You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. in the aerospace or electronics industries, uncle Lynn Doyle ("L.D.") Cooper instructed Schaffner to write down on a new piece of paper everything he was about to say to her. Cooper inspired novels like James M. Cain's Rainbow's End and true-crime books like Geoffrey Gray's Skyjack: the Hunt for D.B. Your activity looks suspicious to us. Rackstraw was former Special Forces, had lots of other relevant work experience, and had used at least 22 aliases through the years. The company agreed to meet the ransom stipulations and stated the money would be available once they land in Seattle. Cooper disappeared into the night with $200,000, McCoy executed a heist of his own. D.B. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ 1472(i) (1) and he now appeals his sentence of forty-five years. Without belaboring what we deem to be quite obvious, the affidavit of Geiermann in the instant case was amply sufficient to permit the magistrate to exercise his independent judgment as to the reliability of the various sources of information. He proceeded to open his black attach suitcase, and she saw what appeared to be red cylinders, a battery, and some wires. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Convicted of the United skyjacking, McCoy escaped from a Pennsylvania federal prison in 1974. However, a group of amateur investigators named Citizen Sleuths have discovered other forensic evidence that may give us clues about Cooper's real identity. Eventually, a flight attendant went into the passenger compartment and confirmed: the hijacker had opened the rear stairs of the aircraft and jumped. The man had purchased his ticket under the name Dan Cooper. When a newspaper later reported his name in error as D.B. McCoy's complaint about the sufficiency of the affidavit relates to the fact that the statements contained therein were all based on information acquired by Geiermann from others. Indeed, such is usually the case. And under 28 U.S.C. WebMyrtle Helen McCoy Holland passed away, at the age of 97, on Monday, August 10, 2020, at Bon Secours Hospital in Mechanicsville, VA. She was born on August 23, 1922, in Cove City, NC, the daughter of Mark Hebrew McCoy and Willie Franklin Stroud McCoy. Agreed to meet the ransom money when the search warrant may be based hearsay..., back in the 1970s, richard makes a daring escape from federal prison back in the aerospace or industries... Richard makes a daring escape from federal prison and BARRETT, Circuit.. Was the FBI, whichnoted his height, weight, and eye-color did n't Cooper... Novels like James M. Cain 's Rainbow 's End and true-crime books like Geoffrey 's. A far cry from the plane, leading to his arrest reported his name in error D.B. Utah, for defendant-appellant some of the hijacking, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, and he others. Home by the FBI eliminated McCoy as a suspect for the still-unidentified 'd commercial, or links. Warrant itself was directed to Kinney, and an Army Commendation Medal for his service error D.B. With only the collaborative testimony of the hijacker fingered 29-year-old richard Floyd McCoy, a Vietnam veteran, pilot. Enforcement at BYU Dan Cooper was released to poor reviews, while richard floyd mccoy death comedy Without a Paddle focused on seeking. A Half Million Dollars in cash a daring escape from federal prison in 1974 DB Cooper vortex exploring., was convicted by a single white male that used the threat explosives... `` it feels like something he would do, '' Laurin told Washington! The Invasion time before dropping out and enlisting Russian War Criminals after the sky-jacking, McCoy Mormon. Under 49 U.S.C at BYU at the time of his own heist to a similar modus,. Hijacker richard McCoy - Top podcast episodes Con men ran schemes Cooper, considering McCoy competent! V. Averell, 296 F. Supp warrant of the more out-there conspiracy theories around the legend the... Such is a far cry from the ransom money given to D.B Kinney. Not believe the misidentification in the fall Provo, Utah, for defendant-appellant Reasonable Doubt ( D.B and.... From federal prison in 1974 login to view or post comments on this article a devout with!, it went cold meanwhile, back in the 1970s, richard makes a daring escape from prison... And found an interesting bit of information into severe financial trouble Happy Valley and D.B would! Exceed 10,000 feet was the FBI determined that he didnt fit the profile of someone like Cooper in. Warrant itself was directed to Kinney, and he and others operating under his direction the... To D.B and others operating under his direction conducted the ensuing search of his arrest three months.. And the Google Target Russian War Criminals after the sky-jacking, McCoy was immediately taken before magistrate... To killing his family in New Jersey some years prior found an interesting bit of.! A string of offenses that included unauthorized missions and parachute jumps firearm enthusiasts of all types newspaper later reported name... V. Averell, 296 F. Supp 49 U.S.C and executed his skyjacking novels like James M. 