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

[Eric's mom]

The last conversation in June 2011 post I was referring to was a response by MLP on November 22, 2011 (to a post by LU on November 21, 2011-third comment down):
"Ohh myy, I haven't spoke with him in quiet some time, back in June was the latest, and at that point he was living in a hotel, getting ready to move in with him daughters mom. He was with her the last I knew, I hope all is well and he is just hiding somewhere..."

SBBM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/158635567524997/

I just think that conversation date needs to be verified, as you last talked to him March 10, 2011, he was supposedly last seen March 21, 2011 (by FG only), and the motel owner hadn't seen him since a couple days before that whenever Eric paid his weekly rent.

Yes, but again, I know whose initials those are and neither of them have SPOKEN to Eric by phone or in person since about March 10,2011. The woman who said she had spoken to Eric in June is in frequent contact with Eric's family (even within the last few hours) and she is a friend from high school. She has been in contact with police to help find Eric. She did speak to him very often on the phone, but not in June, she said. She sent a quick "Happy Father's Day" and someone responded with "Thanks" and used a nickname he had for her. Anyone on the Elite page knew the nickname.

 

[JLSChook]

Yes, but again, I know whose initials those are and neither of them have SPOKEN to Eric by phone or in person since about March 10,2011. The woman who said she had spoken to Eric in June is in frequent contact with Eric's family (even within the last few hours) and she is a friend from high school. She has been in contact with police to help find Eric. She did speak to him very often on the phone, but not in June, she said. She sent a quick "Happy Father's Day" and someone responded with "Thanks" and used a nickname he had for her. Anyone on the Elite page knew the nickname.

This is ridiculous. I am so frustrated for you. LE has to get moving on this information! Someone is playing games with his accounts and there is a REASON they are doing that.

There is a reason they wanted people to believe he was still 'out there' on social media. Even his last tweet is suspicious to me.

I am not one to bash LE, but this is just preposterous, IMO. You and your family have given them lead after lead and it seems they do nothing with them.

All I have to say is that I hope I never go missing in Michigan! :banghead:

 

[Eric's mom]

The last conversation in June 2011 post I was referring to was a response by MLP on November 22, 2011 (to a post by LU on November 21, 2011-third comment down):
"Ohh myy, I haven't spoke with him in quiet some time, back in June was the latest, and at that point he was living in a hotel, getting ready to move in with him daughters mom. He was with her the last I knew, I hope all is well and he is just hiding somewhere..."

SBBM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/158635567524997/

I just think that conversation date needs to be verified, as you last talked to him March 10, 2011, he was supposedly last seen March 21, 2011 (by FG only), and the motel owner hadn't seen him since a couple days before that whenever Eric paid his weekly rent.

The motel owner, consistent with his story, said Eric came in on March 14,2011 and paid a week's rent, Eric stayed a couple of nights, but never came back. He said he checked in Eric's room and Eric's things were around in the room . He said the FG came in the day time. Then she came and got things out of Eric's room on two days. On the 21st she got his things and the motel owner came into the room and asked her where Eric was. He says Eric was not with her. She turned in the key and collected the deposit according to the motel owner. He described her vehicle and he had seen her many times, even calling her by name to me. He said Eric told him about his child.

 

[Eric's mom]

This is ridiculous. I am so frustrated for you. LE has to get moving on this information! Someone is playing games with his accounts and there is a REASON they are doing that.

There is a reason they wanted people to believe he was still 'out there' on social media. Even his last tweet is suspicious to me.

I am not one to bash LE, but this is just preposterous, IMO. You and your family have given them lead after lead and it seems they do nothing with them.

All I have to say is that I hope I never go missing in Michigan! :banghead:

I hope you never go missing anywhere! But it has been and is very frustrating . I truly appreciate your concern and help. I know Eric's friends on Elite are posting things to help even recently. I'm sure it's harder for police when there is no body , no car or eye witness to what happened that will come forward, but there is so much I can't and shouldn't say that just has not been "right" with this investigation. As I've said all along, I do appreciate what has been done, but you wouldn't believe the way some of this has been handled.

 

[JLSChook]

Eric'sMom, Sorry for all the questions, but I will have plenty more.

