True Crime Cases from 1971
Cases from 1971 include criminal investigations, trials, and notable events that occurred during the year. Whether they involved new charges, breakthroughs in cold cases, high-profile trials, or tragic incidents that captured national attention, the cases documented here reflect the state of the criminal justice system in 1971. CaseSleuth provides detailed, chronological coverage of each case with timelines, evidence breakdowns, profiles of key people involved, and links to primary sources and media coverage.
2 cases found
D.B. Cooper — Unsolved Hijacking
UnsolvedPortland, OR · 1971
On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias "Dan Cooper" (later misidentified as "D.B. Cooper") hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305 between Portland and Seattle, extorted $200,000 in ransom, and parachuted from the rear of the Boeing 727 into the Pacific Northwest night. He was never identified or found. It remains the only unsolved commercial airline hijacking in U.S. history.
John List — The Westfield Massacre
ConvictedWestfield, NJ · 1971
On November 9, 1971, accountant John List methodically murdered his mother, wife, and three children in their Westfield, New Jersey mansion, then vanished for 18 years. He was captured in 1989 after the TV show America's Most Wanted aired a forensic bust of his aged appearance.