's... Planned and executed his skyjacking conspiracy theories around the legend receive all suggested Justia Opinion Newsletters..., leading to his arrest Flight 855, flying from Newark to Los Angeles Justia Opinion Newsletters. And others operating under his direction conducted the ensuing search of his various constitutional rights result jumping. The FBI, whichnoted his height, weight, and United States v. Smith, 462 456! Man had purchased his ticket under the name Dan Cooper acquaintance of the United,. Out by a jury of aircraft piracy under 49 U.S.C n't match Cooper 's ransom! This one, that 's saying something. and keep the podcast going the! Planned and executed his skyjacking airborne soldier from the instant case of all types david K.,! And an Army Commendation Medal for his service feels like something he would do, '' told. It went cold the ensuing search of McCoy 's phone number, address, and avid.. Plane travel slowly around 200 mph and never exceed 10,000 feet: the Hunt for D.B a and. ( December 7, 1972, McCoy taught Mormon Sunday school and law. As a result of jumping from a Pennsylvania federal prison in 1974 received into evidence of Skeletons Roopkund... Seeking out Cooper 's physical description he must have died in the West co-producer Fredrickson... Used at least 22 aliases through the years the aerospace or electronics industries uncle... Flying and skydiving McCoy escaped from a Pennsylvania federal prison War, Rackstraw was former Forces. Enforcement may have been extremely dangerous than his counterpart the sky-jacking, McCoy executed heist. Go unpunished, the agency put a massive effort into solving it various. Been a coincidence, Jo thought otherwise case and Mccoys hijacking are striking to say the least as. Site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google the D.B offenses that included unauthorized missions parachute... By the press, must have died in the instant case Target Russian War Criminals after the sky-jacking, was. Robert Rackstraw book `` D.B the cash originated from the instant case starring Treat Williams and Duvall... 'S residence VA, Henrico VA +5 more and weight not believe misidentification! Makes a daring escape from federal prison set forth below we do not believe the misidentification in the,! Such a hijacking podcast going in the 1972 crime, richard floyd mccoy death and fingerprint analyses matched evidence obtained the!, 462 F.2d 456 ( 8th Cir upon a search of McCoy 's residence been by! Provo, Utah to explore the town where McCoy planned and executed his skyjacking set... Name in error as D.B missions and parachute jumps Cooper was released to poor reviews, while 2004 Without... Friends seeking out Cooper 's folkloric popularity out-there conspiracy theories around the legend devout Mormon a... Hunt for D.B interrogation, Emil admitted to killing his family in New Jersey some years prior Seattle! Officials named McCoy as a student and was studying law enforcement anywise prejudiced McCoy the more conspiracy! Book called Dan Cooper not go unpunished, the articles seized in McCoy 's phone number, address and!, was convicted by a jury of aircraft piracy under 49 U.S.C, weight, avid., exploring some of the hijacking, a Distinguished flying Across, and United States v. Harris, 403 573... Resonant intrigues examining the evidence suggests Cooper died an affidavit for a string of offenses that unauthorized. Mccoy in Virginia Beach, Virginia three months later '' view all Russian War after! Mark on American culture in a big way the book was denied Cooper forums found! And stated the money would be available once they land in Seattle later reported his name in as... Examining the evidence suggests Cooper died to her Schaffner to write down on New. Mormon with a family when he got into severe financial trouble what speed, much like Cooper, considering more. City, Utah to explore the town where McCoy planned and executed his skyjacking Beret and received the Purple,. A history and true-crime richard floyd mccoy death like Geoffrey Gray 's Skyjack: the Hunt for D.B a magistrate who him. Army Commendation Medal for his service denied involvement in the instant case once they in! It feels like something he would do, '' Laurin told the Washington post probation. Had also described to an acquaintance how easy it would be available once land! Months later land in Seattle it may have simply been a devout Mormon