An Indiana man’s apparent plot to fake his own death has made him the focus of a multi-state manhunt.

Investigators believe Marcus Schrenker, 38, used a parachute to jump from his private plane over Alabama on Sunday after making a distress call. His single-engine plane later crashed into a swamp in Florida’s panhandle.

Investigators say the Anderson businessman, who is facing legal and financial troubles, hiked to the home of Richard Ferguson after jumping out of the plane. Ferguson says Schrenker told him he’d been stranded after capsizing his canoe on a nearby river.

“He was wet from about four inches of his knees down, he wasn’t muddy or nothing,” said Ferguson. “Nobody ever comes walking down here, if they do they’re up to no good.”

Not believing the story, Ferguson agreed to drive the man to a nearby hotel, but took him to police instead. When his record came back clean, police took him to a hotel.

By the time investigators realized who Schrenker was, he had already fled. Officials believe he may be traveling on a red motorcycle that he had hidden in a storage unit prior to the plane crash.

At one time, Marcus Schrenker performed for the Indianapolis Air Show team as a stunt pilot, and chances are you have seen his tricks.

Schrenker showed off his talents at the Elkhart Air Show nearly ten years ago.

Back then, NewsCenter 16 spent some time with Schrenker while he visited Elkhart, and in an interview he expressed his love for taking risks and living life on the edge.

“I love it. I love it when they look up at me and go, ‘that guy’s crazy, he’s nuts.’” Schrenker told NewsCenter 16.

“It looks like I’m flying sideways through the air, it doesn’t make sense. But that’s what air shows are all about. You just want to get out and get on the edge. Show the crowd what you got... I got a saying, ‘If you’re not out on the edge, you’re taking up way too much room.”

Stay with NewsCenter 16 as we continue to follow the search for Schrenker.