marla cooper told abc news she believes the hijacker was her uncle, lynn doyle cooper who went by ld. the hijack area's identity has been a mystery since 1971 when a man calling himself db cooper hijacked a plane in the northwest. after receiving a $200,000 ransom and parachute he jumped from the plane. marla cooper says she saw her uncle shortly after that hijacking. >> i heard my uncle say, we did it. our money problems with over. we hijacked an airplane. >> on monday the fbi announced it is following a new lead, but declined to say whether marla cooper is their source. agents said they are trying to match dna from an unidentified body with dna on a tie cooper left behind on the airliner. much more coming up on "nightline." >>> a young boy was honored as a hero. his bravery and quick actions saved a young girl drowning in a san jose pool earlier this week. don sanchez has his story. >> i was scared. i just jumped in. >> this 8 and a half-year-old was called a hero for saving the life of a three-year-old girl who was drowning in a pool at the apartment complex where he lives. the gir

and her name is marla cooper. could this 40-year-old mystery finally be solved? s 1972 photo the infamous hijacker d.b. cooper? who do you think d.b. cooper is? >> well, i'm certain he was my uncle lynn doyle cooper. who we called l.d. cooper. >> reporter: you're kidding me. cooper as in d.b. cooper? this is not an alias? >> no. >> reporter: you believe that your uncle was d.b. cooper. >> yes, i do. >> reporter: the real identity has been a mystery since november 24th, 1971, when a man calling himself dan cooper hijacked and threatened to blow up a passenger plane flying from portland to seattle. he ordered the plane to land and demanded a $200,000 ransom and a parachute. after his demands were met and the plane took off for mexico, cooper did the unthinkable. he lowered the back stairs and jumped out of a speeding 727 thousands of feet over the pacific northwest in a raging storm. he disappeared despite a massive manhunt, becoming the stuff of legends and even a movie. through the years many leads and dead ends. >> a family reported recovering a bag containing 5,

marla cooper's mother, grace haley, believes her daughter right to suspect her uncle, l.d. oper, of being the iconic suspect who pulled off the only unsolved hijacking in u.s. history. >> i've always had that feeling, just a gut feeling, that it was l.d. >> reporter: hailey says he grew up in sisters, oregon, and was familiar with the area where the hijacker jumped. he was a logger, an outdoorsman, tough enough, she believes, to jump out of a plane into the wilderness. >> i think a man who is willing to jump out of an airplane in the middle of an ice storm over a forest doesn't have his wits about him. >> reporter: but that's exactly what dan cooper did after saying he had a bomb and demanding $200,000 and a parachute on thanksgiving eve 1971. the fbi's investigating what it describes as marla cooper's credible claims, in part because much of what she has said about her uncle fits their profile of the hijacker. agents believe the hijacker had a military background. cooper says her uncle was a korean war veteran. they thought dan cooper was familiar with the pacific northwest

her name is marla cooper. and she says her uncle is the infamous hijacker,.b. cooper. this is not an alias, you believe that your uncle was d.b. cooper. >> yes, i do. >> reporter: the identity of d.b. cooper has bebe a mystery since november 24th, 1971, when a man calling himself dan cooper hijacked and threatened to blow up a passenger jet flying from portland to seattle. he ordered the plane to land and demanded a $200,000 ransom and a parachute. after cooper's demands were met and the plane took off for mexico, per his request, cooper did the unthinkable. he lowered the back stairs and jumped out of a speeding 727. thousands of feet over the pacific northwest, during a raging storm. >> the air was freezing. i mean, this was negative, i think negative 4 degrees at that height. and when he opens the stairs, the blast from the jet en. >>>s above completely deafening. >> reporter: he disappeared, despite a massive man hunt, becoming some what of a folk hero, iconic, even the subject of a movie. the one big case where the fbi did not get their man. marla cooper says she

