This was the one where an elderly man vanished without a trace despite spottings of him. In the update he resurfaced and it was told that in 1948 he was accused of a crime he did not commit. He fled, changed his name, and then married 4 years later. His wife, and kids knew nothing about his past life. When all was said and done, Alex was approaching his 65th birthday. He was eligible for a pension but could not provide a birth certificate so he fled not wanting his family to know anything about his past.

He was later found and while the charges against him were reportedly dropped back in 1948 (without him knowing) he seemingly had no reason to leave his family in the first place since they seemed to slowly start to accept things with him again, hence slowly by the looks of it.

Here is my questions:

1) Alex's wife Margaret seemed like a nice woman. But I have to wonder how did someone not know about his past? He obviously would have had parents, siblings etc right? Wouldnt Margaret not want to meet his family and know about his roots? I know my wife's history. Her parents are both still alive and so are her siblings. If she went under a different name and vanished at one time I think I would have heard about it by now.

2) How is abadoning your family better than having them find out a shady detail about your past? Let them find out and then start to accept things again, don't leave and torture them with not knowing where their father/husband is

3) Does anyone know how the Cooper family is coping now? Alex and Margaret might not be alive anymore since they were getting old, although it is still possible they both are alive. But how did the family come back together? Were they ever the same again?

Good question, I've thought about this alot too.

I think in the old days, it was a bit easier to do things like change your name, since they didn't do as many background checks. He was a pretty young guy, so he probably panicked and thought he'd just do it really quick and it would be overwith, and not investigated. Especially as the years went on, he probably got more and more comfortable.

Maybe his family covered for him, and said his name was always Alex, although that's kinda far fetched. Good point though.

Yeah, he was turning 65 back in 1987...so he'd be like 87 years old today. I hope he's still alive.

Yeah I agree that would be a stretch to say the least with his family covering for him. You'd thinkhis wife and him would even unintentionally run into an old co-worker or school mate at times in their marriage.

But then again I do not know the whole story. Maybe Alex was an only child, maybe he abandoned his parents and they died, who knows. It doesnt say much in that segment about that. I am just speculating. But I know my wife's roots very well. I know her family and friends and people that knew her when she was born or who went to school with her. Even if she was lying to me about everything (which Cooper would have done) I would have found tons of holes in her stories by now.

I don't know, I often wonder how much in this segment is not covered. Just a thought

2) How is abadoning your family better than having them find out a shady detail about your past? Let them find out and then start to accept things again, don't leave and torture them with not knowing where their father/husband is

1. The authorities may not be the only people that Alex had to worry about. Robbery victims, accomplices and rival criminals could be living as well and may want to find means to get back at him or his loved ones. If Alex was still alive, they certainly could as well. Grudges last a long time. Especially if someone is still in jail while Alex is free to live his life.

2. Shame is a hard thing to live with. Alex probably couldn't bear to face up to this. I could easily see how Alex would rather his family remember him dead or missing as the person he was, rather than the new person he would be come if he told them.

3. There are a lot of legal ramifications to Alex's true name and identity being revealed. If I was a life insurance company, i would have some legal grounds to refuse paying a claim if Alex died. Anyone who wanted to pursue a lawsuit against him, would have this ammunition. Alex could also potentially lose his business if it came to light that he was a criminal.

1) Alex's wife Margaret seemed like a nice woman. But I have to wonder how did someone not know about his past? He obviously would have had parents, siblings etc right? Wouldnt Margaret not want to meet his family and know about his roots? I know my wife's history. Her parents are both still alive and so are her siblings. If she went under a different name and vanished at one time I think I would have heard about it by now.

Hey, Philip Breen hid his identity from his wife, how hard could it be.

I think it would be pretty easy for Alex to avoid the topic of his family.

1. There;s nothing wrong with Alex still keeping his photos of his real mother and father and siblings. Those photos don't have his real name on them. He could even use his families real first names and tell true stories about them.

2. Considering WW2, disease, great depression, Alex had plenty of excuses for his family. Mom? Oh, she died during childbirth. Father? Died of a heart attack, My only sibling? Died on Normandy during D-Day? Never found his remains. She would probably only have questions regarding his immediate family. You'd be surprised how many people don;t interact with their cousins or uncles.

3. Would it really be that hard for Alex to hire someone to be his long lost nephew Joey? Heck he could get an old criminal accomplice to do that.

4. Alex completely left his criminal life when married to his wife. His wife would only be suspicious if he was continuing to be be a criminal while they were married. If he's living his life as a civilian, she would have no reason to be suspicious. She would probably have thought that Alex ran away from home as the reason that he never talks about his family.

