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

[Eric's mom]

As far as I know, there is no Potato Mountain in Michigan (I am in MI).
Is it possible he was going to take a trip back to Cali to hike?
The Potato Mt. there is in Claremont, is that an area Eric would be familiar with?

The only real "mountains" in MI are ski resorts, more or less.

ETA- Or do you think he meant Potato Creek State Park in South Bend, IN?
That would be a 2 day trip from Saginaw. Or a day trip if you are willing to drive about 4 hours each way in a day.

He would definitely not have been going anywhere to hike unless just to please someone else. A trip to CA would not be for hiking. He just loved that the weather was nice most of the time and he could see mtns and water and be around making of movies. But, you would have to know Eric to understand that he loved talking to family and friends about his trips and most everything. He would have been on Facebook and sharing with others if he decided to go on a trip just like he was doing while in MI. He and a high school friend talked almost every day most of the time he was in MI. Eric posted about he and FG going to some of the lakes when they were frozen and seeing big trucks driving on the ice. He said they took pictures and I believe his high school friend said he posted some. Some of his posts and pictures were deleted according to that friend. Eric sent me several photos of his daughter on different occasions and hoped to bring her to meet me in July when he went to the dentist.

 

[veestevens]

Definitely true there Eric's mom. What you just said is exactly what I remember about him. No way he was going hiking because he wanted to. And if he did go to CA someone would have heard something by now

 

[Eric's mom]

I see it has been on the news there in Michigan. One of the local stations but has it ever been on one of the national networks? Cnn NBC any of those national news programs? Just wonder if it hasn't if it might help to try to push for that. Even Dateline if it is still on air. They do things like missing persons cases etc...

We asked the police about getting Eric's story put on national news and was told it's not that easy. I did get in touch twice with America's Most Wanted and was told to submit his story, which we did. Then we called back and was told to resubmit it and we did. I was given the number for Center for Hope through NAMUS, I believe. It's a national missing adult center in NY. I talked to the gentleman more than once and he told us things we could do. He said it sounded like we had done most everything he would advise us to do. He said it might help to send Eric's story to every tv and newspaper we could think of and maybe someone somewhere might pick the story up. I was told later that that man's teenage daughter had disappeared and he and his wife started Center for Hope to just give advise to families with missing loved ones. He told me to call back anytime if I needed to talk. So may people have been very kind to us.

 

[Eric's mom]

Center For Hope, Doug and Mary Lyall, (518) 884-8761 in [email protected]

 

[zwiebel]

So it pretty much is all a mess because of all the stories FG is telling. Would the police/authorities not be more suspicious because of the changing of the story several times over

I would have thought so. I'd think they would also be suspicious with a story that was set in stone and not even the tiniest detail was ever added or remembered, as though it had been rehearsed, again and again.

Both too many changes and 'rehearsed' stories can indicate a person not being completely truthful, in my opinion. Working out why that might be is the hardest part. People can be less than honest for the strangest reasons, I think.

 

[zwiebel]

I have put an amended version of the poster up, as the other had a little mistake.

MI MI-Eric Franks, missing flyer. Mar 21, 2011 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[SStarr33]

Wix.com is a great place to get a free site. They have tons of really nice templates as well.

If you need help creating a site, let me know. I'm happy to help.

If you decide to do it and need help with the SEO part, let me know.

 

[Eric's mom]

Even though there are times in life that remind each of us how unkind (even horribly cruel) some people can be to other humans, it is good to stop and remind ourselves how incredibly kind and caring some people are to total strangers. Eric's family thanks each of you who are helping in various ways "behind the scenes" and those offering to do anything they can to help.

 

[Eric's mom]

SBM
"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"



http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/

I'm SO glad you called CUE Eric's Mom!! Thank You!
Monica Caison and her team are beyond awesome! CUE has a HUGE network of all the dedicated professionals and volunteers needed to help find Eric as well as the connections to coordinate and carry out the searches.

I got a call back from Monica with CUE this afternoon. Strangely enough, she was just passing through the town where Eric was born while I was talking to her!
She was very nice and gave me all the info on what we need to do so she and her team can look at Eric's case and hopefully help. Thanks again FBeye for your tip.

 

[FBEye]

I got a call back from Monica with CUE this afternoon. Strangely enough, she was just passing through the town where Eric was born while I was talking to her!
She was very nice and gave me all the info on what we need to do so she and her team can look at Eric's case and hopefully help. Thanks again FBeye for your tip.

Oh my goodness, Eric's Mom, this is really great news!! Monica Caison and CUE are fantastic!! Thank you for letting us know and please keep us posted!

 

[FBEye]

I have put an amended version of the poster up, as the other had a little mistake.