Where did Eric live when he was with FG? (City or State)

Thanks!

 

[Eric's mom]

Eric'sMom, Sorry for all the questions, but I will have plenty more.

Where did Eric live when he was with FG? (City or State)

Thanks!

I actually posted that earlier in response to something. They met in TN.

 

[Eric's mom]

No, I am a southern belle! Eric smoked some. Eric enjoyed talking politics and religion and had some strong opinions. I don't know anything about that group. As for when he disappeared, his former girlfriend has told various stories to different people. One of Eric's close friends informed family and police the story told to him by Eric's former girlfriend was that Eric was alive and well and with her in June 2011. He said he asked her tell Eric to call him, but there never was a call. The last time any of Eric's family or friends heard form him by way of phone or FB postings was March 10,2011. Thanks for your help.

Well, not really sure about FB posts...are they really Eric?

 

[Eric's mom]

Where did the suggestion that " the maternal grandfather was a former police officer" come from? Thanks

Could someone with Moonflowers let me know about this? Thanks.

 

[FBEye]

The last email I received supposedly from Eric (I'm sure it was not) was the day before Thanksgiving 2011. It came from a Burger King in Clio, MI where they have no surveillance cameras. I talked more than once to the man who is over most of Burger King's loss prevention (Eric had a laptop as well as a droid phone.)

Thank you so much, Eric's Mom (and your entire family).
Very interesting. This Clio, MI Burger King is just 21 miles straight south of Buena Vista, MI- right off Hwy 23, approx 20 minutes away from where FG lived (depending on where she lived in Buena Vista).
So, FG Former Girlfriend told you she was the one that posted the prom comment on his Elite Group page on FB (April 30th, 2011), basically admitting she had to have known Eric's FB account password to do so. It's not much of a stretch to think she must have also known or found his email account password as well then.
Clio looks to be out of Saginaw County's borders, in Genesee County, and you said you were told that Eric's phone didn't leave Saginaw County. Hmmm

 

[FBEye]

I just don't understand the request by LE for such secrecy blaming the need on not compromising "the active investigation". Most missing persons cases put the word out right away who the last person was to have physically seen the missing person; to give a time frame and description information to work with so people can be on the look out and to help jog their memories. I see absolutely no reason why you were originally discouraged and told by LE not to talk to MSM or hang missing flyers. I see no reason why the FG has been sheltered and not been identified, she's not the victim here. Your granddaughter is no longer a minor, and she as well as your entire family have every right to know what happened to Eric!

 

[Eric's mom]

Thank you so much, Eric's Mom (and your entire family).
Very interesting. This Clio, MI Burger King is just 21 miles straight south of Buena Vista, MI- right off Hwy 23, approx 20 minutes away from where FG lived (depending on where she lived in Buena Vista).
So, FG Former Girlfriend told you she was the one that posted the prom comment on his Elite Group page on FB (April 30th, 2011), basically admitting she had to have known Eric's FB account password to do so. It's not much of a stretch to think she must have also known or found his email account password as well then.
Clio looks to be out of Saginaw County's borders, in Genesee County, and you said you were told that Eric's phone didn't leave Saginaw County. Hmmm

Thanks for your detective work. When some of Eric's family spent 4 days in Saginaw, we did a lot of our own detective work and were even told by the lead detective's partner in front of the prosecutor that our legwork might help solve this case, but our information seemed to fall by the wayside. We interviewed the motel owner, the maid, the FG's neighbors,the owner of the skating ring where the maid said Eric and FG took their daughter on Fridays and left posters with him. We hoped the police would go there and talk to regulars to see if anyone knew anything. We went to Eric's daughter's work and spoke with her friends and coworkers. We went to the FG house, talked to the owners of the house & got them to talk to police. We even went to a fast food place near the motel where FG bought Eric some food to take to the motel according to a post he made. He accused her of trying to poison him with some green stuff in the drink. Maybe jokingly, maybe not. We asked the manager if they carried green condiments, and she said she had worked there 14 yrs and they never had carried any. We went to the little store across from the motel and a man there remembered Eric. We went to the mall where Eric said he spent time with his daughter just after her mother told her about Eric. We researched photos from that day and figured which store carried an object shown in a photo (that proved a point to the police) by the tile configuration on the floor in the photo. We did so much that right now I can't even recall it all. But even if the police didn't use the info and the photos we took to the meeting with the prosecutor, our family had some answers.

