As an individual who works professionally in social areas, I do hold to the theory that foul play may be involved; however, as much as I hate to speak of this because I'm aware family may read my opinion, it would not be in the best interest to dismiss other theories that are quite likely as well.
I have read that mike was a career military man (I believe pilot US Airforce) prior to his employment with the airline. With that being said, and with a long family history of military men, I'm familiar with the rigors and discipline that military personnel often live with during their career. Most military men are quite adept at internalizing their emotional pain and problems except to a few very close people, and sometimes no one. In general, men in our society, especially those in the middle-age and elder age range have often been taught through socially handed down traditions that it's not acceptable for males to show weakness, but remain strong at all times. And although anyone, despite gender, has every right and can feel a range of emotions, sometimes they feel that they cannot share their feelings.
In society, mental health has much stigma associated with it, there's a "mark of shame" that often is associated with it - disgrace, non understanding, and/or disapproval by Friends, family, neighbors, employers, and coworkers leave someone experiencing feelings of depression with isolation or rejection. Sometimes people who suffer from any mental disorder are denied basic liberties like partaking in family events, normal society networks, productive employment, and this is especially true for a pilot.
IF Mike was feeling like his life was unraveling due to his relationship issues (embarrassment by people finding out about wife's transgressions, losing one half of his assets, upcoming legal and financial issues etc), he certainly could NOT talk to his employer about it, and even if he went to a private doctor to seek help he could not take an antidepressant or med for anxiety as he's drug tested frequently and he'd lose his job, career, financial stability, and a hugely defining part of the essence of who he was. Sadly, nearly any other profession can seek mental health assistance without fear of losing this, but nit a pilot. And a career military professional with a current career pilot status would have much issue with ego seeking help for mental illness. In the profession of pilots, there's a name for this, it's called the "mental health hidden burden" (can't get help nor take mess or lose job). Source:
http://pix11.com video interview posted 3/31/2015.
I've read that it's been reported Mike went about his usual business on the days prior to being reported missing, but it is not uncommon at all for a person who is suicidal to act in this very same manner, especially if they feel that society expects this of them. It's often viewed that there are two types of people with suicides - those who are grasping for help and those who intend that follow through. Those who are grasping for help will declare to others they want to die, will make it known to someone, will act differently in ways, it's their way of begging for help. But those who have resolved to follow through do NOT tell other people, they often keep all depression hidden, let no one in on their agenda because they don't want anyone to stop their plans. People who've successfully committed suicide have been reported to go their favorite stores, places, carry out very extra normal routines immediately prior to the act. Some have been known to convey messages in letters, social media, and texts that it's a wonderful day (bc their perception is they know today is the day their suffering will end).
Was Mike depressed? I don't know, perhaps no one knows. We don't know IF he left in shoes. As I've stated before, I couldn't tell you what shoes my husband has on at any given moment most days (as most men of Mikes age and my hubby's age coincidentally), and similar social economic status have several pairs of shoes. And like his wife I have a similar aged child in the home and am often pre occupied with keeping up with the child's clothes, shoes, school items, toys, etc and therefore hubby's shoe collection and count isn't of high priority to me. It's quite likely that Mike had on shoes when he left that house (be it alone or unwillingly), and he did take his wallet and cellphone. Yes they've stated no use of credit cards but did he have cash? Again, he was a man with financial means, and it's likely his wallet or within his home he had a bit of cash tucked away for a cash emergency, especially if he had any suicidal forethought.
Mike was a pilot, previously I've read that those who work for airlines get free "extra seats" on flights - I'm assuming that the police surely has looked into this out of Louisvilles airport. Maybe they don't issue a standard ticket but he'd be listed on a travel manifest in the event the flight went down etc I would presume. He may have chosen an alternate location for a suicide, other than his town. In recent years it's not been uncommon for people to select venues away from their home area to end their life. Although there's only speculation as to why they chose this method, some are: anonymity (to spare family burden of knowing that they have killed themselves in attempt to protect family from knowledge/grief), protect family from discovering the body, protect family from associating an area or place with the suicide in the future, etc.). Since Mikes body hasn't been found locally, it is a possibility that he used cash to travel by taxi, bus, rail, etc to another city and committed suicide anonymously. It's not that much of a stretch to believe that if a person felt socially unable to disclose despair while living (the weakness or "less than" effect of not being able to handle life's problems) that he may want to disguise his actions in death for vanity reasons or to protect others.
Some facts on suicide: (2014 stats used)....
In the USA, 41,149 people committed suicide.
Of those, 32,055 were men.
Men are nearly 4 times as likely to successfully commit suicide as women.
37,154 that committed suicide were white.... NINE out of TEN are WHITE of those that committed suicide.
15,756 were middle aged - aged 45-64 - nearly ONE-HALF were MIDDLE AGED.
So Mike is in the HIGHEST gender, the HIGHEST race, the HIGHEST age category. It does NOT mean he has committed suicide, but if I were LE or family, I certainly would be putting high regard to the possibility that he may have went elsewhere and this may be why. I'd be looking into any unidentified bodies since he's been missing that fits his profile.
In the U.S., ONE person every 12.8 minutes dies from suicide, it's the 10th leading cause of death (homicide I'd 16th)
Suicide: risk factors (that Mike meets) - WHITE, MALE, MIDDLE AGED, FREE MOBILITY (means and ability to move about to commit the act). STRESSORS (that Mike may/may not have felt) - out of work (due to current health situation), job stress (unable to return to work due to current physical condition, unable to seek mental health assistance due to pilot status), marriage/relationship stress (alleged problems with wife and extramarital affair, possible separation, divorce, child custody). And ACUTE RISK FACTORS that Mike may/may not have felt: recent or anticipating a marital separation or divorce (alleged), feelings of being a victim or feelings of rage (possible if alleged infidelity was actually uncovered by Mike), psychological pain and/or acute distress possibly resulting in feelings of loss, rejection, and defeat (loss of marriage/family unit, rejected by wife, defeated by the boyfriend), feelings of anger (from wife's alleged actions), rage, seeking revenge, withdrawn (possibly without showing this outwardly but internalizing his emotion), hopelessness - seeing things in black/white instead of gray, having few reasons to want to continue to live (may have felt like he was losing wife and son as he was a pilot and his career would inhibit his chances of having full custody of son, thus wife would get child and he had nothing worth living for), sense of no purpose, life has lost meaning, no reason for living (not a far stretch for anyone who's anticipating a divorce and possible loss of child in life), negative or mixed emotions toward receiving mental health help (military mentality of "being strong" and fear of losing his career if he was to seek help, social views regarding men being weak and showing weakness, requesting help. Any real or anticipated event causing or threatening shame, guilt, despair, humiliation, loss of face, or status (DIVORCE/infidelity), legal problems (divorce, child custody), financial problems (divorce), feeling rejected (divorce), abandoned.
Source:
http://suicidology.org (statistics) and general information is my opinion/theory of possibility ONLY as a consideration as alternate idea, taken from my years of professional experience working in social science career and my education/continuing education.
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