By Tim Binnall
An analysis of a necktie left behind by D.B. Cooper has reportedly led one researcher to what he believes was the skyjacker's place of employment and, in turn, a possible new suspect in the case. The intriguing piece of evidence from the legendary 1971 caper was discarded moments before the mysterious man faded into oblivion by parachuting from the airliner that he had hijacked. The clip-on tie had been in the possession of the FBI until 2017, when a group of investigators were given access to the material and a subsequent examination via electron microscope revealed that it contained particles from various metals. Now, longtime Cooper researcher Eric Ulis contends that one particular alloy found on the fabric could lead directly to the skyjacker by way of his job.
He points to a specific type of titanium alloy that was found during the analysis and notes that Pittsburgh's Crucible Steel, then known as Rem-Cru Titanium, was the only facility in America that produced such a substance at the time. "I’m satisfied D.B. Cooper came from this company," Ulis declared to The Oregonian newspaper. After speaking with former employees and even visiting the facility in Pennsylvania, the independent investigator's search led him to an individual by the name of Vince Petersen, who worked in a titanium research lab at the site and later passed away in 2002. Ulis theorizes that a downturn in the steel industry could have left Peterson fearing for his job and, in turn, motivated him to embark on the still-unsolved skyjacking.
The researcher has even gone so far as to speak to Peterson's son, who expressed skepticism that his dad was D.B. Cooper since it would be wildly out of character for him and he did not seem to have any skydiving experience. "As far as he knew," Ulis mused, "his father was an honest person." To that end, the investigator concedes that he is not entirely certain that this new suspect, who is not mentioned anywhere in the FBI files pertaining to the caper, was definitely D.B. Cooper. That said, he argues that the Pittsburgh company where the man worked is key to the story. "I consider it a substantive break in the case," Ulis said, "unless someone can explain how these particles got on this tie."