MI MI - Eric Franks, 40, Buena Vista Twp, 21 March 2011 - #1

[scorekeeper]

Michigan has so much water it's overwhelming to think about, but it's certainly crossed our minds that is where the car and Eric may be. So far there's been no interest from police in searching - and I'm not sure we really can blame them. Where would they start? Based on what?

Unfortunately one of the things making this harder is that Eric never did much with banking and never had a credit card as far as we know. He did have a cell phone, and while I won't share everything they found from the calls once they finally pulled the data last June, police did determine the phone never left Saginaw Co.

Searchigfamily-
Did Eric have a cell phone? Do we know where his phone last pinged? That would be helful for an organization like Klaas Kids, etc to know where to search?

Also, you said Eric previously lived in Tupelo, Mississippi. That's a long way from Michigan. Do people in Tupelo know he's missing in case something happened to make him disoriented and he returned to Tupelo?

BBM

phone never left saginaw co....interesting

 

[EXIA15145]

Yes, the car is missing. The car was owned by his mother, she has the title, clean and no lein. She has received no notice from a tow company or anything of the like.

My experience is the title office won't reveal personal info about a vehicle title. Is that something you have a different experience on, or is that something the police could check?

I would tend to believe they should give information on the vehicle to the title holder, but, that's just my belief. Now that you mention it, someone did once claim to 'own' a vehicle that was ours, and we had the title and the registration, so the person really had no claim to the vehicle, like he thought. We contacted the attorney handling the matter and told him the person was claiming he had the right to the vehicle, and the attorney said no way. He called the person that was being difficult and let him know. So, yes, I guess my experience is different.
Another case? Someone took (stole) a car belonging to my relative. The car got impounded. Before they could get rid of the car, they contacted the owner(my relative) with a demand for money for the storage costs. (They needed the title to dispose of it.) They wanted so much money for the car it wasn't worth it to him to pay it. In the end I think he just signed over the title because the car's value was less than the costs of storage and fines.
In another case, I don't think they took the title for another car that was impounded, I think they just signed off on the car, without the owner's permission. The female that owned it lost the car.
The first incident happened in one state while the other two happened in another. The two were in Pennsylvania. I'd guess the circumstances have an affect on the outcome. But in most of these incidents, the owners were contacted and since they held the title they were informed. Eric's mom has the right to know where her vehicle is, if they know it's location.
Does anybody have AAA? Don't take my word for it, call the Dept of Motor Vehicles and ask or look at the laws online. This shouldn't be a difficult question to get answers. The car is titled and registered in Ohio, correct? It was last seen in Michigan, correct? The out of state thing could make things more difficult. The police should have no problem getting title information. If not local, try the state.
We know of someone in another state that wants to have a vehicle towed as 'abandoned' just because it has an out of state plate. They also wanted to tow another one that had current registration and plates in that same state, but they didn't like that old car 'littering' their neighborhood. So, there's another side right there.
JMO, I don't think the car is around like that. If it is, I'd be shocked. I think it's either already crushed, illegally, or under water. I don't think that exgf and her husband moved so much as they ran. People are starting to ask too many questions and they have a lot that they are hiding/lying about.
When I've seen other people make posts like this so early in a thread, they irritate me no end. I feel like they're deciding the game during the first quarter, and here I am doing the same thing. I am so sorry, searchingfamily, I would love to be wrong on this. But all this silence over this long period of time and the odd behavior of the exgf, this is like a textbook case to me.

 

[EXIA15145]

How did the police get Eric's phone? Who had his phone? And now that I think about it, why'd the motel owner allow that exgf to remove his property? The police should have been called then. Who has the stuff she took? What did she do with it and what has she had to say to Eric's mother?
Sheesh, my brain isn't working on full power tonight.

 

[Kiln Wood]

We are so unfamiliar with this. We have thought of a PI at different times but weren't sure when it would be helpful. We are reading over those links someone shared yesterday on that subject.