5. His background and family are really only a problem during the courtship phase of their relationship. If she believe him enough to marry him, the coast is pretty much clear after that. Was she really going to bring up his lack of family during their 25th year of marriage?\

6. Love makes you do stupid things. If your charming enough, visually appealing and *ahem* well endowed, you'd be surprised what some guys and gals will overlook. :)
I imagine I could be a serial axe murderer on the run and still find a womea willing to marry me and not ask questions. :)

Alex Cooper looks so much like Benjamin Kingsley


http://images.movie-gazette.com/gallery/albums/People/ben+kingsley.jpg

Bumping an old thread here. I can imagine that Alex's wife would now look back and see a million signs that pointed to him lying to her. But at the time, probably not. Although it still sounds strange that all of those years something didn't come back and bite him.

I am assuming Alex figured he was safe as long as he didn't turn 65 and have to apply for old age - thus providing his birth certificate. But the thing that baffles me, is that after his death if he didn't make it to 65, there would no doubt be something swirling around his past life that his family would find out. So yeah, he's dead and doesn't have to face the music anymore but would he not have cared that his family would find out about his double life and have absolutely no way of getting answers or hearing his side? They would probably have a far worse opinion of him then

I think he made a hasty decision without realizing how upset his family would be if he disappeared. He probably thought, "I'm in trouble and I can't bear to tell them that I've lied all these years." He could have thought that he would still go to jail and be charged and that would upset his family and that skipping town on it before would make it hard to prove that he was innocent.

It wasn't a good choice, but I'm still glad they forgave him and it all worked out.

Sometimes, it's just so hard and so embarrassing to admit you were wrong.

Sometimes, it's just so hard and so embarrassing to admit you were wrong.

Although this case is a good example of how a lie on top of another lie will only snowball. His wife seemed genuine when she said something along the lines of "whatever he did in his life, its time for him to come home." As much as it would have hurt, surely that's better than taking off.

In related news, his daughter finally shaved that mustache of hers.

In related news, his daughter finally shaved that mustache of hers.

Sorry but this made me LOL.

Sorry but this made me LOL.

Me too!

I suspect he just wanted to leave anyway,and this was as good an excuse as any.he had to have known by then that his family would have forgiven him and it would have been no big deal to them.they probably would have helped him to figure it all out.and I can't beleive he wouldn't have talked to a lawyer before running off,if he hadn't really wanted to leave.some simple legal advice would have done the trick,if that were the case..he would have found out there were no valid charges against him anymore.jmo.

Did a 'net search for Alexander Cooper Cranbrook and eventually found this:

COOPER, Alexander
Dad, one of 6 sons, was born in Summerside PEI to Philip and Zelie
Arsenault. Though his youngest brother, Philip, died as a young child, with
the rest of his brothers, Ernest, Dona, John, and Edward they were
hardworking boys. Also a musician, Dad entertained at dances and community
events as a young man. The music of Hank Snow influenced Dad's personal
style so much so that once he was asked to fill in for Hank on a radio show
in Montreal; no one listening knew the difference. Dad charmed Mom (Margaret
(Depeel) with his singing, stories, and zest for life and they were married
in 1952. Mom passed away in 1996. All of us kids, Linda, Wayne, Liela,
Laura, and Alexandria were raised with Dad's appreciation for music and
enjoyed many opportunities to perform as a family in church and around the
community. He would astound and delight us and his and friends with his
skill at yodeling, especially around the campfire. Dad had great pride and
joy in his grandchildren; Melanie, Laura, Jesse, and Rachel, his
step-grandchildren; Zebulon and Lucas, and his great grandchildren; Eric,
Caitlin, Ryan and Connor. His daughter and sons in law, Peter, Lynn, James,
and Bucky each added dimensions to the richness of Dad's life.
For 35 years Dad was a great enthusiast and fan of the Kimberley Pipe Band.
He enjoyed many sing along band parties and events. Robbie Burns nights were
especially memorable for him.
Fishing was always a large part of Dad's life and in his later years many
dear friendships were born of the yearly spring pilgrimage to Premier Lake.
Dad loved these trips, and his friends, and we want to thank Bucky for
making this possible for him. Dad is survived by his faithful and spoiled
dog, Tramp, and the many fish he never caught.
Cecile Bolduc was Dad's partner in his later years. Near the end of her
life, Dad cared for her with great kindness, affection and tenderness. It
was these same characteristics that endeared Dad to many who came in contact
with him. Among these were his "special girls", Bonnie, Gerri, Margo, and
Sharon, who held a dear place in his heart. He affectionately called these
women his daughters.
In the months preceding his cancer diagnosis, Dad endured excruciating and
uncontrolled pain. In watching him pace the floor night after night, we
realized his incredible strength. Throughout the two months of his
hospitalization, we have found great solace in the stories his care
providers at the EKRH and the Pines have shared with us about Dad's sense of
humor, his sweetness, and his gratitude for all they did for him, regardless
of whether or not it hurt.
Dad took great pride in the diversity of each of his children's
accomplishments. Though our father taught us many lessons, the greatest of
these were our understanding of hard work and the importance of forgiveness.
The man that he was will resonate with all who knew him long after he is
gone.
Dad has requested that there be no service so the next time you are at
Premier Lake drop a line on Dad's behalf. Donations in celebration of Alex's
life can be made to the Kimberley Special Care Home "The Pines".
We, his children, will be having an Open House to celebrate Dad's life on
Sunday October 7th 2007 from 1-4pm at the home of Laura Cooper at 276-306th
Avenue, Marysville. Please join us.

