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

[searchingfamily]

WHAT!? :what:
searchingfamily,you must be SO frustrated.
I wish we had heard about this sooner...but NOW we can try and help.

The police keep saying they are just too overloaded with other cases, which is part of the reason it has moved so slowly. Despite that being the last place anyone saw him, I think it took them a while to decide that he didn't just take off. At first they just kept telling us he'd turn up. Several months in, after the car hadn't turned up, they finally seemed to shift gears and start believing us that this was not normal behavior for him and that something might have happened to him. But we have suggested they search the motel room in the past to no avail.

 

[searchingfamily]

Did he check out of this motel he was staying in himself?

Seems the ex GF is the last to see him!

did she say why he was leaving?

Motel owner, who Eric did odd jobs for, says that Eric did not check himself out. Says he paid a week in advance, and that was the last time he saw Eric. He said that the eGF came two days in a row and removed his stuff. Says she told him that Eric had a job and was not coming back. He says she turned in the key. He has remained consistent in that recounting of events to family and to police - he's told three different police agencies the exact same thing.

eGF, though, tells police Eric was there at the check out, that she simply helped him move out, and that she last saw him headed south on Dixie Hwy. and says he was headed to California. She has remained consist in that version of events to police, but that differs from what she originally told the family (before we had police involved) which was that she last saw Eric in his car outside her house.

 

[searchingfamily]

I am sorry if this has been answered previously, I have only briefly read through the thread, but has his vehicle been located?

No. Tags have never been run (BOLO issued late 2011). We just discovered this week that the original police report and BOLO, filed here in Ohio, had a digit wrong in the VIN #. So lots of worries now about what they may have missed over all this time, say at impound lots or the like, by having that VIN entered wrong.

 

[nursebeeme]

Motel owner, who Eric did odd jobs for, says that Eric did not check himself out. Says he paid a week in advance, and that was the last time he saw Eric. He said that the eGF came two days in a row and removed his stuff. Says she told him that Eric had a job and was not coming back. He says she turned in the key. He has remained consistent in that recounting of events to family and to police - he's told three different police agencies the exact same thing.

eGF, though, tells police Eric was there at the check out, that she simply helped him move out, and that she last saw him headed south on Dixie Hwy. and says he was headed to California. She has remained consist in that version of events to police, but that differs from what she originally told the family (before we had police involved) which was that she last saw Eric in his car outside her house.

bold by me (bbm): that is what I am thinking part of the real truth is:twocents:

I so wish they would have searched her house :-(

 

[ktgirl]

Were Eric and the ex-GF both living at the hotel together? Was just Eric living there and she'd go visit him? Did she have a home some place else (as in she wasn't living at hotel)?

 

[EXIA15145]

YES - that is what his car looks like.

So am I colorblind because to me that looks blue.

Did he have the title for his car? Was it paid off? Does anyone in the family know where the title is? Have you ever checked to see if someone got a duplicate title or if the car is considered salvage? Does anything show up if you do a title search of the car? I'm referring to running the VIN (vehicle Identification Number). Am I correct in understanding the car is missing, too?

Welcome, searching family. I wish we were meeting under nicer circumstances.

 

[EXIA15145]

bold by me (bbm): that is what I am thinking part of the real truth is:twocents:

I so wish they would have searched her house :-(

Has anyone looked at a map to see what bodies of water are nearby? Also, quarries and mines. What kind of vehicle did she use when she cleared out his room? Did she have his car? Has his car been seen by anyone since then? Did he have any credit cards? Or a bank card? A bank account?

 

[EXIA15145]

http://www.wnem.com/story/19484739/p...ing-since-2011

This link isn't working

BBM

 

[EXIA15145]

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.

How old is the child?

I had a huge post with lots of questions and then this computer ate it.
My comments were mainly concerned with Eric's SSN. Wouldn't law enforcement be able to subpoena the records? I got a deceased family member's SSN off the internet. I don't remember how I did it. BUT it would be a break to find out if she has been claiming SS benefits for his minor child.
Did she voluntarily tell him about the child or did he find out and she had no choice to tell him. Or did welfare get her to file for support?
If you google Amy Boyer, you'll find you can easily get his SSN off the internet. It will cost you, but you can get it.