As far as the volunteer search groups - didn't even know they existed until yesterday, but...where would we ask them to search? We have no guesses as to where he or the car might be other than proximity to the motel, I suppose. Will they go out for a lead as soft as that?

BBM

I clicked on the link provided in one of the posts early on and read through Eric's Twitter posts (tweets?). In one of those posts he stated his father was a minister (Church of Christ?) who died in 2006. You may want to contact leaders of churches in the area he was living and ask them to publicize his disappearance among their members in the hope that some member will make a connection regarding Eric and/or some of the members may be willing to join a search once you've made contact with search organizations. Just an idea.....

You've gotten LOTS of wonderful information here, you're asking for help where it counts, and I believe you're moving in the right direction to find Eric. Best of luck!

 

[EXIA15145]

http://www.wnem.com/story/19484739/police-seek-info-on-man-missing-since-2011

It works here, thank you very much.

 

[EXIA15145]

Again, just want to stress that it's the motel owner who says she was there alone removing his things. SHE doesn't admit to that - she says he was there.

Police have said BOTH have been consistent in their telling of events to them, so we understand how hard it is for them to make sense of it. Someone's version of events is clearly wrong. What that means is unknown.

BBM
What that means, is that someone isn't telling the truth.
When you get two versions of an event and only one can be true, someone isn't being honest.

 

[EXIA15145]

Since the car is in mom's name I wonder if reporting it stolen is an option?

Just throwing thoughts out there.

Need to go for the evening, I sure hope we as a group can help guide you towards anything in finding Eric.

I think that's a great idea! At this point I don't think Eric would mind.

This thought brings me to another one. searchingfamily, please don't take offense, it's not meant that way. Is there any way possible some agency could have Eric detained, as in, in jail? Might the exgf have the ability to have him held on some bogus charge? I know this is a real stretch, but I thought as long as we're covering all bases.

 

[Eileen730]

And in her searches for adult males, Caison said, she has an even harder time getting anyone to pay attention.

"People want to think that missing males are OK and safe," she said. "I still sit back every day and scratch my head and say, 'Why can't you pick these cases up?'

This article was about Amir Jennings but this was interesting!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48953999/ns/us_news-life/

 

[Eileen730]

Personally I believe the EX and her hubby have all your answers!

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Child was and is with mom. Nether Eric nor his family was aware of the child until right before he moved there in late 2010. No custody battles.

Sorry - I fixed the post - he moved there in late 2010.

He planned it to be a permanent move. Claimed he and the mother were going to move in together and live happily ever after, but she denies. Hard to know who to believe, but she had to make him aware of the child for the first time after so many years for a reason.

Hi searchingfamily. :grouphug: Sorry your family is feeling so forlorn over Eric's disappearance. You definitely came to a site that has proven for years to assist in situations such as this. Hope we can all help as much as possible...

Some questions...

Re my bold above: Why did the ex gf all of a sudden have some sort of epiphany & feel she just had to tell Eric about their child? Does this child have a debilitating disease? Was said child maybe in need of an organ at some point in time?

Does she (egf) herself have some sort of terminal illness?

When did egf get married?

Was Eric proven to be the father of egf's child, ie DNA/paternity test (not just word of mouth)?

Did Eric's family know this egf when Eric was seeing her, or was she a secret as well?

Re his ssn#, that's bs that le can't get that info. I'm flat out saying its a lie if that's what le told Eric's family. Are those the exact words le used (that the IRS is uncooperative in tracing his ssn# usage)? Please check your notes, with the dates that le said that, then call back & ask for the captain, tell him what you were told & demand a letter in writing stating this...then scan it & email it to every single news station in the entire states' area involving the Dixie Highway (I know that's several 1000's of miles). You'll be heard.

When & in what state did Eric have this gf in his life?

Does Eric have a car in his own name at all? If no, why not?

Does Eric have a record?

How is it legal that the egf was witnessed to be moving out some of Eric's belongings from his hotel room but she wasn't deterred? Why didn't motel owner call the cops when he witnessed this? Why didn't motel owner why egf had a key to Eric's room? That's not legal unless she's on the room lease as well (as an occupant)...

