Bayou's Israel: suicide or fugitive?

New York state police are investigating the possible suicide of Samuel Israel III, the co-founder and chief executive of defunct hedge fund Bayou Management LLC. He was to begin serving a 20-year prison term Monday, according to published reports. But on that day, Mr. Israel's car, a 2006 GMC Envoy, was found abandoned near the Bear Mountain Bridge in Orange County, New York, with the phrase "suicide is painless" written in the dust on the hood. The keys to the sports utility vehicle were left in the ignition, and prescription medication was found in the glove compartment. Federal officials have launched an international manhunt. Mr. Israel pleaded guilty in September 2005 to charges of conspiracy and fraud in connection with stealing from investors in the Stanford, Conn. hedge fund InvestmentNews, April 15. He was sentenced in April to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy and fraud, and was ordered to pay $300 million to his victims.