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[377]

As a skipper of SF Fishermans Wharf based commercial fishing boats I have traversed that area many hundreds of times. I have seen and been spun off course by those big tidal current whirlpools near the GG bridge, but in a peak outgoing tide I can assure you that everything afloat is carried out to sea. I'd often see debris concentrated in eddies and in whirlpools which would temporarily fling debris back towards the City, but the net flow was always out.  We tried hard to time our transits to take advantage of the tidal currents which could often give us several knots of extra ground speed. NOAA publishes current charts which show big variations in speed at different locations but there is nothing that shows persistent flow in a direction opposite to the tidal flow.

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377

[Robert99]

As a skipper of SF Fishermans Wharf based commercial fishing boats I have traversed that area many hundreds of times. I have seen and been spun by off course by those big tidal current whirlpools near the GG bridge, but in a peak outgoing tide I can assure you that everything afloat is carried out to sea. I'd often see debris concentrated in eddies and in whirlpools which would temporarily fling debris back towards the City, but the net flow was always out.  We tried hard to time our transits to take advantage of the tidal currents which could often give us several knots of extra ground speed. NOAA publishes current charts which show big variations in speed at different locations but there is nothing that shows persistent flow in a direction opposite to the tidal flow.

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377

The TV program Georger and I referred to took into account the various fluctuations in the tidal flow (that is, is was not a constant flow in one specific direction).

It is highly unlikely that the escapees had information, either accurate or inaccurate, about the time that the tidal flow would start out to sea that evening.  Their access to any information was deliberately limited and they probably never saw a daily newspaper or had access to radios.

In the movie starring Clint Eastwood (as Frank Morris), upon his arrival at Alcatraz Eastwood was asked by one of the long time prisoners how the Brooklyn Dodgers were doing.  Eastwood told the other fellow that the Dodgers had moved to Los Angeles several years previously.  So timely information from outside the prison walls was hard to come by.

In addition, the prison officials had given so much thought to preventing an escape that even the water inmates had access to was kept deliberately warmer than normal.  Only warm or hot water for drinking, showers, and everything else.  No access to any cold water that the inmates could use to acclimate themselves to the cold water to be found in the bay. 

[377]

If the escapees had visual access to the Bay and/or nearby rocks they could observe the regularly timed rise and fall of tides. It would be easy to predict a slack tide time with reasonable accuracy. No tide table needed.

But the fact that they left on a strong ebb (arguably the worst pick) says they weren’t knowledgeable about tide times.

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[Shutter]

This case has always interested me as well..we have one of the convicts with a high IQ, and two good ol' boy's. All three were high escape risks. The one thing they had was time. This gave them the advantage to think things out..much like Cooper, it's a crap shoot on whether they survived. The family of the Anglin's don't believe the letter. They said they would of contacted them as well..

I believe the only time they could watch the tide was from the industrial building where the convicts worked. The cells had no windows..

It's still up in the air whether or not they escaped using the extension cord that was missing from the dock the evening of the escape. The Anglin's use to tie a rope to the rudder of a boat, and take off when they were younger, and free....U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke bought into the story but nothing new has surfaced since the show aired several years ago..

I tend to think after decades past the convicts, if alive, would of started making contact with family members. They only speak of Christmas cards several years after the escape, but nothing in the 80's, 90's or beyond...

the FBI with held several things...a police report was made of a stolen car the morning of the escape, and a report of a raft found on Angel island. They constantly claimed that no crimes were committed the morning of the escape. It sounds to me as if they were trying to keep the escape proof prison “escape proof” this would of left the door open to surviving...it took the FBI several years to turn over all of the files to Marshal's office, including the deep burial of the files mentioned above.

[georger]

This case has always interested me as well..we have one of the convicts with a high IQ, and two good ol' boy's. All three were high escape risks. The one thing they had was time. This gave them the advantage to think things out..much like Cooper, it's a crap shoot on whether they survived. The family of the Anglin's don't believe the letter. They said they would of contacted them as well..

I believe the only time they could watch the tide was from the industrial building where the convicts worked. The cells had no windows..

It's still up in the air whether or not they escaped using the extension cord that was missing from the dock the evening of the escape. The Anglin's use to tie a rope to the rudder of a boat, and take off when they were younger, and free....U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke bought into the story but nothing new has surfaced since the show aired several years ago..