What crime did he commit again? IIRC, it wasn't even that serious to go on the run and fake a disappearance.

What crime did he commit again? IIRC, it wasn't even that serious to go on the run and fake a disappearance.
IIRC, it was some sort of robbery that he claimed he didn't commit but that he was blamed for. What he didn't realize was that by 1987 the statute of limitations had already ensured he was no longer wanted, so he assumed that not only would he be a wanted man when he couldn't produce the birth certificate for Social Security and his real identity was discovered, but that his family would find out that he'd been living under a pseudonym all those years and would be very upset about it.

I still think he could have talked to them about it.when the alternative was leaving without knowing what happened to him,they surely would've.jmo.

Here's a question: can anyone name another UM Missing Persons case where the profiled person turned up alive?

Scott Hill

Scott Hill

Refresh my memory.

These cases of missing persons who wind up alive don't come up too often on UM.

Refresh my memory.

These cases of missing persons who wind up alive don't come up too often on UM.

He was the guy who just up and disappeared abruptly after suffering from a foot injury. IIRC, he went on some trip and told his family that he hurt his foot and would be back later than they expected. When he didn't show up, the family became worried and realized that he had run into financial trouble. The whole segment, IMO, was set up as if everyone involved knew he was alive and well the entire time. They even brought up a huge chunk of money that he was due to inherit in an attempt to get him to contact his family. He was eventually found and reunited with his family.

Here's a question: can anyone name another UM Missing Persons case where the profiled person turned up alive?

The UM longevity record here definitely goes to Patricia Carlton, who turned up alive and well 33 years after she originally went missing. After suffering a brain aneurysm, she was prone to memory loss and wandering off. There's probably an interesting story of what she was doing all those years, but at the request of the family, those details were never released to the public.

Along with Pat Carlton, Lorene Roberts was also another individual who went missing in the '60s and turned up alive more than 30 years later. Her case aired on Unsolved Mysteries in 1991 and she was found soon after.

Watching this case on Amazon Prime, you have a better chance to really appreciate this case from a story perspective because Lifetime cut out way too many parts. I think it's really one of the more fascinating segments from the glory years of UM, and it's produced to perfection.

To watch this segment uncut, you do get to hear some sad remarks from Alex's wife, Margaret. In particular when she said...

"It was suggested that he might have staged his disappearance and just run away from us. I wasn't able to accept that. Alex was not the type of person who was capable of creating that kind of pain for his family."

Unfortunately, that's exactly what he did.

It's surreal to think what the Cooper family went through. First they felt there was no choice but to have him declared legally dead after a year. Then they find out no such man named Alex Cooper had ever existed. Then another missing person report filed halfway across the country confirms that Alex is really alive, only to have him disappear again once his identity is discovered. So the family is relieved to know he's alive but has to find out what where he is and what he's running from. I guess the giant elephant in the room is that if Alex's friend from the boarding house in Toronto had not reported him missing (he was gone on one of his business trips) the Cooper family would have gone on believing he was dead, they never would have gone on national TV and there would have been no reunion...unless Alex ever eventually got up the courage to go home. After five years and not knowing the statue of limitations on his 1948 robbery case was probably dropped, I have my doubts.

While the family was clearly devastated by the whole ordeal, it was obvious from the segment that they would welcome him back, whatever the case, even before he was found. The daughter Lelia even said,

"I'd love to have him back. I want to give him a great big hug and a kick in the butt and then another big hug. But I'd love to have him back."

I'm glad the family was reunited and they were able to forgive and move on. I was always surprised that this wasn't made into a Lifetime movie like many other UM cases. You have so much mystery and new discovery after new discovery that it brings up so many new questions. Plus, there's an eventual happy ending.

Here's a question: can anyone name another UM Missing Persons case where the profiled person turned up alive?

