Fragment of D.B. Cooper ransom note sells for $134,200 at auction

A section of currency from the infamous D.B. Cooper airline hijacking fetched $134,200 at auction in Dallas, underscoring the enduring public fascination with one of aviation's most notorious unsolved cases. The note formed part of the $200,000 ransom paid to Cooper during a 1971 Northwest Airlines flight, one of the most audacious crimes in American history.

The banknote fragment was discovered in 1980 near Tena Bar, Oregon, by a young boy who stumbled upon the weathered currency along the Columbia River. The discovery provided one of the few tangible pieces of evidence in an investigation that has mystified law enforcement for more than five decades.

Federal Bureau of Investigation officials confirmed the bill's authenticity, linking it definitively to the ransom money handed over to Cooper. The hijacker parachuted from the aircraft with the cash and disappeared, never to be apprehended. Despite numerous investigations and theories, his identity and fate remain unknown.

The sale highlights continued collector interest in artifacts connected to significant criminal cases. Previous finds from the ransom money have surfaced sporadically over the decades, with some portions entering private collections and museums. This latest transaction demonstrates the substantial monetary value attached to authenticated pieces of this historical event.