Research Plan Dream
Alas, I didn’t win the Powerball last night. If I did this would have been my research plan to find Cooper
RECANVAS THE AREA
The primary drop zone was around 30 square miles. The population density is 100 per square miles. That means there were about 3,000 people in the drop zone. Some of those folks will have died. Ideally you would talk to one of their heirs. Tracking 3,000 folks through legal records isn’t easy but is doable.
You are hoping to gather an ignored clue (“I told the police about this but they never did anything”) or something really juicy (“The next day my brother was working on the farm and caught the guy sneaking back for the money”).
BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE
Make a website. Get a “1-800” number. Make a database of tips that can processed by researchers.
Put up billboards in the drop zone area. Run Facebook ads for tips. Offer a reward.
TRY TO GET LUCKY WITH FBI ARCHIVES
Hire the most recently retired FBI archivist in Las Vegas, Seattle, and Washington DC as consultants. Beg and plead those FBI offices to let your consultants do an archive search for the cigarettes and/or hair. Your pitch—and ethically it is correct—is that your search wouldn’t be taking away important time or resources from the FBI’s current criminal work.
GET A MUTILATED CURRENCY OPINION
The Bureau of Engraving has experts that deal with currency that has been in fire and floods. Get their opinion on the Tena Bar money. Again, you may have to get someone that is retired. That may be better because the paper composition of older money may matter.
ERM, DEAL WITH TINA
Both Stockholm and Lima syndrome do happen. It might not have been her choice but a mentally unstable guy hijacking a plane could have trauma fixated on Tina. He could have also tried to give her money at a drop point that resembles her name. Respectfully (!), it would be great to eliminate more about Mucklow.
WORK CANADA BETTER
If the “flaps” comment points to a guy who has specific drop/kicker knowledge like someone in Air America then keep researching the pool of military guys with that knowledge in Canada.