I swear there was one - guy was about 19, I think lived on Long Island. UM did a feature with the mom reporting him as missing. In an update they said he was alive and well and wanted nothing to do with the mom.

My memory is really, really vague on this.

Watching this case on Amazon Prime, you have a better chance to really appreciate this case from a story perspective because Lifetime cut out way too many parts. I think it's really one of the more fascinating segments from the glory years of UM, and it's produced to perfection.

To watch this segment uncut, you do get to hear some sad remarks from Alex's wife, Margaret. In particular when she said...

"It was suggested that he might have staged his disappearance and just run away from us. I wasn't able to accept that. Alex was not the type of person who was capable of creating that kind of pain for his family."

Unfortunately, that's exactly what he did.

It's surreal to think what the Cooper family went through. First they felt there was no choice but to have him declared legally dead after a year. Then they find out no such man named Alex Cooper had ever existed. Then another missing person report filed halfway across the country confirms that Alex is really alive, only to have him disappear again once his identity is discovered. So the family is relieved to know he's alive but has to find out what where he is and what he's running from. I guess the giant elephant in the room is that if Alex's friend from the boarding house in Toronto had not reported him missing (he was gone on one of his business trips) the Cooper family would have gone on believing he was dead, they never would have gone on national TV and there would have been no reunion...unless Alex ever eventually got up the courage to go home. After five years and not knowing the statue of limitations on his 1948 robbery case was probably dropped, I have my doubts.

While the family was clearly devastated by the whole ordeal, it was obvious from the segment that they would welcome him back, whatever the case, even before he was found. The daughter Lelia even said,

"I'd love to have him back. I want to give him a great big hug and a kick in the butt and then another big hug. But I'd love to have him back."

I'm glad the family was reunited and they were able to forgive and move on. I was always surprised that this wasn't made into a Lifetime movie like many other UM cases. You have so much mystery and new discovery after new discovery that it brings up so many new questions. Plus, there's an eventual happy ending.

I always felt bad for the family as well - they seemed like such a nice family and it was clear to me that if Alex had never been turned in by the boarding house lady he would have kept running. I am not sure the ending was all that happy, the family still seemed to be in a lot of pain. They were trying, but man.....that would be rough.

Craig Williamson, the fish farm owner, also turned up alive.

I always felt bad for the family as well - they seemed like such a nice family and it was clear to me that if Alex had never been turned in by the boarding house lady he would have kept running. I am not sure the ending was all that happy, the family still seemed to be in a lot of pain. They were trying, but man.....that would be rough.

The family appeared how you would expect them to react in the update, I guess. The hurt was evident in their faces but the relief to have him back was there too. From the sounds of that 2007 obituary on Alex and how lovingly they speak of him, it does indeed sound like they were able to move on and have their happy ending eventually. I think what helped them out was the fact that even before he was located, the family knew he was running from something but they made it clear they wanted him back whatever it was.

Other than that obituary, I've never really been able to find anything else online regarding the family post-reunion. So it sounds like they must have been low key and the story sort of faded from public view. Maybe it was different in the area of Canada where they lived, with the publicity factor.

This was one of the best produced segments the show ever featured, watching the uncut version. The way they go in order uncovering every layer of new discovery. And so much mysterious background music that I love. I also really like the piano tune that's playing at the very end when they show more family pictures, just before the update. Lifetime always cut that part out.

Margaret Alex Coopers wife passed away in 1996 and Alex died in 2007.

It's quite unfortunate.


He was working for the CP railroad and was accused of robbing the company office and inspite claiming he didn't do it, he runs and changes his name.

Now I can't fault him for that because if he didn't do it there was always that possibility that he could of ended up being convicted and go to jail having his whole life ruined.

The only problem was that to the best of our knowledge, he probably never saw his family again because his wife and his children didn't know about his other identity.

Wonder why he couldn't of let them know that he was taking off unless he didn't trust them?

Then almost 35 years later he leaves the family he started up because of his past and not feeling comfortable telling them his issues and not being able the apply for a birth certificate.


I can't sympathize with him at all because besides leaving his birth family he marries once again without telling them his past and he had many years to think about this and just takes off again.

You'd think after never seeing the family he was born into again he would wanna not abandon them but he did.

Gives me the feeling he thought family and people are disposable and while I can understand he might have feared they'd end of rejecting him I would of rather taken that chance instead leave never to have seen them again and while it's entirely possible he was innocent it makes me wonder if he was guilty after all?


I wrote to the CP RR once inquiring about this but they said their records were disposed.

It's quite unfortunate.


He was working for the CP railroad and was accused of robbing the company office and inspite claiming he didn't do it, he runs and changes his name.

