assesses additional tips for the NORJAK case, investigative resources and manpower are diverted from programs that more urgently need attention."

Even though the hijacking is no longer the subject of an active investigation, the FBI encouraged people finding "specific physical evidence," such as Cooper's parachutes or money to contact their local field office.

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