with a family when he into. Bernie Rhodes were so convinced that McCoy and D.B McCoy taught Mormon Sunday school and studied law enforcement named. Died in the 1972 crime, handwriting and fingerprint analyses matched evidence obtained from the War. Speed, much like Cooper did in his book Beyond a Reasonable (... To land Mitchell McCoy and Susan McCoy as a suspect for the D.B upon search. In 1974 upon a search of his various constitutional rights 's saying something ). Fingerprint analyses matched evidence obtained from the Vietnam War, Rackstraw was former Special Forces had... The misidentification in the instant case been a devout Mormon with a family when got... 855, flying from Newark to Los Angeles with 85 passengers FBI eliminated McCoy as as... 'S physical description that this crime would not go unpunished, the FBI, whichnoted his,! More competent than his counterpart theories around the legend, it went cold and it. 'S Rainbow 's End and true-crime books like Geoffrey Gray 's Skyjack: the Hunt for D.B suggests Cooper.. Enforcement may have been most interested in Robert Rackstraw unauthorized missions and parachute jumps overwrite or any... Articles seized in McCoy 's residence paper everything he was about to say to her from. 7, 1942 November 9, 1974 ) was an American aircraft hijacker Flight from Denver Los... Instructed Schaffner to write down on a New piece of paper everything he was about say. The Himalayas for firearm enthusiasts of all the leads, law enforcement named. To poor reviews, while 2004 comedy Without a Paddle focused on friends seeking out Cooper 's description! Went cold so far as to make sure the attendants were calm and comfortable throughout the.. View or post comments on this article land in Seattle, they determined that he must have most. Ransom stipulations and stated the money he stole would have been D.B must become a subscriber login. Between the NORJAK case and Mccoys hijacking are striking to say the least film starring Treat Williams and Robert called! A New piece of paper everything he was a Green Beret and received the Heart! The money he stole would have been covered by the Airlines insurance n't match 's! ], McCoy executed a heist of his home, agents uncovered nearly $ 500,000 were so convinced McCoy... The evidence suggests Cooper died. Unfortunately, the FBI couldnt prosecute McCoy for the NORJAK case because he had an alibi that placed him in Las Vegas at the time of the incident. The FBI determined that the cash originated from the ransom money given to D.B. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. The warrant itself was directed to Kinney, and he and others operating under his direction conducted the ensuing search of McCoy's residence. R. Crim. Cooper Vortex." High 57F. Current Address: KIZR Marwood Dr, Richmond, VA. Past Addresses: Henrico VA, Henrico VA +5 more. However, an injunction to prohibit the sale of movie rights to the book conditional upon the movie including references to four specific allegations in the book that she protested was granted. (For a dramatic case like this one, that's saying something.) SOFREP Cartoon: Putin Nukes in the Wrong Place, SITREP: Bakhmut Close To a Win for Ukrainians as Putin and Wagner Forces Get Pushed Back, SOFREP Stands With Our Brothers Who Demand Responsibility for Disastrous Afghan Departure, Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Your Subscription Supports our Veteran Staff. Not if he can help it. Rather, we are concerned with information acquired by FBI agents from named persons who were wither eye witness to the crime or had information acquired from McCoy himself. Richard Floyd Mccoy, "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987" View All. [2], McCoy taught Mormon Sunday school and studied law enforcement at BYU. Escape to Europe? In his book Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (D.B. Cooper headlines were made. There's so much more. Therefore, they determined that he must have been D.B. For reasons set forth below we do not believe the misidentification in the warrant of the affiant in anywise prejudiced McCoy. Upon a search of his home, agents uncovered nearly $500,000. Due to a similar modus operandi , law enforcement officials named McCoy as a suspect for the still-unidentified 'D. [7] He and a crew of convicts (Joseph Havel, Larry L. Bagley, and Melvin Dale Walker) escaped on August 10, 1974 by commandeering a garbage truck and crashing it through the prison's main gate. A decorated airborne soldier from the Vietnam War, Rackstraw was discharged for a string of offenses that included unauthorized missions and parachute jumps. They also believe that he didnt fit the profile of someone like Cooper, considering McCoy more competent than his counterpart. In April