(MOBILE, AL) January 12-- New developments in the case of the missing pilot who authorities believe tried to fake his own death.
An acquaintance of Marcus Schrekner claims he received an email from the missing pilot saying the situation is a misunderstading and he fears he will soon be dead. .
Tom Britt received the e-mail monday night.
Britt believes the e-mail is real but says its authenticity hasn't been verified.
Investigators say it appears Schrenker's life was plagued with legal problems both in his professional and personal life...perhaps the motive to fake his own death.
The 38 year old appeared to have it all. A family, multiple investiment companies, a plane and a vacation home in Destin, Florida...but his life had recently taken a turn. It could be why Sunday, his plane went down in Milton. He didn't go down with it.
Scott Haines of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office told us, "It appears the plane was put on autopilot and that's when the military jets were sent to intercept it. They caught up with it about 12 miles outside of Milton, they illuminated it and saw no one was inside the cockpit."
Officials say a few weeks ago, his wife filed for divorce, his investment businesses came under investigation by the state, his home in Indiana was searched New Years Eve.
Last Friday, a federal judge in Maryland issued a half million dollar judgment against Schrenker's companies after he failed to appear at the hearing.
Two days later, he was on his way to Destin. Schrenker is a skilled pilot, and claims to have logged more than 10 thousand hours.
Tom Britt knows the man who is now on the run. "Why somebody would jump out of a plane and leave it on autopilot with his training and his background, is beyond me. There's no reason for him to do it other than trying to stage something."