Now I can't fault him for that because if he didn't do it there was always that possibility that he could of ended up being convicted and go to jail having his whole life ruined.

The only problem was that to the best of our knowledge, he probably never saw his family again because his wife and his children didn't know about his other identity.

Wonder why he couldn't of let them know that he was taking off unless he didn't trust them?

Then almost 35 years later he leaves the family he started up because of his past and not feeling comfortable telling them his issues and not being able the apply for a birth certificate.


I can't sympathize with him at all because besides leaving his birth family he marries once again without telling them his past and he had many years to think about this and just takes off again.

You'd think after never seeing the family he was born into again he would wanna not abandon them but he did.

Gives me the feeling he thought family and people are disposable and while I can understand he might have feared they'd end of rejecting him I would of rather taken that chance instead leave never to have seen them again and while it's entirely possible he was innocent it makes me wonder if he was guilty after all?


I wrote to the CP RR once inquiring about this but they said their records were disposed.

I always thought Cooper did commit the crime but he was fundamentally a wormy man who couldn’t admit to some minor youthful infraction.

His family was likable though and he was lucky to have them.

Gives me the feeling he thought family and people are disposable and while I can understand he might have feared they'd end of rejecting him I would of rather taken that chance instead leave never to have seen them again

In his mind, it was either abandon his family who adore him or go to jail. Both of them no-win situations. The problem is, his choice led his family to believe that he was most likely dead, with absolutely no idea where his remains were. If I were one of his kids, that would be the most difficult thing to deal with.

The irony here is that if those old charges were dropped, those 5 lost years ended up being for nothing.

I always thought Cooper did commit the crime


Why?

While I'm not saying that I think he did I don't see any reason to doubt that he didn't.

In his mind, it was either abandon his family who adore him or go to jail.

No the reason why he left his wife and children was because he found it difficult to tell about his past.

In his mind, it was either abandon his family who adore him or go to jail. Both of them no-win situations. The problem is, his choice led his family to believe that he was most likely dead, with absolutely no idea where his remains were. If I were one of his kids, that would be the most difficult thing to deal with.

The irony here is that if those old charges were dropped, those 5 lost years ended up being for nothing.

If (and that's a big if) he was convicted I doubt it would be a long sentence anyway. At least he could still see his family regularly from jail rather than just running like a coward and leaving them to suffer. He certainly wouldn't have gotten 5 years for such a alleged crime. He seemed smart enough to know that not only would his fmaily be worried sick, and countless hours of resources would be spent searching for him but all he cared about was saving his own butt.

I put Cooper on the same level as Scott Hill. Cooper's teary UM update paints him in a very rosy light. Scott Hill didn't get the benefit of that in his update. Both men up and left their families (at least Hill left a note behind) due to mounting pressure. Cooper even tried to make it seem like he died (by falling into the river). I have little sympathy for him.

If (and that's a big if) he was convicted I doubt it would be a long sentence anyway. At least he could still see his family regularly from jail rather than just running like a coward and leaving them to suffer. He certainly wouldn't have gotten 5 years for such a alleged crime. He seemed smart enough to know that not only would his fmaily be worried sick, and countless hours of resources would be spent searching for him but all he cared about was saving his own butt.

Oh, I don't disagree. He definitely made the wrong decision. My heart broke for his family, not for him. It should never have gotten as far as it did. His daughter said during her interview in regards to a real Alex Cooper having never existed...

"It made wonder about his identity...it didn't make me wonder about him as a person, though. Because if he'd been Joe Smith, I'd still love him."

If Alex had the common sense to know that the rest of his family (most likely) felt the exact same way, he never would have had a reason to leave.

I put Cooper on the same level as Scott Hill. Cooper's teary UM update paints him in a very rosy light. Scott Hill didn't get the benefit of that in his update. Both men up and left their families (at least Hill left a note behind) due to mounting pressure. Cooper even tried to make it seem like he died (by falling into the river). I have little sympathy for him.

Uh if you watched the episode you'd know that he didn't try to do that?

They just thought it was a possibility and they just had the acotr portraying him do that.

Why?

While I'm not saying that I think he did I don't see any reason to doubt that he didn't.
He seemed like a dishonest weenie in general.

Uh if you watched the episode you'd know that he didn't try to do that?

They just thought it was a possibility and they just had the acotr portraying him do that.

Indeed. It was an original theory from his daughter that since he had a heart condition, she was afraid he might have walked down to the water, had a heart attack and fallen in. Cooper didn't set anything up to make it look like he died. He simply parked his car and immediately started hitchhiking. Witnesses reported seeing a man matching his description hitchhiking in that spot on that day.

