By his own admission on the History Channel special, "everything pointed to me, everything."
But getting to know Sheridan doesn't reveal a sociopath, quite the contrary. He cares very deeply about people, especially those he views as victims of a system he sees as uncaring, cruel, racist, warmongering and elitist. He saw a friend reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes by a white phosphorous bombing attack in Vietnam. Might that engender a grudge? Of course.
Can I see him credibly threatening to blow up innocent NWA 727 crew members just for money? Nope. Could I be fooled? Sure, but having dealt with many criminals in my years as a defense lawyer, including some very intelligent and clever ones, Sheridan just doesn't fit the mold. None of them cared about less fortunate people. It was all about them. It was all about "getting over on someone", "pulling it off", "sticking it to the man". Sheridan has never come across like those people. If you look at NORJACK as a political crime, however, then maybe the common criminal stereotypes are irrelevant.
FBI SA Mary Jean Fryar found him fascinating. She's right. My wife agrees also. He is a deep thinker, complex and a bit mysterious. He is a highly skilled parachutist and absolutely fearless about trying risky variations and alternatives to standard jump practices. The gear he jumped in China was appalling, no cutaway releases and questionable construction quality. His bat wings were dangerous as hell. Many prior experimenters died. He'd jump right now at age 92 if a DZ would allow it.
377