I am guessing if Astro did duck out on you guys, he didn't plan on doing it ahead of time. Trust me, if Astro had this planned out in advance, he would have cast a much larger net and caught many more fish on his way out. He is too crafty to just bounce with only a limited number of guys' $$$.
He would have had a huge BOGO or 50% off sale or some Christmas special or something, roped in 40 or 50 orders, and then rolled out.
Astro is not the type to go quietly, IMO, and I don't think he would have left that much loot laying out there unclaimed.
One last thing - and I hope I don't sound ridiculous for saying this, nor am I suggesting that i think this happened - but there is always the possibility that the dude got in a car wreck, had a heart attack, got shot, etc. I know, I know - every source claims this shit - but it is possible. Not probable, but possible.