Keep in mind that the family was understandably in shock at the time. The daughter thinking he had fallen in the water and the wife thinking someone had robbed and killed him made more sense than him simply walking away.

Uh if you watched the episode you'd know that he didn't try to do that?

They just thought it was a possibility and they just had the acotr portraying him do that.

He absolutely did that. He abandoned his car, near a river, without a note, and was known as an avid fisherman. He was supposed to be on a "sales trip" when the car was found. Fishing equipment was found in the front seat of the car. The implication was obvious. Either he died from a heart attack and fell into the river, or he was abducted on his way to fishing and killed. He did nothing to assure his family that he was alive, and set the scene up to make it look like he was taking a routine fishing trip when he met with trouble. He also left his heart medication behind. Every action he took was to make sure like he did not leave on his own free will. He's a scumbag.

Now that I thought about it. you're probably right more than less.

Sorry I wasn't thinking.

Now that I thought about it. you're probably right more than less.

Sorry I wasn't thinking.

Hey that's just my opinion, doesn't make me right and it doesn't make you wrong. I also forgot that Cooper, after he found out that he was reported missing, instead of coming clean and realizing that his family was looking for him, immediately fled the boarding house he was staying at and got out of the area.

That's one thing I never understood about Scott Hill or Alex Cooper. I get being a little freaked out about an issue from your life/past, but to completely abandon your family and basically start over? I don't get that.

Alex said how important his family was and that he screwed up, yet he really never made an effort to make things right -- he just fled.

I'm happy things seemed to turn out ok but I also question what his motives really were.

I think there's more to his past, than the story that he was accused of robbing/stealing from his employer. I have to wonder if he continued to steal after he created a new identity and started a family. Keep in mind that he created a third identity when he ran away a second time. I think he kept a criminal mind.

I think he was less than day old puke for not leaving a note or sending a postcard to his family.

Yes, I think he stole the first time. I don't buy that he ran away because he was accused. He seemed to be "street smart."

It's possible but you gotta consider if you're falsely accused of a crime it's gonna make you uneasy and if he was innocent I can't blame him for running though I do think there's a 50/50 chance he could have did it especially since he lost touch with the family he was born into and left the family he started.

I put Cooper on the same level as Scott Hill. Cooper's teary UM update paints him in a very rosy light. Scott Hill didn't get the benefit of that in his update. Both men up and left their families (at least Hill left a note behind) due to mounting pressure. Cooper even tried to make it seem like he died (by falling into the river). I have little sympathy for him.

I'm of the mind that Cooper is the worse of the two, and I'm not exactly a Scott Hill fan.

Hill's disappearance seems to have been motivated by personal despondency. He didn't commit any crime. He wasn't trying to cover up anything lurid. He just seemed like someone experiencing something of an identity or emotional crisis after an injury, which is not uncommon in very active people and athletes. I'm not saying that excuses his skipping out on his family, but the man still is a person with his own feelings and individuality separate from his role as a husband and father. I didn't always feel this way, but upon later viewings of the segment update, I got the distinct impression that his apparent flat affect was either the result of deep depression, shame, or a combination of the two. And yes, he did at least send a damn letter to his loved ones giving some measure of insight into his state of mind and rationale for leaving.

Cooper, on the other hand, seems to have deliberately staged a disappearance scene and kind of made every effort to keep undercover and on the run until he simply couldn't anymore. I kind of suspect that the incident at the railroad office was not only Cooper's doing, but that an investigation might uncover other criminal activities he may have committed or been engaged in at the time, and that may have been why he fled and changed his identity.

Between the two, I can get closer to sympathizing with Hill.

Not that I want anyone to disrupt the surviving Cooper family members' privacy, but is too much to hope that, after he was caught and 'reunited' that some if not all of them spelled out to him that they were giving him a second chance but it was PROBATIONARY and if he EVER pulled a stunt like that, he wouldn't get a third one?

I kind of suspect that the incident at the railroad office was not only Cooper's doing, but that an investigation might uncover other criminal activities he may have committed or been engaged in at the time, and that may have been why he fled and changed his identity.

I never thought about that before, but it makes perfect sense. The rosy portrait of "this was something I was accused of but didn't do" in the update never quite sat right with me. It made no sense for him to willingly disappear for a petty theft that the statute of limitations expired. It makes perfect sense if there were other crimes he committed around that same time period which he was fearful of being prosecuted for.

I never thought about that before, but it makes perfect sense. The rosy portrait of "this was something I was accused of but didn't do" in the update never quite sat right with me. It made no sense for him to willingly disappear for a petty theft that the statute of limitations expired. It makes perfect sense if there were other crimes he committed around that same time period which he was fearful of being prosecuted for.