. >> that, marla cooper, speaking on her uncle. a man she believes to be d.b. cooper who famously hijacked a plane in 1971, parachuted out of it with a couple hundred grand in tow. the only successful hijacking in u.s. history. with that said it does not mean it's the fbi's most interesting story from j. edgar hoover to swatching russian spies, all in our next guest's book "the secrets of the fbi." joining us, ronald kessler. if d.b. coop sir not the most compelling story, is there clearly another that is that story? >> the most astonishing thing in the book is, how the fbi breaks into homes and offices apds even embassies to plant bugging devices without getting caught and shot as burglar and equally astonishing, the fbi actually gave that to me, although the fbi director approved giving me that material, it's about 20% of the book and it's just so unbelievable. you wouldn't put it in a movie, because it's not believable. before they go into an embassy let's say or an office, they, or a mafia home, that's another example, they will do surveillance for weeks to

marla cooper remembers when she was 8 two of her uncles plotting something underhanded, one of them was lin doyle cooper, also known as l.d. marla says her father was angry when he found out. >> my father was crying, he was yelling, he was cussing out my uncle for both of them for what they had done. he said "you realize you've ruined your life." she said her father and uncles are all dead. the fbi declined to comment. >>> jerry lewis and the muscular dystrophy association ended their long relationship. lewis hosted the annual telethon for 45 years. in may he said he would step down this year but would remain as chairman. the organization says he's out as chairman and won't be on next month's telethon. lewis and the mda did not say why their relationship ended. >>> say hello to the newest member of the indianapolis zoo, she is an indian african elephant, born two weeks ago by artificial insemination and weighs 238 pounds. she's gaining about one pound per day. that's a big girl. the zoo plans to let the public name the elephant. >>> this morning on "the early show" the latest on the gro

reignited by marla cooper.972 polaroid picture of her uncle. >> that my father made a comment about his long lost brother, my uncle, l.d., and said that he thought that he was still alive but hiding from the fbi. and i questioned why he would be hiding. and he said, don't you remember, he hijacked that airplane. >> reporter: marla was told her uncle died in 1999. and what happened to that $200,000? nearly a decade after the hijacking, some of it was found, bundles of $20 bills deteriorating on a riverbed. fbi sources tell abc news they believe marla's story is credible. the reason, her uncle fits the profile they've been seeking. he has a military background. he lived in the pacific northwest, and he was obsessed with this 1960s comic book. the fbi has spent months looking into marla's story chasing the most promising lead in decades in a case that still captivates the nation. pierre thomas, abc news, oklahoma city. >> big mystery. >> we'll see how it plays out. >> that's right, and that's what's making news in

but this cold case has now been reignited by marla cooper. showed us this 1972 polaroid picture of her uncle. >> my father made a comment about his long lost brother, my uncle l.d. still alive, but hiding from the fbi. and i questioned why he would be hiding? he said, "don't you remember, he hijacked that airplane?" >> reporter: she did remember. it was 1971, right after the hijacking. her uncle l.d. showed up for thanksgiving. >> and he was bloody and bruised and a mess. and i was horrified. >> reporter: she was told he had been in a car accident. in hindsight, she doesn't buy it. >> my two uncles were planning something very mischievous, and i was a nosy little kid, and i was 8 years old. >> reporter: her uncle disappeared from her life soon after. today, marla's mother said that vanishing act has her convincece >> i've always had that feeling, just a gut feeling, that it was l.d. >> reporter: marla was told her uncle died in 1999. and what happened to that $200,000? nearly a decade after the hijacking, some of it was found. bundles of $20

. >> reporter: the fbi says they've been looking into marla cooper's story for years. sic evidence so far that ties her late uncle to the hijacker d.b. cooper. >> they have a clip-on tie that the individual touched. they have the boarding pass that may have a partial fingerprint. so they have some potentially linking forensic evidence. >> reporter: many in law enforcement believe cooper most likely jumped to his death that night. but to others he's revered as a legend who may have taken the money and run. >> d.b. cooper is our robin hood. he's the one who got away with it. no one did get hurt. someone could have gotten hurt. but no one did. so he has become our folk legend. ♪ d.b. cooper >> reporter: jeffrey gray is the author of the new book "sky jack: the hunt for d.b. cooper." jeffrey, good morning. >> good morning. >> you were the first one to get really the files on the case. so you saw the pieces of evidence, but also some of the interviews with witnesses. what stood out to you most? >> what stood out to me most out of everything that i found was actually what was

