Special guests
Fred F. Poyner IV is an independent historian and author who enjoys researching and writing about the art and history of the Pacific Northwest.
For nine years (2006-2015), Fred was the Digital Collections Curator for the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma, Washington. He was co-curator for the six-month exhibition DB COOPER at the Washington State History Museum, which received an award of Exhibition Excellence from the Washington Museums Association in 2013. It was during the research for this exhibition, that the curators secured one of the four original parachutes that were provided to DB Cooper during the hijacking in 1971:
His presentation will offer insights into the parachute acquisition for the Society, and other details about the 2013 exhibition and the DB Cooper case history.
Captain Lee Gossett began his career fighting fires as a smokejumper in Oregon, California and Alaska. He then worked as an Air Freight Specialist (“kicker”) in Southeast Asia for Air America. He was also a master rigger for parachutes.
After stints as a crop duster and bush pilot, he returned to Air America and Continental Air Service as a line pilot for 6 1/2 years in Laos and Vietnam. He then flew U.S. government sponsored missions in Central and South America.
He is the author of “Smokejumper to Global Pilot: A True Odyssey.”
He will be presenting a panel about the CIA's Air America operations in Southeast Asia and whether or not DB Cooper was a contempary of Mr. Gossett.
Additionally, he will be participating in a "Parachute Expert Panel" that, for first time ever on a public stage, you will have a recreational skydiver, an Army paratrooper, and a smokejumper together answering questions about DB Cooper.
Appearing for the first time ever at the DB Cooper Conference is renowned author Drew Beeson. Beeson is the author of Paratrooper of Fortune: The Story of Ted B. Braden - Vietnam Commando, CIA Operative, Congo Mercenary, and just maybe D.B. Cooper.
Drew will be discussing one of the most fascinating DB Cooper suspects: Ted Braden, a real life super-solider. Drew will be discussing why he thinks Braden and Cooper are one and the same.
With a paper published in Nature as well as appearances on the History Channel, Discovery, Netflix, and HBO, Tom Kaye is the most well known scientist on the Cooper case, and we are excited to announce that he will be presenting at the 2024 DB Cooper Conference!
Tom will be speaking about some new information concerning the tie particles that is even making the folks at McCrone Labs do a double take.
Who knows what other fascinating information Tom might have up his sleeve for us?
Dr. Karen Humes is a professor at the University of Idaho’s Department of Earth & Spatial Sciences. She and her doctoral students have been working on an interactive map of the flight path of Flight 305. She will be presenting that map and bringing it to life.
Don’t miss this interesting perspective from one of the most respected academics in her field.
Affectionately known as as “Uncle Bruce” and the “Mayor of Cooperville”, Bruce Smith is a respected and beloved researcher in the Vortex.
Bruce is the the author of “DB Cooper and the FBI: A Case Study of America’s Only Unsolved Skyjacking”. He is also an investigative journalist who has tirelessly pursued leads in the Cooper case for nearly two decades.
Bruce will be bringing his experience and knowledge to DB CooperCon 2024 by participating in panel discussions and talking about his book.
Pat Boland is a marketing consultant, researcher and amateur sleuth. She has appeared on numerous podcasts discussing the Cooper case and is currently writing about her experiences.
Pat is one of the most indefatigable and relentless researchers on the case today. Her efforts have led her to investigate the CIA's covert operations in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s.
She will be joined by smokejumper and former CIA contractor Lee Gossett to discuss the possibility that DB Cooper had connections to secret US government operations including the mysterious "Air America".
Bill Mitchell is one of the few eyewitness of DB Cooper. In fact, Mitchell sat no less than five feet from the infamous skyjacker on board Flight 305.
Bill will be on stage at DBCooperCon this year re-telling his remarkable experience.
You don’t want to miss out on this incredible opportunity!
Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick is a pioneer in the the field of forensic genetic genealogy and the use of DNA in criminal investigations. As co-founder of the DNA Doe Project, she led the team that solved the first two cold cases using genetic genealogy.
She currently heads Identifinder International which most notably solved the decades old Somerton Man mystery.
Dr. Fitzpatrick has appeared in the New York Times, BBC World News Tonight, RTE Ireland Television’s Nationwide, CNN, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, and many more.
She will be speaking on how DNA might be used to finally solve the DB Cooper case.
Nicholas Broughton is one of the most innovative researchers on the case. His outside-the-box techniques and ability to look into multiple leads and aspects at once has made him one of the best sleuths in the Vortex.
Nicky will be bringing his vast knowledge of the case to the Museum of Flight as he participates as a panelist and discusses his person of interest Milton Vordahl.
We are thrilled to announce that our emcee for this year’s event will be Darren Schaefer, host of The Cooper Vortex podcast!