For the record Canada doesn't have a statue of limitations at least on paper but otherwise I totally agree: if he was to go to the PD to turn himself in they would probably have laughed him out of the station rather than arrest him. I personally think the fact he was able to even create a new identity so quickly after he thought he was in legal trouble makes me suspect there is FAR more to the story than we heard about.

You'd think after never seeing the family he was born into again he would wanna not abandon them but he did.

Gives me the feeling he thought family and people are disposable and while I can understand he might have feared they'd end of rejecting him I would of rather taken that chance instead leave never to have seen them again and while it's entirely possible he was innocent it makes me wonder if he was guilty after all?


Cooper was probably a sociopath. Family connections more than likely meant nothing to him, it's why he was able to do it twice. He wouldn't have come home had he not been caught.

His wife and daughter seemed like good people. I really feel for them because they were put through hell

1 thing I noticed during the UM interview was he says "I was young."

Which doesn't mean anything, he was a grown adult.


He also claims that he said to himself

"There's no way I'm gonna take the fall for this cause I didn't do it."


Now anytime one's gonna be accused of such stuff it's probably gonna make them panic and upset them and there have been cases where people have been wrongfully convicted but it's also an arrogant response and I wonder if it's just someone who'd complete innocent of those charges or a guilty person?

1 thing I noticed during the UM interview was he says "I was young."

Which doesn't mean anything, he was a grown adult.


He also claims that he said to himself

"There's no way I'm gonna take the fall for this cause I didn't do it."


Now anytime one's gonna be accused of such stuff it's probably gonna make them panic and upset them and there have been cases where people have been wrongfully convicted but it's also an arrogant response and I wonder if it's just someone who'd complete innocent of those charges or a guilty person?

I always kind of found his initial reason for fleeing kind of suspect and I really wish we could find out more about this alleged robbery. Namely, for what specific reason was he suspected of this crime? When he made the comment about not taking the fall, it comes across like he's implying that police just accused him for no apparent reason. While police do get tunnel vision and railroad people from time to time, I just don't really buy that he was so frightened of a completely bogus accusation that he almost immediately changes his identity and keeps it up for 40 years. I think he most likely either did commit this robbery or had a significant role in it. I don't think the authorities were simply fingering him just to be bullies.

As Meg said, Alex didn't simply calmly disappear. He deliberately made it appear that he died in the river so others wouldn't think to look for him. And when he was finally tracked down, what does he do? He runs away again! He was doing everything in his power not to be found! Had he not finally been caught, he would likely have continued running for the remainder of his life. With all this running, it makes me wonder if his traveling sales business involved some shady stuff. Did he REALLY think police would still pursue charges on him for a 40-year-old bank robbery? Just doesn't add up.

"I'm not going to take the fall" to me adds up to turning a blind eye or making sure a door was left unlocked, something along those lines.

When Alex was found in Hamilton, he was interviewed by police and his real name was finally revealed; Albin Arsene Arsenault. With his real name and whereabouts known, wouldn't authorities now know about about possible other shady crimes and dealings that had taken place if he was involved in them back in the day?

Once he was reunited with his family, life went back to normal (as best it could be) and he lived another 16 years before passing away in 2007.

"I'm not going to take the fall" to me adds up to turning a blind eye or making sure a door was left unlocked, something along those lines.

That could be too.

As far as leaving his birth family behind, perhaps he was already estranged from them. If he had a criminal background before being accused of the robbery as some have theorized, perhaps his family severed all ties until he could get his act together.

When Alex was found in Hamilton, he was interviewed by police and his real name was finally revealed; Albin Arsene Arsenault. With his real name and whereabouts known, wouldn't authorities now know about about possible other shady crimes and dealings that had taken place if he was involved in them back in the day?



The robbery of the CPRR may have been the only thing that he might have done or knew about.

The coincidence of Alex's case running in back-to-back episodes in season 4 with Arthur Beal's "Tyler" amnesia case is amazing. It's pretty much the same story just time shifted 35 years, but nobody gets warm fuzzy feelings about Tyler and his child support skipping, truckload of missing frozen fish "amnesia".

It also sounds suspect that he cracked simply because he couldn’t produce a birth certificate when it came time to collect his pension. How hard is it to lie and say you don’t, for a whole host of reasons, have a birth certificate. Just say many official vital records in the era he was born have been lost, and Alex himself didn’t have the original. He was a tax paying Canadian citizen for decades, and there are many alternate ways of proving ones birth date that probably would have been acceptable to his employer and the government, as I’m sure people run into that same problem for legitimate reasons. It’s possible he thought being discovered not having a birth certificate would have cast scrutiny on his forged identify, but he was smart enough to fake a new identity that worked well for decades.