. >> and there is a woman claiming she is the niece of dd cooper, marla cooper spoke to abc's good morning america today, she described what happened when one uncle, lynn doyle, came home bloodied and bruised, he said he'd been in a car accident while turkey hunting. his mother lived near where the hijacker parachuted out of the jet with $200,000. if you'll recall he threatened to blow up the jet if airlines didn't give him the cash. >> i heard my uncle say we did it. we are -- our money problems are over. we've hijacked an airplane them. told my dad they want thoimd help them go back into the woods to find the money. >> abc news obtained a picture of ld cooper taken off the hive jacking and in some ways it does resemble the police sketch of the hijacker. >> and strange story out of australia. it's believed an 18-year-old heiress from a collar bomb placed around her neck. newspapers say an intruder broke into the mansion where she lives with her family, strapped a bomb to her and left a ransom note. her dad is a high tech entrepreneur, one of the richest men in australia. sounds like a scr

. >>> we know the real identity of marla cooper.her parents would talk about him over the years. he hijacked a plane and told a flight attendant he had a bomb and demanded $200,000. when the plane landed he was given the money and pursuited out before -- parachuted out before authorities can catch him. >> i have vivid memories which began surfacing two years ago and it came back in a flood. >> march alleged victims cooper said her uncle died in 1989 and they are following up on a credible lead but would not say if the tip came from her. >>> in the city of fullerton, six police officers are accused of beating a homeless man to death. this incident was caught on cell phone video. thomas kelly who suffered from sit friend why died five days later. there are many calling for the police chief do resign. those police officers are now on paid leave. >>> they are getting a look at the santa clara sports facility. take a look most of the seats will be on one side of the stadium with a luxury suite stacked on the other. they get a is spectacu

marla cooper joining me now by phone from oklahoma city. marla, let me get this straight. say d.b. cooper was actually l.d. cooper who was your uncle. >> he was my uncle, yes. >> why do you believe that? >> well, as i stated in the interview yesterday, i saw my uncle plotting a scheme. i was with them while they were plotting it. i didn't really know what was going on. they were teasing me. i was a little girl and afterwards on thanksgiving day i saw them return and i heard them discussing what they had done with my father and i have very vivid memories of it that have surfaced in the last, well, they began surfacing two years ago and just kind of came back in a flood and, so, i'm certain of it because of my memories. >> let's be more specific, if we can, with regard to your memories. who, so, it was before this hijacking happened you say you saw your uncle and who else plotting and what were they plotting? >> it was my other uncle who was with him. another uncle was, they were visiting my grandmother's house, it was thanksgiving time and our family had gathered. i believe

meanwhile, marla cooper came forward claiming her uncle was the hijacker, was d.b. cooper as we know him. it's believed he's the f.b.i.'s new suspect. d.n.a. testing will continue and the more than 100 mile journey to florida has already ended for diana niad. we told you yesterday how the 61-year-old swimmer was attempting to become the first woman to cross the florida straits without the help of a shark cage. shoulder pain, asthma and high winds forced her to stop after 39 hours but it was a valiant effort. >> ok. the bodies of 30 american soldiers killed in the afghanistan chopper attack are being transported to dover air force base this morning where they'll be returned, reunited with their loved ones. yesterday, president obama praised fallen warriors for their perseverance and courage. jennifer griffin has more reaction to their deaths. >> there's nobody that embodies qualities i mentioned, more the men and women of the united states armed forces. and this weekend, we lost 30 of them. >> recaearlier, a moment of sil for those killed as a ceremony, the man who wa