 

[Eric's mom]

I can't recall if that prom post indicated who posted it. They both had access to that FB page. I know Eric's friends attributed it to Eric. Also, we were told the phone never left the area, but we were told by police they went to the Burger King to see if there were security cameras. I spoke with the manager also. The loss prevention manager over most MI Burger Kings told me lots of people park outside that fast food place and access the internet.

 

[FBEye]

It's very likely someone was posting as him. Also, I believe the story FG told to me and another family member when we first called to check on Eric was probably the true story. According to the Archbold police report, she verified that to them. When confronted by MI police with the story the motel owner gave, she had to deny his story because that proved she and Eric were doing what he posted...painting and fixing up a house in a rural area and living the life he had dreamed of. I believe that's where she took the things from the motel. According to a friend on the Elite site, FG posted there were water issues and if Eric wasn't going to help with the expense, she was going home. That explains the argument. He had a temper. She said he got mad over a job posting and she had to protect her daughter. This is what she told me, but not the police.

BBM
"I'm keeping busy living the life I have dreampt of for years. Painting and getting everyone situated in our new house.
Hopefully when the satellie gets installed, I'l be able to log in easier. We are pretty rural.
April 21, 2011"

From Eric's above supposed post on the Elite group page, is this house mentioned a different house than the one FG and her husband lived in? Where was this house located? It seems this rural house is the one that should be searched with dogs for any trace of foul play.

Have you or the family contacted the CUE organization (Monica Caison) for assistance? They are AWESOME!! www.ncmissingpersons.org You can file a report on their website or call directly 24 hours a day (910) 232-1687.

And lastly, is FG's husband the father of her other child (children)? You mentioned that she had posted the birthdates of her children, plural.

 

[Eric's mom]

I just don't understand the request by LE for such secrecy blaming the need on not compromising "the active investigation". Most missing persons cases put the word out right away who the last person was to have physically seen the missing person; to give a time frame and description information to work with so people can be on the look out and to help jog their memories. I see absolutely no reason why you were originally discouraged and told by LE not to talk to MSM or hang missing flyers. I see no reason why the FG has been sheltered and not been identified, she's not the victim here. Your granddaughter is no longer a minor, and she as well as your entire family have every right to know what happened to Eric!

The detective who had the case in BV said he just happened to keep the FG's husband's phone # and called him in their new location and told them he wanted to talk to them. He said they were on their way back to MI anyway. According to police to me, that was the only time they were actually interrogated. One time they were asked simple questions, I was told. So, I waited to be called about how that went. When I wasn't called, I called the police. I asked if they also talked to Eric's daughter because the argument was in front of her and she was no longer a minor. I was told the family was leaving to go back to their home. So, I insisted he needed to go talk to her. So, he told that he would and later told me what was said. It totally didn't make any sense knowing what I know.

 

[Eric's mom]

BBM
"I'm keeping busy living the life I have dreampt of for years. Painting and getting everyone situated in our new house.
Hopefully when the satellie gets installed, I'l be able to log in easier. We are pretty rural.
April 21, 2011"

From Eric's above supposed post on the Elite group page, is this house mentioned a different house than the one FG and her husband lived in? Where was this house located? It seems this rural house is the one that should be searched with dogs for any trace of foul play.

Have you or the family contacted the CUE organization (Monica Caison) for assistance? They are AWESOME!! www.ncmissingpersons.org You can file a report on their website or call directly 24 hours a day (910) 232-1687.

And lastly, is FG's husband the father of her other child (children)? You mentioned that she had posted the birthdates of her children, plural.

