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
On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727 flying from Portland to Seattle. He claimed to have a bomb, demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes, then jumped from the aircraft's rear stairs over southwestern Washington and was never seen again. Despite a 45-year FBI investigation examining over 1,000 suspects, the hijacker was never identified. It remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in U.S. commercial aviation history. The FBI officially suspended the active investigation in July 2016.
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.