I tend to think after decades past the convicts, if alive, would of started making contact with family members. They only speak of Christmas cards several years after the escape, but nothing in the 80's, 90's or beyond...

the FBI with held several things...a police report was made of a stolen car the morning of the escape, and a report of a raft found on Angel island. They constantly claimed that no crimes were committed the morning of the escape. It sounds to me as if they were trying to keep the escape proof prison “escape proof” this would of left the door open to surviving...it took the FBI several years to turn over all of the files to Marshal's office, including the deep burial of the files mentioned above.

sounds like several of them made it. 

[Shutter]

another account that was dismissed by the FBI was an off duty police officer who seen a boat close to the prison at around the time of the escape. he said the boat was sitting there for some time (no lights, motor off), then seen a flashlight being used then the boat started up and took off...the officer filed a report the next day after hearing of the escape...

Then you have an inmate by the name of Clarence Carnes, the youngest convict ever on Alcatraz (18) stating a post card was sent to him proving they made it. he also mentions the use of a boat to pick them up after they got off the island...

[Shutter]

sounds like several of them made it.

similar to the Cooper case..it has a few plausible possibilities, but no proof they made it. I doubt the raft they made would hold up to a boat towing it, too much stress on it..the transport boats were on the back side of the island, opposite to where they came out. they would have to take the long way around the island to get to the dock. only one guard tower was in use at nite they had to avoid.

the family believes they are in Brazil..as early as 1965 a report from the FBI states they could be there. just like the Cooper case, they claimed they all drowned (died), but they put a lot of time and manpower into looking for them years after the crime. they stalked the family members for years, parked in front of there homes, tapping phone lines, checking mailboxes, constant harassment following them around..kind of odd since they believed they drowned?

times have changed since Cooper, and this escape...you would think a lawyer would be found and a deal made. none of them would be a threat to society at this point. the closure would benefit all involved IMHO.

[Shutter]

Bruce, I'm going to move this to a single new thread......

I posted your post on the new thread...

[Check-Six]

Boom!

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[georger]

Boom!

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Fredy is the Devil. The Beatles say so, after years of investigation.

[Bruce A. Smith]

Colbert Update

Today, Tom Colbert publicly declared that the FBI has been lying for years about DB Cooper.

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My phone has been blowing up in the past hour, asking for a comment, analysis. Courthouse News Service in DC, and Morning Dose.

Can anyone else add to this?

[Shutter]

[377]

Colbert Update

Today, Tom Colbert publicly declared that the FBI has been lying for years about DB Cooper.

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My phone has been blowing up in the past hour, asking for a comment, analysis. Courthouse News Service in DC, and Morning Dose.

Can anyone else add to this?

What do you tell the press when they call you Bruce?

377

[Bruce A. Smith]

Colbert Update

Here is Tom Colbert's press release issued today, provided by Morning Dose:

Re: End of 7-year DBC Investigation at WA, DC Press Conference
       (Story Details EMBARGOED Until 2/1/18, 11 am EST)

As mentioned, our team's hunt is over because more secret Army coded messages, found through our court-ordered FBI FOIA, have been connected to our suspect Robert W. Rackstraw Sr.
Heads up for the Trib Stations: Details go public outside FBI Headquarters in D.C. on Thursday, 11 am EST. For your early scrutiny, please see attached embargoed release, "Cooper Coded 5 Letters."  

This is now much more than a bunch of retired guys chasing an old fugitive from ancient times. It's about today's FBI agents in Seattle, and in the D.C. Director's office itself, stonewalling, covering up, and flat-out lying for their mentors and G-men long gone. 
 
I personally believe there was an unholy deal to shield a CIA Black Ops pilot known as D.B. Cooper. But you be the judge (Evidentiary samples of the "Cover-up" also attached).
 
Also see the FBI Director's non-answer that just came in, in response to my Attorney's letter of complaint and my congresswoman's attempt to intercede -- both attached.
 
There's a lesson here, we believe, for every generation.
Besides the included docs, suggest you scan the recent media coverage (including video under "Video/Audio" menu) on the homepage of DBCooper.com.

Wish us luck at Thursday's PC outside FBI Headquarters. Needless to say, agents aren't going to like what the attending Cold Case Team members have to say.