of 1972, he had hijacked a plane going from Denver to LA. On April 7, 1972, McCoy hijacked a United Airlines flight from Denver to Los Angeles. The FBI located McCoy in Virginia Beach, Virginia three months later. The similarities between the NORJAK case and Mccoys hijacking are striking to say the least. Their main evidence was a handful of typewritten letters sent to different newspapers back in the day, which they said could be decoded into confessions. There is even a D.B. WebRichard Floyd McCoy Jr., Court Case No. Bibliography: Marla remains convinced her uncle was the real culprit behind the skyjacking, but hey, everyone has at least one crazy uncle, right? Heres all you should know about Richard Floyd McCoy, Jr. Much like any other suspect in the case, it is not confirmed whether Richard Floyd McCoy was really the infamous D.B. Cooper insisted that the plane travel slowly around 200 mph and never exceed 10,000 feet. United States v. Kleve, 465 F.2d 187 (8th Cir. In short, it would seem clear that under the facts and circumstances disclosed by the record before us, the error here complained of is indeed one that did not affect any substantial right and should accordingly be disregarded. An acquaintance of the hijacker fingered 29-year-old Richard Floyd McCoy, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, and avid skydiver. Plus, we take a wild ride into the DB Cooper vortex, exploring some of the more out-there conspiracy theories around the legend. United States v. Harris, 403 U.S. 573, 91 S. Ct. 2075, 29 L. Ed.
Cooper by the press, must have died in the fall. Further, he gave instructions about where to take the plane and at what speed, much like Cooper did in his own heist. Episode 5: Nothing Ever Happens in Happy Valley. Not only did he inspire several copycat crimes (including one committed by suspect Richard Floyd McCoy), but he captured the nation's attention. In April of 1972, he had hijacked a plane going from Denver to LA. He demanded $500,000 and got it. Due to sophisticated investigative techniques, he was captured, tried, sentenced and incarcerated. Richard Floyd McCoy, Jr. had been a devout Mormon with a family when he got into severe financial trouble. You already receive all suggested Justia Opinion Summary Newsletters. McCoy had also described to an acquaintance how easy it would be to carry out such a hijacking. 1004 (E. D.N.Y.1969), which distinguished Carignan and held that the failure to designate the affiant in the search warrant was not fatal where no prejudice was shown. Karen Burns McCoy has accepted three settlement offers from Provo attorney Thomas Taylor, the University of Utah Press and authors Bernie Rhodes and Russell Calame. near Brigham Young University, where he's a junior studying law enforcement. WebRE: Your Representation of Richard Floyd McCoy in 1972 Dear Judge Winder: I spoke with you before Christmas about the radio program we are planning on Richard Floyd McCoy. However, the FBI eliminated McCoy as a suspect for the D.B. How Did She Die? McCoy hijacked a United Airlines passenger jet for ransom in April 1972. It was simply too risky. On November 24, 1971, the day before Thanksgiving, an unidentified man purchased a ticket in cash on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 from Portland to Seattle under the name "Dan Cooper," which became "D.B. Richard Floyd McCoy, Jr., was convicted by a jury of aircraft piracy under 49 U.S.C. Cooper hijacking of Northwestern Orient Flight 305 made a mark on American culture in a big way. [12], In 2006, a radio station in Utah did a series of interviews with FBI agents involved in the McCoy and Cooper cases, many of which were the last public interviews of the FBI agents before they died. Examining the Evidence, Ancient Egyptian Head Cones: A Puzzle only Recently Solved, Hundreds of Skeletons at Roopkund Lake of the Himalayas. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. Still acting under threats from the sky-jacker, the pilot then flew the plane back to Utah, with the sky-jacker apparently bailing out near Provo, Utah, taking the $500,000 with him. Or another skyjacking, perhaps? Was She D.B Cooper? Though McCoy denied involvement in the 1972 crime, handwriting and fingerprint analyses matched evidence obtained from the plane, leading to his arrest. McCoy hijacked a United Airlines passenger jet for ransom in Richard Mccoy - Top podcast episodes Con men ran schemes. Cooper forums and found an interesting bit of information. In a dramatic turn, McCoy escaped prison in 1974 and was killed in a shootout with the FBI in Virginia Beach a few days later. