Fugitive Pilot Recuperating
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Posted: 3:28 PM Jan 14, 2009
Fugitive Pilot Recuperating
The bizarre Story of an Indiana man who crashed his plane to fake a suicide ended late last night in a campground at Chattahoochee in Gadsden County. Federal agents arrested fugitive financial manager Marcus Schrenker.
Reporter: Mike Vasilinda
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The bizarre Story of an Indiana man who crashed his plane to fake a suicide ended late last night in a campground at Chattahoochee in Gadsden County. Federal agents arrested fugitive financial manager Marcus Schrenker. Schrenker was near death from an attempted suicide when he was found.

Plastic gloves on this picnic table are the only signs that something unusual happened at this campground 40 miles west of Tallahassee. Frank Chinmento, the US Marshall that led the arrest team, says he found the fugitive near death.

“There was a wound to the left wrist area which was a slash, a deep slash. And there was more like a puncture wound to the lower arm.”

The motorcycle riding Schrenker checked into the campground Monday, saying he was traveling cross-county with friends who continued on. He bought a six pack, some water, and firewood, paying owner Caroline Hastings in small bills.

“We actually chit-chatted and he was very friendly. He paid for one night. The next day, usually when they’re on a motorcycle they leave fairly early, they want to get a good ride in early. He didn’t leave.”

And he never paid for a second day. When Schrenker arrived here Monday, he was given the campsite’s wireless internet code. He then apparently used his own laptop to send an email, which helped authorities trace him here.

We found packets of the pain reliever Ultracet at the camp site. Gadsden Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Corter confirms they were Schrenker’s.

“We think he did it for two reasons. One, it’s a blood thinner and we think that would have also assisted in his suicide attempt. He also had taken a bunch of aspirin. With the depth of the cut and the amount of blood, that medicine probably sped up the bleeding process.”

While near death when captured, Schrenker is improving and expected to leave the hospital for a jail cell Thursday or Friday.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 14, 2009 at 07:40 PM

What a waste of a pretty face. poor guy. I feel bad for his wife and kids.