A man now says he finds merit in a researcher’s theory that the elusive skyjacker known as DB Cooper — whose identity has remained a mystery for over five decades — may have been his own father.
Inventor, pilot, and author Bill Rollins believes Cooper could have been Nashville resident Joe Lakich, whose family was devastated when his daughter, Susan, was kidnapped and murdered by her estranged husband just weeks before the infamous Nov. 24, 1971 hijacking.
Lakich’s son, Keith Bagsby, says the idea is plausible. “I believe it’s extremely possible it could’ve been Joe, given all the circumstances, but if so, he hid it very well from any of us,” he told the Daily Mail.
Susan’s tragedy unfolded when her estranged husband, George Giffe, posing as a doctor, forced her onto a private plane. When the pilot asked for proof of his credentials, Giffe drew a .45-caliber pistol and ordered the aircraft to fly to the Bahamas. The pilot instead diverted to Jacksonville, Florida, where FBI agents were waiting.
According to the Nashville Scene, agents then heard gunfire from inside the plane. Giffe had killed both Susan and the pilot before turning the weapon on himself.
Rollins told the Daily Mail that Lakich blamed the FBI for mishandling the situation — and may have sought to embarrass the bureau.
Lakich’s family now believes the theory deserves consideration. “‘After hearing more about the theory and reading [Rollins’] book, I thought it could be possible,” Bagsby said.
“The tragedy with Susan greatly affected Joe. He would talk about it occasionally. It genuinely saddened him,” Bagsby added. “Unfortunately… he had already passed,” he said of his father.
DB Cooper was described at the time as a neatly dressed, dark-haired man in his mid-forties. On Nov. 24, 1971, he handed a note to a flight attendant on a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in Portland claiming he had a bomb in his suitcase.
When asked why he was hijacking the plane, Cooper chillingly replied, “It’s not because I have a grudge against your airlines, it’s just because I have a grudge.”
After landing in Seattle, Cooper released 36 passengers in exchange for four parachutes and $200,000 in cash. He then demanded the plane fly toward Mexico City. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, he parachuted into the night with the ransom money — never to be seen again.
Rollins could not be reached for comment.