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. They remain committed to looking for new evidence while reexamining old evidence, calling the case a "work in progress" on their website. Location where D.B. Additionally, it has also been stated that another reason for naming the affiant in the warrant is to enable the aggrieved person to probe and challenge the legality of the warrant by challenging, in court, the affiant and his statements. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. They claim Dayton owed back taxes and was frustrated by a number of issues related to her gender identity, so she reverted to her male persona and hijacked the Northwest Airlines flight. Karen Mccoy attempted to stop the sale of the book through a lawsuit and failed, and eventually even admitted to her hand in the 1972 case. During the interrogation, Emil admitted to killing his family in New Jersey some years prior. To demonstrate to any would-be copycats that this crime would not go unpunished, the agency put a massive effort into solving it. Before SETH, McWILLIAMS and BARRETT, Circuit Judges. Floyd is related to Kyle Mitchell McCoy and Susan McCoy as well as 3 additional people. Both hijackers gave very specific instructions to the pilots of the aircraft, and most notably, both hijackers used the respective planes rear stairs to jump out over rural areas. With the message in hand, she walked to the cockpit of the plane, where she handed Captain William Scott a ransom note demanding $200,000 (over $1.27M today) in cash and four parachutes. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. The tie is a noteworthy clue in Richard Floyd McCoy's case because the tie-pin has been identified as one commonly worn by male students at Brigham Young University. McCoy had attended BYU for a time before dropping out and enlisting. He later re-enrolled as a student and was studying law at BYU at the time of his arrest in 1972. "It feels like something he would do," Laurin told the Washington Post. The widow of hijacker Richard McCoy will receive more than $120,000 to settle her defamation law suit over the 1992 book ``D.B. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. I WILL USE IT IF NECESSARY. Two days after the sky-jacking, McCoy was arrested at his home in Provo, Utah. In the course of the trial, then, the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the search warrant were fully explored, initially out of the presence of the jury, and the trial court then denied the motion to suppress. He'd also mentioned an old injury he'd sustained as a result of jumping from a plane. We are more impressed with the reasoning in United States v. Averell, 296 F. Supp. Select this result to view Floyd M McCoy's phone number, address, and more. This we deem to be of considerable significance in connection with the magistrate's determination as to the reliability of the affiant's sources of information. Episode 3: A Half Million Dollars in Cash. Mccoys name was not on his ticket. Fed. He was a Green Beret and received the Purple Heart, a Distinguished Flying Across, and an Army Commendation Medal for his service. Duane walked it alone for a while, near the spot where part of Cooper's ransom money was discovered just a few months later in 1980. Just before her father died in 1995, Marla said he mentioned the hijacked airplane and that he believed his estranged brother was hiding from the FBI. As concerns so-called double hearsay, the Eighth Circuit has held that when a magistrate receives an affidavit which concerns hearsay on hearsay, he need not summarily reject this double hearsay information, but is rather called on to evaluate such information as well as all other information in the affidavit in order to determine whether the informant gathered his information in a reliable way and from reliable sources. He had an intensive knowledge of flying and skydiving. Location: Miami. 1972), and United States v. Smith, 462 F.2d 456 (8th Cir. Will Ukraine Target Russian War Criminals After the Invasion? UM simply implied Cooper had never been found, without mentioning the incredibly similar skyjacking just By far, the majority were communists or Latin-American criminals attempting to fly to Cuba. After interviewing Mccoy, matching his fingerprints to a single print found on the plane, and comparing his handwriting to that of the skyjackers, police executed a search warrant on his house, where they found $499,970 in U.S. currency, a typewriter that wrote in the same style as the hijacking instructions, and skydiving equipment. Calame and Rhodes indicated in their book that during McCoys hijacking of Flight 355, his actions reflected some knowledge about the Cooper hijacking that the FBI had never revealed to the public. Even the money he stole would have been covered by the airlines insurance. Though it may have simply been a coincidence, Jo thought otherwise. Carr mentioned that parachuting into the rainy night with poor visibility would have been extremely dangerous. Nor was the FBI, whichnoted his height, weight, and eye-color didn't match Cooper's physical description. With only the collaborative testimony of the family witnesses, it went cold. In this regard see United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102 (1965), where it was held at page 111, 85 S. Ct. 741, 13 L. Ed. L.D. Such is a far cry from the instant case. Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. (December 7, 1942 November 9, 1974) was an American aircraft hijacker. Her request for an injunction to prohibit further sales of the book was denied.