Cheers,
Tom
Thomas J. Colbert
Cold Case Organizer,
Consulting 2016 Exec Producer, History Channel
Co-Author, The Last Master Outlaw

[Bruce A. Smith]

Colbert Update

Today, Tom Colbert publicly declared that the FBI has been lying for years about DB Cooper.

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

My phone has been blowing up in the past hour, asking for a comment, analysis. Courthouse News Service in DC, and Morning Dose.

Can anyone else add to this?

What do you tell the press when they call you Bruce?

377

Here's what I said today in response to a reporter named Britain Eakin:


Greetings Britain Eakin,

I do not believe that the so-called letters from DB Cooper prove anything about Robert Rackstraw being the notorious hijacker, DB Cooper. It feels like Tom Colbert is throwing quirky circumstantial evidence up against the wall to see if it sticks like one tosses spaghetti. A silly way to cook, but entertaining I suppose.

Simply, I do not believe that any of the letters signed "DB Cooper" are from the skyjacker, and Colbert does not offer substantial proof that any of them are. Yes, the notation in one letter that references the absence of full fingerprints from the FBI collection is interesting, but not enough to say that DB Cooper wore nose putty and disguises, too. Colbert seems to miss the bigger question: Why was the FBI unable to retrieve any full fingerprints, even from a cocktail glass or an in-flight magazine? That is bizarre and troubling, and Colbert ignores that dimension of the case entirely.

Further, the mysterious series of numbers: 717171634 is interesting, yet Colbert has yet to explain how he derived Rackstraw's military unit's ID from them. Yes, I get that the three 71s could mean 371st Helicopter Repair Military Assistance Unit, or whatever Rackstraw's helo repair crew was known as in Vietnam. But still....

Worse, Colbert distracts from very real issues. For instance - who is the "Al Di" who decoded "Letter #3?" Al DI is a mysterious figure and most likely an FBI agent doing an end-run around his agency for unknown reasons. Further, Colbert has 40 former FBI agents, LE officials, and even a former deputy director of the FBI working with him, and yet none of them are working on resolving issues that involve the FBI's actions in Norjak, such as above fingerprint issue. Plus, these officials could help find the lost cigarette butts  - or explain their absence - and the DNA findings that may have been obtained after "processing," according to former Norjak case officer Larry Carr several years ago. Another major goof is the inability of the "Cold Case Team" to explain why the Seattle and Portland FBI Divisions refute the evidentiary findings of Salt Lake City SAC Russ Calame regarding the alibis of suspect Richard McCoy.

Continuing, an on-going problem with Colbert's investigation is his decision, apparently, to forbid any of those 40 CCT members and the so-called witnesses to DB Cooper's getaway to be interviewed by other Norjak researchers. This makes the information they provide suspect in my view.

Lastly, Colbert has been dismissive of real evidence, such as the second money find at Tina Bar in February 1980, which complicates the issue of how the bundles of money discovered in the first find actually got there and when.

Nevertheless, Tom Colbert's efforts have contributed to the study of DB Cooper. In particular, the thousands of FBI documents that Colbert has come to possess and has now released to Cooper sleuths is substantial and greatly appreciated. In addition, his promotional campaign has had the effect of re-popularizing DB Cooper, and I like to think that maybe I've sold a few more books because of him. Thanks, Tommy, you may be a pain in the ass, but I love the moolah....

Bruce A. Smith
author: DB Cooper and the FBI - A Case Study of America's Only Unsolved Skyjacking
360. 832. 6248 - afternoons and evenings are best. Pacific Time.


In reply to:

On 2/1/2018 12:24 PM, CNS Washington DC wrote:

Good afternoon Bruce,
 
This is Britain Eakin with Courthouse News. I’m wondering if you might offer a comment or two on new revelations from Thomas Colbert that he says provide indisputable revelations that Robert Rackstraw is D.B. Cooper.
 
Those revelations of course are the decrypted codes contained in five letters the FBI released from the D.B. Cooper case file.
 
How seriously should the public take Colbert’s claims? Feel free to reach me at 520-861-2399 or at this email address.
 
Thank you!
 
Sincerely,
Britain Eakin
Courthouse News Service
D.C. Reporter
520-861-2399