Why Is Anthony Cooper (Locke's Dad) on the Island?

At the end of "The Man From Tallahassee", Ben takes Locke to a room in the other's compound where Locke is shocked to find his father, Anthony Cooper bound to a chair.

It was revealed in this episode that Locke' paralysis was caused by his father's attempt to kill him by pushing him out of an eighth-story window. The detectives on the case said that Cooper had fled to Mexico immediately after his encounter with Locke, and could have gone virtually anywhere from there.

Did he go to the island? If so, why? ...and how?

Was he brought to the island by the others? For what purpose?

The most plausible scenario (if you can call it that) is that the others brought Locke's Dad to the island at some point after the crash of flight 815. Somehow, they know everything about the survivors' past, and there's no doubt that Ethan noticed the connection John seemed to have with the island during his time in the survivor's camp. Ben needs Locke's help, and it's no coincidence that Ben can provide exactly what Locke has been wanting every day for the past four years.

On a related topic, if Anthony Cooper is in fact the original Sawyer, do the others know this? Would Sawyer recognize the man who conned his parents all these years later? I would guess not, since he killed the wrong guy just months earlier.

What do you think? Got any good ideas about why Anthony Cooper is on the island?

Post your comments below.

Is Locke's Dad the Original "Sawyer"?

The idea that Locke's Dad (a.k.a. Anthony Cooper) could be the "Sawyer" that conned the parents of the Sawyer we know has been kicked around for a while, but until "The Man From Tallahassee", we never had any proof that Locke's father was a con man that preyed on rich women.

Now that we've seen him in action, it seems almost a certainty that he is indeed the con artist that Sawyer has been searching for all these years. As luck would have it, Anthony Cooper is on the island right now, and there are at least two other island residents who would like nothing more than to help him meet his ultimate fate.

The big question is how did Anthony Cooper get on the island in the first place, but that's a question for another topic.

So what are your thoughts? Is Anthony Cooper the original Sawyer? Are there any other possibilities? Post your thoughts and comments below....