How much of the Rocketbelt 2000 story is actually pinned down?

I’d split it into three buckets: events the account places on a timeline, allegations made by people involved, and unanswered questions. The fight over money and rights belongs in the second bucket unless it can be checked against independent records. The account itself says the people involved gave conflicting versions, so presenting one side’s accusations as settled fact would go too far.

For the timeline, look for records that do not depend on the participants’ recollections, such as court documents or contemporaneous reporting. Those could help confirm dates and charges, but they would not automatically establish who was responsible for the killing or where the device went.

The detail about the prototype being built and later disputed over is not the same as proof of who owned it at each point. And “one person knows where it is” is a dramatic framing, not something the account establishes. I’d treat the jetpack’s later whereabouts as unknown based on what’s provided.

Short version: be careful with the crime claims. The account describes an unsolved killing and says two people were questioned, but that does not show either person was responsible. A dispute, an argument, or a motive theory is not proof of involvement.