but this cold case has now been reignited by marla cooper.e of her uncle. >> my father made a comment about his long-lost brother, my uncle l.d., and said that he thought he was still alive but hiding from the fbi. and i questioned why he would be hiding. he said, don't you remember, he hijacked that airplane. >> reporter: she did remember. it was 1971. right after the hijacking. her uncle l.d. showed up for thanksgiving. >> and he was bloody and bruised and a mess. and i was horrified. >> reporter: she was told he had been in a car accident. in hindsight, she doesn't buy it. >> my two uncles were planning something very mischievous. i was a nosey little kid, i was 8 years old. >> reporter: her uncle disappeared from her life soon after. marla's mother said that vanishing act has her convinced. >> i've always had that feeling, just a gut feeling, that it was l.d. >> reporter: marla was told her uncle died in 1999. and what happened to that $200,000, nearly a decade after the hijacking some of it was found. bundles of $20 bills deteriorating o

marla cooper is her name and she says she gave the f.b.i.rap that he apparently had been holding and a picture of him holding the strap. this is a case that we said has baffled the f.b.i. every since 1971. the agency is trying to lift fingerprints off of that guitar strap and match them to partial prints that they got from the airplane. abc news is reporting that no prints have been found yet, and the f.b.i. is not commenting on the record. as for the money, jenna, officials believe that cooper lost more or all of that mone most or all of that money on his trip back gown to earth. if we get more information we'll bring it to you. jenna: that is an interesting case. we will ae see if they can solve it, rick. thank you. jon: what could be the real threat of facial recognition software? researchers in pittsburgh finding a quick scan of feetess on social networking sites on facebook cannot only identify you quickly but reveal some of your private data to the world, even sometimes your social security number. how do they do that? ginger mccall is

. >>> and oklahoma woman says cooper was her uncle. marla said her parents to walk about him over the years. a man called dan cooper hijacked a plane found from portland to seattle. he demanded $200,000 and got the money before the plan landed and parachuted out before authority kos catch him. >> i have very vivid memories. they just kind of came back in a flood. >> the fbi is following a credible lead on a new suspect but won't say if the tip came from her. >>> some people in danville are furious over a high school upgrade that's supposed to be good for the environment. they say when they agreed to a solar panel project, they were told no shes were be -- no trees would be cut but at san ramon valley high school, construction crews removed a dozen trees to make way for these solar panels. district officials say they were young trees planted two years ago before the solar project existed. >> we have plans to replant them as soon as we find a good spot for them. probably more trees than we removed -- removed. >> the solar panels are being inst

recently, marla cooper came forward claiming his uncle, lyn doyle cooper is the hijacker.ed he is the f.b.i.'s new suspect. steven? >> thank you, eric. downgrade. and the markets react. well, now, the u.s. senate banking committee could be turning the screws to the s&p after they downgraded the u.s. debt. looking into a possible investigation. but does congress hold any sort of legal sway over them? let's talk to fox news judicial analyst and the host of "freedom watch" and the co-host of the five and it's amazing he has time to even sit down with us, he's so busy. judge andrew napolitano. >> steve, good morning. >> can the senate investigate them now? >> in the senate, it can investigate anything it wants. remember, it once asked roger clemens what the content of his urine was. even though there's nothing in the constitution about that. where can the investigation go? what s&p does is an express an opinion and opinions are -- are pe protect by the first amendment. as long as the s&p gives reasons for the opinions and not saying things like 2 plus 2 equals 5, giving reason

marla cooper said she recalls her uncle planning the heist. said it was following an incredible lead on a suspect but would not confirm it came from cooper. police investigating the death of an 11-year-old new hampshire girl have removed a silver pickup truck parked near her the body of 11-year-old selena cass was found in a river monday one week after the girl disappeared. an autopsy was inconclude sif. >>> nfl star bubba smith passed away in his los angeles home. the 6'7" defensive end was the top overall draft pick in 1967 and helped lead the colts to super bowl victory in 1971. he went on to act in police academy films and appeared on "good times" and "charlie's angels." he was 66 years old. >>> the earth may have had two moons 4.5 billion years ago. astronomers write the smaller moon collided with the larger one, the big splat, could explain why our moon is lopsided with one side much rockier than the other. interesting. now a look at what's trending today. our quick round of what you are talking about online. fans are googling alex rodri