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FBI Names New Suspect in D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery

3/3/2026

42 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The FBI released files on the D.B. Cooper hijacking, naming Raymond Sidney Russell, a Maine-born former pilot, as a potential suspect.
In 1972, the FBI interviewed Raymond Sidney Russell, who denied involvement.
The investigation eliminated Raymond Sidney Russell as a suspect.
Criminal defense attorney Ryan Burns, who studies the case, says lost DNA evidence makes a solution unlikely.
Raymond Sidney Russell died in 1989 and was buried in Maine.

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Story summary

The FBI released files on the D.B. Cooper hijacking, naming Raymond Sidney Russell, a Maine-born former pilot, as a potential suspect.
In 1972, the FBI interviewed Raymond Sidney Russell, who denied involvement.
The investigation eliminated Raymond Sidney Russell as a suspect.
Criminal defense attorney Ryan Burns, who studies the case, says lost DNA evidence makes a solution unlikely.
Raymond Sidney Russell died in 1989 and was buried in Maine.