Joe - you refering to the theory that he landed and then got eaten by the Sasquatch?
Actually, its a very interesting story. I think I had tripped over it before, but since this was posted I've somehow managed to spend far too many hours researching this one this weekend. Interesting to see that the placard for the rear stairs was found much further north than the presumed drop zone and the money further to the south west.
For me the most interesting question is not who he was, but simply if he made it down alive? It seems the "copy cat" criminal Richard McCoy did manage it (perhaps in different conditions and terrain) but in theory it could be done. So perhaps "Cooper" did also manage it. Would be not an insignificant achievement to have evaded capture by the FBI for all these years. Not that I wish to endorse his criminal bahviour!!
Sasquatch! ..... you know - I think I just saw his cousin.
Interesting folklore, but as you say, a reckless way to exit a commercial jet. My opinion is it was the world he exited.
I mean it wasn't just the jump, but his attire, the altitude, the weather, the terrain he dropped himself in plus other obstacles put the odds against him surviving.
JMHO
Perhaps it would be a hapless task, but presumably there must be missing persons lists that the FBI would have checked against in 1971. You might expect that after a month or so, there would have been a person matching a similar description reported missing, perhaps because they didn't show up to work or pay their rent or contact friends or family. Appreciably this guy looks like Mr Average of the day, (or perhaps a younger Bing Crosby!) which might make it harder, but that'd be for me the logical approach working off the assumption that he died in the forest or on impact with the ground.
For me this would not explain how some of the money ended up where it did. From the map it appears the River Columbia is flowing north at the point where the money was found, this is towards the area where Cooper was believed to have bailed out, not away from it, in which case you might have summised that it fell into a tributary and floated there.