Thanks for the info. I will call them. According to FG and her husband, the other child is his. That house haunts me since the beginning because I think that's where something happened. I asked the original detective about it and he just said he knew nothing about a house! Family noticed a new cable hookup at FG's house and called the company. We were told they would only give info to the police, but confirmed former girlfriend installed it and gave her new address. It seems every lead we were asking to be looked into was ignored. The owner of the house told us there had been water issues there, also. There is an old abandoned well on the property and a large burn pile. We asked for the dogs to search both. We wanted to be there, but were told that the dog trainer was afraid a dog they were training might be spooked, so we didn't go. Even the owner of the property told police there were concerns about that well. It is a strange well covered over with boards and a dirt roof that a person can stand under. The news crew went with us there. I don't know if it's the same house, but the owner of the house said it was strange that kiln was put on the walls and the carpet was ripped out and disposed of. She even saved a vacuum that was left because she thot it might be evidence and said she had trouble getting police to come get it. She felt an urgency because FG's husband kept calling wanting to come get it.

 

[Eric's mom]

The owner of the house told family she wished the police would hurry and do a search, so she could clean the house up and rent it again. I don't believe it was ever searched inside. By the time the state police took the case and used dogs to search property, someone else lived in the house. The detective in BV who was in charge told me no one was going to give permission to search that property. So, family asked owners and they not only gave permission to family and police, the lady kindly kept in touch.

 

[JLSChook]

Thanks for the info. I will call them. According to FG and her husband, the other child is his. That house haunts me since the beginning because I think that's where something happened. I asked the original detective about it and he just said he knew nothing about a house! Family noticed a new cable hookup at FG's house and called the company. We were told they would only give info to the police, but confirmed former girlfriend installed it and gave her new address. It seems every lead we were asking to be looked into was ignored. The owner of the house told us there had been water issues there, also. There is an old abandoned well on the property and a large burn pile. We asked for the dogs to search both. We wanted to be there, but were told that the dog trainer was afraid a dog they were training might be spooked, so we didn't go. Even the owner of the property told police there were concerns about that well. It is a strange well covered over with boards and a dirt roof that a person can stand under. The news crew went with us there. I don't know if it's the same house, but the owner of the house said it was strange that kiln was put on the walls and the carpet was ripped out and disposed of. She even saved a vacuum that was left because she thot it might be evidence and said she had trouble getting police to come get it. She felt an urgency because FG's husband kept calling wanting to come get it.

Oh my God, this just keeps getting worse and worse! There is so much evidence in this case that LE totally ignored and didn't look at that it gave "whoever" so much time to dispose of any evidence of wrong-doing. This makes me so mad! :furious:

 

[Eric's mom]

I just don't understand the request by LE for such secrecy blaming the need on not compromising "the active investigation". Most missing persons cases put the word out right away who the last person was to have physically seen the missing person; to give a time frame and description information to work with so people can be on the look out and to help jog their memories. I see absolutely no reason why you were originally discouraged and told by LE not to talk to MSM or hang missing flyers. I see no reason why the FG has been sheltered and not been identified, she's not the victim here. Your granddaughter is no longer a minor, and she as well as your entire family have every right to know what happened to Eric!

I agree, and for a year we were told not to get on tv or put up posters. I was told I could put them up in Archbold, but he wasn't here! When I was told finally family could put up posters, I told the police they had wasted precious time.

 

[Eric's mom]

Oh my God, this just keeps getting worse and worse! There is so much evidence in this case that LE totally ignored and didn't look at that it gave "whoever" so much time to dispose of any evidence of wrong-doing. This makes me so mad! :furious:

Family was told by BV that the house in question was under surveillance for 6 wks and then no one was there, so they asked the neighbor where they went. It's just strange because that house is the last house on a dead end road in a rural area. No way whoever was living in that house wouldn't know someone was watching. No way someone watching wouldn't see someone leave.

 

[searchingfamily]

So we have a few facts we can be sure of;

Eric was staying at a hotel, and he left it.
All his possessions left the hotel at some point, by some means, too.
His (actually mom's) vehicle left as well.
His phone never left (or pinged) outside Saginaw Cnty.
Calls were made to car salvage facilities, on that phone
The last known person to have seen Eric is the mother of his child
She says he was heading south on the Dixie hwy?? (correct me if I'm wrong with directions, please)
Eric wasn't known to have a lot of money, so would have been unlikely to discard his phone.

Just a bit of clarification - BV police told us Eric's phone went dark for three weeks around the time we stopped hearing from him in March 2011. Then the some calls made were to salvage yards... Then it went dark again for good.