I always kind of found his initial reason for fleeing kind of suspect and I really wish we could find out more about this alleged robbery. Namely, for what specific reason was he suspected of this crime? When he made the comment about not taking the fall, it comes across like he's implying that police just accused him for no apparent reason. While police do get tunnel vision and railroad people from time to time, I just don't really buy that he was so frightened of a completely bogus accusation that he almost immediately changes his identity and keeps it up for 40 years. I think he most likely either did commit this robbery or had a significant role in it. I don't think the authorities were simply fingering him just to be bullies.

As Meg said, Alex didn't simply calmly disappear. He deliberately made it appear that he died in the river so others wouldn't think to look for him. And when he was finally tracked down, what does he do? He runs away again! He was doing everything in his power not to be found! Had he not finally been caught, he would likely have continued running for the remainder of his life. With all this running, it makes me wonder if his traveling sales business involved some shady stuff. Did he REALLY think police would still pursue charges on him for a 40-year-old bank robbery? Just doesn't add up.

I wanted to know more about his original crime, too. I think he was more involved than he let on, and like a poster upthread said, he tried to peddle it as "I was young!" Yeah were you an adult, not 14. If it really was a petty crime, I am sure it was dismissed. I wonder if someone died in a robbery or something. But he staged it to seem like he had drowned and let his family wonder for seven years. (I was seven, right?) Correct me if I am wrong, I thought someone had to be missing for seven years before you could claim them as deceased and collect benefits.

I felt for his wife - I am highly doubtful she ever fully forgave him. I don't think I could.

I wanted to know more about his original crime, too. I think he was more involved than he let on, and like a poster upthread said, he tried to peddle it as "I was young!" Yeah were you an adult, not 14. If it really was a petty crime, I am sure it was dismissed. I wonder if someone died in a robbery or something. But he staged it to seem like he had drowned and let his family wonder for seven years. (I was seven, right?) Correct me if I am wrong, I thought someone had to be missing for seven years before you could claim them as deceased and collect benefits.

I felt for his wife - I am highly doubtful she ever fully forgave him. I don't think I could.

I believe he was missing for 5 years before the reunion. Perhaps in Canada (at least at the time), you could declare a missing person dead after that amount of time.

I used to watch this one and sympathize with him, but now I have to side with you all. He put his family through a ton of suffering. Besides, what would have happened if he couldn't produce a birth certificate for pension? Did he really believe they would come after him 35 years later for the crime he was accused of? I really would like to know the details of the crime and what happened. Facing the music would have been far better than vanishing on his family for 5 years.

I believe he was missing for 5 years before the reunion. Perhaps in Canada (at least at the time), you could declare a missing person dead after that amount of time.

I used to watch this one and sympathize with him, but now I have to side with you all. He put his family through a ton of suffering. Besides, what would have happened if he couldn't produce a birth certificate for pension? Did he really believe they would come after him 35 years later for the crime he was accused of? I really would like to know the details of the crime and what happened. Facing the music would have been far better than vanishing on his family for 5 years.

The other thing is: I am pretty sure his wife, kids, and friends would have been super supportive. Surprised but supportive!

Some speculation about Albin Arsene Arsenault or "Alex Cooper".

It has been stated that he worked in the freight office for the Canadian Pacific Ry. I'm guessing that he had access to freight and merchandise before it was delivered so perhaps he was helping himself to some of it here and there. Or perhaps he had access to the cash drawer and rewarded himself weekly or monthly. If he was an accountant, he could have cooked the ledger to hide his embezzlements.

My thinking is that another employee committed an obvious theft and a major investigation was going to ensue. So I think Albin panicked and was became angry later on because he wrong-doing would become clear.

I know that railroads often performed internal audits and even employ their own police officers and detectives. My father's stepdad recalled incidents where freight trains arrived with missing freight. There were missing tv-sets and washing machines. The railroad finally realized that every theft was happening with the same train crew. They figured out the drop-off zone and staked out the spot near the tracks. Then they arrested all of them when they drove their personal cars to pick up their stolen bounty.

He seemed like a dishonest weenie in general.

Agree 100%.

It just seems likely to me, after taking everything into account, that he likely abandoned his family because he didn't want them to find out he'd committed whatever crime he committed. When he was found against his will, I find it very likely that he figured he could ease some of his discomfort about the whole situation if he claimed he didn't do it and that motivated his flight.

I could be wrong, definitely. But I just have a gut feeling about it.

I feel something really would have to be wrong for someone to abandon their family in that fashion, and if he truly didn't commit the crime my feeling is that he would have tried explaining everything to his family instead of faking his disappearance and causing what he knew full well would be tremendous pain for his children and wife.