Woodinville homicide may have ties to DB Cooper case

WOODINVILLE, Wash. — King County Sheriff's detectives are investigating a homicide in the 15000 block of Northeast 192nd Street in Woodinville.

Investigators told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News that a woman found her father's body Friday night in the garage of his home. He also had a wound on his head. Deputies did not elaborate.

The man's daughter apparently had not heard from her father for several days and went to check on him, said Sgt. Cindi West of the King County Sheriff's Office.

Police are not identifying the dead man but said his death was a homicide.

Property records show the man who owns the house is 71-year-old Earl J. Cossey.

Cossey has been trying to help investigators solve one of the Northwest's biggest mysteries: What happened to DB Cooper?

DB Cooper hijacked a flight from Portland to Seattle on Nov. 24, 1971. Cooper demanded four parachutes and $200,000.

The airport manager called Cossey, a skydiving instructor, to pack the parachutes.

When parachutes have been discovered over the years, the feds have asked Cossey to take a look at them.

Asked if the homicide has any connection to the D.B. Cooper unsolved mystery, Sgt. Katie Larson of the King County Sheriff's Office responded, "At this point I would be reticent to say yes. We are in the early stages and we have a lot to do so at this particular point I can't say so one way or the other."

Cossey had worked as a teacher. He recently divorced and lived alone.

On Saturday, 35 King County search and rescue volunteers looked for evidence in the woods across the street from the crime scene. Police said they were not looking for anything in particular.

Woodinville has recently seen an increase in residential burglaries. Police reported 52 burglaries in 2012, 30 of which involved forced entry.

KIRO