Where are his belongings that the egf "moved out of" his motel room? Eric's family is next if kin since he wasn't married, unless his child was proven to be his and it's in writing on paper...

 

[Jersey*Girl]

I just went through Twitter to see who he was following & there are ALOT of gay contacts. No idea if that means anything but it's another avenue to go down. His posts are extremely political, so it makes me wonder if he's ever been involved in any kind of political awareness or protest groups, such as Occupy or the likes...

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Tweets are..........interesting. No doubt he is very political, very.

Not seeing tweets "to him", only his own. Maybe he has that part hidden? Anybody know?

 

[Jersey*Girl]

I'm trying to find his ex gf's name. Searchingfamily, can you please give us that information or are you not at liberty to do so? If not, why? Have the police informed Eric's family not to release any names? If this lady was seen moving stuff out of his motel room, there's no reason her name can't be released. Why hasn't the media reported that? Or have they and we're just unaware thus far?

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Are we positively sure that the twitter provided is definitely the Eric Franks in this thread? I'm asking bc January 29, 2010 he posted on his Twitter feed that he's on his 3rd wife and that the first 2 were church nuts... He was married? & he was married 3 times?

 

[Jersey*Girl]

I just read all of the available posts in his Twitter Feed... Extremely political for a person with a small job history. He's for gay rights (which so am I and I'm 100% heterosexual) which may not mean anything but worth noting considering the amount of gay rights & advocacy group Twitter contacts, very political, plus he said he's on his 3rd wife... Pretty interesting.

Ok, so he lived in a motel. Before his sporadic move to Michigan, did he live in a house or apartment?

Before he moved, did he live with family or by himself?

Is it true he was married 3 times & if so why haven't his exes spoken out?

Why did it take so long to file a Missing Persons report?

Was it normal for him not to be in contact with his family for long periods of time?

Did he use a laptop/pc/Mac or did he use his cell for Net/Web service?

 

[searchingfamily]

Searchigfamily-
Did Eric have a cell phone? Do we know where his phone last pinged? That would be helful for an organization like Klaas Kids, etc to know where to search.

Also, you said Eric previously lived in Tupelo, Mississippi. That's a long way from Michigan. Do people in Tupelo know he's missing in case something happened to make him disoriented and he returned to Tupelo?

Former employer in Tupelo, MS has been notified, yes. They've heard nothing from him.

According to the police investigation, Eric's cell phone never left Saginaw Co.

 

[searchingfamily]

HMMM did her husband know about him and was he suspicious of his wife visiting ex Bf at a motel?

Hubby did know about Eric. Let's just say they seem to have a strange arrangement in their marriage. Both he and she have been interviewed several times and their stories, while different from what they originally told the family when we first started looking for Eric, have stayed consistent to police.

 

[searchingfamily]

How did the police get Eric's phone? Who had his phone? And now that I think about it, why'd the motel owner allow that exgf to remove his property? The police should have been called then. Who has the stuff she took? What did she do with it and what has she had to say to Eric's mother?
Sheesh, my brain isn't working on full power tonight.

Police don't have the physical phone. After Eric being missing for more than a year, they were finally able to convince a judge to give them a warrant to get his records.


Can't answer as to why motel owner did what he did.

No idea where his possessions are - again, she says Eric took them that day when she says he left for California.

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Searchingfamily, have his mother do a VIN search on her automobile...

Here's a google search link with various site listing to VIN search, google search terms used are automobile vin search:

automobile vin search - Google Search

A thorough VIN search will include owners and accidents, registration & ins cos used, sometimes fines but not all of the time...

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Police don't have the physical phone. After Eric being missing for more than a year, they were finally able to convince a judge to give them a warrant to get his records.

Can't answer as to why motel owner did what he did.

No idea where his possessions are - again, she says Eric took them that day when she says he left for California.

Wait, I thought she was seen putting his belongings into a car different than Eric's?