 

[EXIA15145]

What is Eric's educational background? High school graduate? College? If so, what did he study? What did he do before moving to Michigan in late March, 2010?

The Adobe document (flier) isn't responding, but the thumbnail version looks fine.

I got the thing to load here, and that's unusual. The only hangup was it waited for my permission to load it.

 

[Anna1964]

Have salvage yards been checked with the right vin? If the vehicle was at some point towed, and because of the vin mix up was never picked up or located by police, then eventually it was have been sold to recover storage and towing costs. I noticed the year was 2001, and sometimes our local salvage yard ends up with vehicles in this year range this way.

 

[nursebeeme]

Has anyone looked at a map to see what bodies of water are nearby? Also, quarries and mines. What kind of vehicle did she use when she cleared out his room? Did she have his car? Has his car been seen by anyone since then? Did he have any credit cards? Or a bank card? A bank account?

I posted a case map upstream... there is a river right up the road.

 

[EXIA15145]

IMEO, the exgf didn't welcome Eric's attention and intentions regarding the child (what sex is it and how old is it?) I'm sorry, but IMO, Eric and his car are somewhere under water unless you can locate his car. I'm sorry to say I think Eric is no longer alive and the exgf and her husband are the prime suspects.
I also believe they moved out of town (did they move out of state?) to be less accessible to LE.

Everything I have said here is just my opinion. I believe the evidence supports the exgirlfriend's involvement, based on her clearing out his room, in his being 'missing'. I believe further involvement on his loss is indicated by further actions and statements of the exgf. I don't believe, based on the information presented, Eric is still alive. I'm really sorry, searchingfamily, but I don't think this is going to end well. Since I very well could be wrong, let's see where things lead us.
The first thing I think the police should do is check the river for the car.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

H.S. grad. He worked maintenance at a mall for 15 years or so in Tupelo, MI before moving to Ohio in 2009. He only had a couple of jobs for a few weeks each there in Archbold. Moved to MI in late 2010. Understand he did odd jobs for the owner at Miller's Motel where he stayed but any other employment the MI unknown. Police say IRS unwilling to provide info it his SSN is being used anywhere.

Do you mean Tupelo, MS (Mississippi)? No Tupelo, MI on my Rand-McNally Road Atlas.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Has anyone looked at a map to see what bodies of water are nearby? Also, quarries and mines. What kind of vehicle did she use when she cleared out his room? Did she have his car? Has his car been seen by anyone since then? Did he have any credit cards? Or a bank card? A bank account?

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - SPOTLIGHT CASE MI - Eric Franks, 39, Buena Vista Twp, 21-Mar-2011

 

[EXIA15145]

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - SPOTLIGHT CASE MI - Eric Franks, 39, Buena Vista Twp, 21-Mar-2011

I posted that before I had read the whole thread. I just got here, oh, a couple hours ago, and I've been reading and typing at the same time. I still haven't seen how old the child is, but I get the impression the ex girlfriend was not happy to see Eric in regard to the child. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
Searchingfamily, don't be surprised if someone shows up here to present HER side of the story.

 

[EXIA15145]

In case you haven't noticed, searchingfamily, you have the attention of quite a few people that are more than willing to help you find answers. Some of these people are the best. I wish you the best, take care.

 

[searchingfamily]

Were Eric and the ex-GF both living at the hotel together? Was just Eric living there and she'd go visit him? Did she have a home some place else (as in she wasn't living at hotel)?

Hotel owner says she'd visit him at the motel - not living there. She and her husband have a house in Buena Vista Twp. but they have moved out of state.

 

[searchingfamily]

So am I colorblind because to me that looks blue.

Did he have the title for his car? Was it paid off? Does anyone in the family know where the title is? Have you ever checked to see if someone got a duplicate title or if the car is considered salvage? Does anything show up if you do a title search of the car? I'm referring to running the VIN (vehicle Identification Number). Am I correct in understanding the car is missing, too?

Welcome, searching family. I wish we were meeting under nicer circumstances.

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?

 

[searchingfamily]

Do you mean Tupelo, MS (Mississippi)? No Tupelo, MI on my Rand-McNally Road Atlas.

YES, sorry. Mississippi. I wrote that twice - typo'd the first time, then cut and pasted it the second time. I fixed the second instance, but it's apparently too late to edit the original. Tupelo, MS is correct, sorry for my typo.