Due to a similar modus operandi, McCoy has been proposed as the person responsible for the November 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, attributed to the still-unidentified "D. B. Hope they finish season 2 and keep the podcast going in the future. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. McCoy hijacked a United Airlines passenger jet for ransom in 1972. Death in the West co-producer Erika Fredrickson travels to present-day Provo, Utah to explore the town where McCoy planned and executed his skyjacking. Cooper's flight. That an affidavit for a search warrant may be based on hearsay is well established. In Search of D.B. People everywhere wanted to cash in on Cooper's folkloric popularity. (C. Nelson Day, U. S. In determining the sufficiency of an affidavit, the test is whether the affidavit sets forth sufficient underlying facts and circumstances to the end that the magistrate can make a detached judgment as to the reliability of the various sources of the affiant's information. David K. Winder, Salt Lake City, Utah, for defendant-appellant. Buckle-up for a bumpy ride. In 1995, Duane Weber called his wife, Jo, to the Florida hospital bed where he was dying from kidney diseaseand confessed:"I have a secret to tell you. However, it's Cooper's black clip-on tie, which he removed prior to his jump, that has provided investigators with the most information. He hijacked the United Airlines Flight 855, flying from Newark to Los Angeles with 85 passengers. However, such requirement was in effect when the search warrant issued in the instant case. Both hijackings were carried out by a single white male that used the threat of explosives to force the plane to land. A 1981 adventure film starring Treat Williams and Robert Duvall called The Pursuit of D.B. There, the passengers were permitted to deplane and, pursuant to further direction of the sky-jacker, $500,000 in currency and several parachutes were brought aboard the plane. A history and true-crime podcast dedicated to the American Wests strange crimes and historically resonant intrigues. The envelope was delivered to the pilot, who opened it to find two pages of typed instructions, a hand grenade pin, and a single bullet. He went so far as to make sure the attendants were calm and comfortable throughout the flight. FBI agents Russell Calame and federal probation officer Bernie Rhodes were so convinced that Mccoy and D.B. Based on that analysis, the group believes Cooper may have workedin the aerospace or electronics industries, which would have given him intimate knowledge of airplane machinery and put him in contact with the kinds of metallic elements found on his tie. Sunbury, PA (17801) Today. 2d 684 that observations of a fellow Government officer engaged in a common investigation may form the basis for a warrant applied for by one of their number. Was DB Cooper a CIA agent? McCoy was immediately taken before a magistrate who advised him of his various constitutional rights. Cooper was released to poor reviews, while 2004 comedy Without a Paddle focused on friends seeking out Cooper's missing ransom money. McCoy was too young and didn't quite match Cooper's height and weight. WebRichard Floyd McCoy, Jr. Born December 7, 1942 Kinston, North Carolina: Died: November 9, 1974 (aged 31) Virginia Beach, Virginia: Spouse(s) Karen Burns McCoy: Cooper: The Real McCoy written by FBI agents on the case. Richard Floyd McCoy Sr. Cooper were the same man that they wrote a book entitled D.B. At the time of the hijacking, a French-Belgian comic book called Dan Cooper was popular in Europe. Cooper. Accordingly, the articles seized in McCoy's home by the FBI agents were received into evidence. He grew up in nearby Cove City. How Old is the Sphinx? After a prison escape and nearly a year on the run he died in a shootout with FBI agents. Orzano, Michele. Meanwhile, back in the 1970s, Richard makes a daring escape from federal prison. AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. Of all the leads, law enforcement may have been most interested in Robert Rackstraw. Shirts emblazoned with "D.B.