In 1972 a Utah National Guard pilot named Richard McCoy hijacked a jet for ransom and parachuted into the Utah desert. He was caught by police and sentenced to forty years in prison, but escaped and was later killed in a shootout with the FBI. At the time it was thought he was a copycat. Now, many believe that McCoy and Cooper were one in the same, and that he was repeating his earlier, successful, hijacking.
They did find DB's suitcase, along with some of the money in the Columbia river. DB is either buried under years of silt or was indeed killed in the shootout you just mentioned.
Never heard that before. Thanks for the information.