Coming this weekend on History channel is the new docuseries History’s Greatest Mysteries, narrated by Laurence Fishburne.
Kicking off the event is a deep dive into the ongoing mystery of passenger D.B. Cooper, who successfully vanished after hijacking a Northwest Orient flight in November of 1971. The flight was bound for Seattle, Washington and he had purchased a one-way ticket.
The saga of D.B. Cooper is perpetual catnip to producers and Hollywood, with one newsman trying to sell his theory that Army veteran Robert W. Rackstraw was in fact D.B. Cooper.
But History Channel’s fresh look is loaded with new leads and clues. The network has provided Monsters & Critics with an exclusive preview featuring investigator Eric Ulis who leads a team in the premiere of The Final Hunt for D.B. Cooper.
History’s new take at the ‘Greatest Mysteries’
Laurence Fishburne has signed on to narrate the new History’s Greatest Mysteries, with a two-hour episode beginning with the mystery of hijacker D.B. Cooper.
In the clip, we see a D.B. Cooper mystery investigator traveling to Boise, Idaho to interview a female lead. Eric Ulis is in pursuit of an interview he hopes will shed some light on his person-of-interest, Sheridan Peterson.
Ulis has studied the trajectory and compared it to all the available evidence. He believes that Cooper likely landed near the Washington-Oregon border. It is important to note that this is a theory and has many detractors who claim Peterson could not have been Cooper.
Who is D.B. Cooper?
Not many hijacking stories are as perplexing as the infamous case of D.B. Cooper, a man who booked a one-way ticket as Dan Cooper for a flight to Seattle from Portland, Oregon. Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 November of 1971.
His appearance was not particularly unusual and Cooper donned aviator glasses and wore a dark suit. He ordered a cocktail and then proceeded with his plan. Cooper alerted a flight attendant he had a bomb in his briefcase, and he demanded $200,000 in $20 dollar bills along with four parachutes.
The plane took off once again as Cooper jumped with his parachute and the cash, never to be seen again.
The FBI closed the case back in 2016.
History’s Greatest Mysteries scheduled events
Fishburne will narrate the future episodes that explore the Titanic, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more.
Producers have uncovered new evidence and documents to explore new theories for the general public, including newly discovered evidence to analyze.
“I am excited to partner with the team at History again,” Fishburne said in a press statement. “The details behind these epic historical events continue to be universally debated to this day and ‘History’s Greatest Mysteries’ will provide new clarity to these larger-than-life mysteries.”
History’s Greatest Mysteries future episodes
Titanic’s Lost Evidence
A mysterious box tucked away in a British manor house may hold evidence that will rewrite the story of the most famous maritime disaster in history. The box contains information about Titanic’s voyage including context for mistakes made that led to the failure of the ship.
The Escape of John Wilkes Booth
Booth’s family is questioning the death of John Wilkes Booth, claiming he faked his death and reunited with his wife, who he married again under an assumed name. Investigators now have unprecedented access to Booth family materials at Harvard University, marriage certificates, the will of John Wilkes Booth. They also have DNA to prove or disprove that Booth escaped his death.
Roswell: The First Witness
The strange 1947 aircraft crash in Roswell, NM is investigated. The episode follows a family who believes Major Marcel was forced by the U.S. government to deny he witnessed a UFO. Producers will have a chance to decode his diary.
History’s Greatest Mysteries airs on Saturday at 9PM on History Channel. Titanic’s Lost Evidence airs at 9 p.m. Nov. 21, The Escape of John Wilkes Booth airs at 9 p.m. Dec. 5 and the three-part Roswell: First Witness airs at 9 p.m. Dec. 12, 19 and 26.