Oklahoma Woman Claims Infamous Skyjacker D.B. Cooper Is Her Uncle

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It is the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history — and claims from two women could possibly help solve it.

Marla Cooper, from Oklahoma City, says that D.B. Cooper, who hijacked and threatened to blow up a commercial plane before parachuting to the ground carrying $200,000, was her uncle, who went by Lynn Doyle Cooper, or L.D.

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“I saw my uncle plotting a scheme,” she told CNN. She added that she remembered hearing that her uncle was severely injured, going to the hospital to visit him, and being sworn to secrecy. Her uncle then disappeared from her life, even missing her grandfather’s funeral. “I didn’t really know what was going on,” she said, since she was eight years old when the incident occurred.

Marla Cooper’s mother, Grace Hailey, came forward to ABC News, supporting her daughter’s claims. “I’ve always had a gut feeling it was L.D.,” she said, adding that L.D. Cooper was familiar with the Pacific Northwest, the area where he jumped from the plane. Hailey’s statements have helped the FBI build an argument that Marla Cooper’s claims are credible.

Marla Cooper says her uncle L.D. died in 1999. She says she is working on a book that argues D.B. Cooper was her uncle.

A spokesperson for the FBI told CNN that while they understand the public’s interest, the D.B. Cooper case is a low priority, as the bureau focuses on missing children and issues more immediately important to public safety.

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