By Bruce A. Smith

There is a new suspect in the DB Cooper case: Walter Reca

I have just received an email from Doug Perry at the Oregonian’s OregonLive website which included a press release from a organization called Principia Media. They, in turn, announced that they will have a press conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan tomorrow, May 17, to reveal the true identity of DB Cooper.

Principia Media has published a book from a man named Carl Laurin that describes his relationship to the individual known as DB Cooper. At the press conference Laurin will present tape recordings from Cooper and other Norjak evidence attesting to his claims. I have asked Julie Hurley, the media contact person at Principia Media, for an interview with Mr. Laurin, and I will be sharing a full report of that conversation in the near future. Principia Media will also be allowing me to examine some of the files that Laurin has established on his suspect.

Perry states in his recent OregonLive column that Laurin is a former airline pilot and fingers a deceased Army veteran, Walter Reca, as DB Cooper. Perry’s article can be read at: https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/erry-2018/05/ea93070d8f9316/the_real_db_cooper_revealed_ul.html

I just spoke with Ms. Hurley and she said the press conference will be live-streamed on Facebook.

Below is the press release from Principia Media:

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Carl Laurin, DB Cooper and Me, A Criminal, A Spy, and My Best Friend, announcement, 5. 16. 18

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — After a 20-year investigation, the believed identity of D.B. Cooper will be revealed in a press conference May 17th. D.B. Cooper is the infamous skyjacker who boarded a Boeing 727 in Portland that was heading to Sea-Tac in Seattle, Washington, on Thanksgiving Eve, 1971. He demanded a $200,000 ransom before jumping out of the plane at 10,000 feet. Evidence, including almost-daily discussions over a 14-year period and 3+ hours of audio recordings featuring the skyjacker, was compiled by Cooper’s best friend. It was then analyzed by a Certified Fraud Examiner and forensic linguist. The audio recordings, created in 2008, include Cooper discussing skyjacking details that were not known to the public prior to the FBI’s information release in 2015.

Book Cover
A press conference regarding this announcement and an exhibition of its supporting evidence will be held Thursday, May 17, 2018, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Additional evidence includes:
– Correct flight path and landing zone identified
– Witness testimony from an individual who spoke with Cooper within an hour of his jump
– Documentation concerning how the $200,000 ransom was spent
– Confessions from Cooper to two individuals at two different times
– An article of clothing Cooper wore during the jump

D.B. Cooper Identity Announcement Press Conference

Date:
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Location:
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel – Pantlind Ballroom
187 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Announcement Time:
1:00PM ET / 12:00PM CT

Media Q/A:
Immediately following announcement

Parking:
Onsite parking is available for media, including street parking for tower vans

The investigation was spearheaded by Principia Media, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based publishing company, after being approached with overwhelming evidence. The company has since worked with Cooper’s best friend Carl Laurin, the person who captured the audio recordings and other physical evidence, to craft a memoir, D.B. Cooper & Me: A Criminal, A Spy, My Best Friend, telling the story of his friendship with the real D.B. Cooper.

The skyjacking was only the beginning for Cooper, as he later went on to become a high-level covert intelligence operative.

Carl Laurin will be in Grand Rapids and participating in a D.B. Cooper & Me: A Criminal, A Spy, My Best Friend book signing on Thursday, May 17, at 5:30PM at Schuler Books, 2660 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. The event will begin with a reading of excerpts and a guest Q&A at 5:30PM, with the physical book signing at 6:30PM.

About Principia Media:
Principia Media is an independent publishing and documentary film company based in Grand Rapids, MI. With a focus on storytelling, they balance professional production and marketing skills with intimate client relationships. Their capabilities include publishing fiction and nonfiction and investigative storytelling through feature-length documentaries.

SOURCE: Principia Media