MI MI-Eric Franks, missing flyer. Mar 21, 2011 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Thank you (and Mr. Z too) VERY much for all the work on the new missing poster for Eric! It's perfect! :tyou:

 

[Eric's mom]

Eric seemed completely awestruck at the idea he was a father, and he doesn't seem like the type to have given up as easily as mother of his child suggests he did. Maybe he followed her down to Florida? Maybe it would be worth highlighting his case down there?

You never know what a tip can lead to, or where it might come from.

O/T but it's National Crime Victim's Rights Week, this week. If Eric is a victim of crime, he and his loved ones have rights. That every state in the nation has signed up to. It's a wonderful thing.

http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/

Eric's family has had information for a TV station in FL. waiting until we thought they should be contacted. Your post reminded me and prompted me to act! So, I called them and emailed the connection a family member had with the TV station and asked the reporter to call Terry Camp and Det. Thomas and family and see if a story could be aired in FL. in the town where it might do some good. Thanks for your thoughts that reminded me of that connection from "way back"!

 

[veestevens]

That is very possible but still doesn't explain the complete disappearance of the car. And if he did take off to FL seems like someone would have heard something by now. But it would not hurt to do that with a station there because maybe someone there knows this FG/Husband and has some kind of info that will help

 

[zwiebel]

That is very possible but still doesn't explain the complete disappearance of the car. And if he did take off to FL seems like someone would have heard something by now. But it would not hurt to do that with a station there because maybe someone there knows this FG/Husband and has some kind of info that will help

Oh snap veestevens. Exactly what I was thinking......

For all we know, she and husband may think Eric's been found by now as well, so it may be a good idea to make sure they know he hasn't been. Maybe her local community could help her locate the missing father of her child, if it's publicized?

 

[Moonflowers111]

Here is Eric's flyer at last, as an A4 pdf that can be printed out. I've started a poster thread, so any other posters can be put there too.

MI MI-Eric Franks, missing flyer. Mar 21, 2011 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Shared! Thanks for the poster!!

 

[Eric's mom]

The forms on CUE's website were filled out and sent tonight. Photos of Eric and his missing poster will be faxed tomorrow. Maybe something good will result from your tip FBEye !!

 

[Eric's mom]

Oh snap veestevens. Exactly what I was thinking......

For all we know, she and husband may think Eric's been found by now as well, so it may be a good idea to make sure they know he hasn't been. Maybe her local community could help her locate the missing father of her child, if it's publicized?

Oh, FG knows he's still missing. She was called last month before Eric's updated story ran on Saginaw news......she knows. She is always given an opportunity to help find Eric.

 

[Eric's mom]

The forms on CUE's website were filled out and sent tonight. Photos of Eric and his missing poster will be faxed tomorrow. Maybe something good will result from your tip FBEye !!

An email was also sent to Beth Holloway, mother of missing daughter, Natalie, for more advice on what to do at this point. She was keynote speaker at the Missing in MI forum last year and gave Eric's family some advice after her speech. Some of you have been working "overtime" on Eric's case. Maybe calling the tip line with some of the information you have found that family had not found would be helpful to keep Eric's case open. Thanks so much!

 

[Eric's mom]

Monica called back again today to let Eric's family know she received our information and will be taking care of things on her end. Eric's family hopes and prays this will lead to some movement in Eric's case.

 

[Eric's mom]

Bolded by me. (BBM)Hope you don't mind Eric's mom, I've broken your quoted post into paragraphs, just to make it easier for people to see the bits I've bolded in context.



Somebody taught me this years ago. Maybe it will help you too?

Get a little media list of press email addresses. Publications you think will write about missing people. 5 or 6 will do. To the news/editorial desk is best.

Whenever you have an important meeting with LE or especially DAs coming up, send out a tiny, advance press release saying how delighted you are about it and the way whoever you're meeting is being so helpful, with the date it is due to take place. Say you'll issue a fuller release after the meeting.

Send a copy of that same press release to the media dept of the person you are going to meet (or the person themselves, if they don't have one). With - and this is important - a list of the media outlets you have also sent it to.

In my experience, it is very rare to have an important meeting cancelled if the above has been done in advance.

Again, good advice. The members of Eric's family that were in Saginaw for 4 days did do the tv interviews before and after our visit with the prosecutor. The first interviews were arranged before we made our trip. As we were preparing to leave our motel, we received calls from the news reporters and told news crews were on their way to the motel. They just wanted to ask us if we were glad we came. I answered yes, we were, but we wish the lead investigator would have meet with us. I don't know if that info was ever aired, but is in their files. We had called another news channel who said they would be interested in doing Eric's story if we weren't happy with our results with the investigators! We weren't ready for that interview at that point. I wish we had thought to do what you suggested about notifying several media avenues that the meeting was coming up and then notified them of the results. That will be helpful to remember in the future.